It’ll be one small step for a dancer, but a great leap for artists of all kinds!
A new arts festival will bring an intergalactic gang of uniquely talented comedians, dancers, and less definable creative types together for two nights of lunacy. The organizer of the On the Moon Arts Holiday Party, at Littlefield in Gowanus on Jan. 3 and 4, said that she recruited the most distinctive artists she could find for the two-day variety show.
“I like talent that stands out because it isn’t trying to be different, but just is different,” said Jin Moon, who lives in Sunset Park. “If I see something and get some kind of thrill or chill from it because I feel like I haven’t seen that before, it makes me inspired to help them.”
Moon met many of the performers in the festival — including comedienne and National Public Radio host Ophira Eisenberg — through her talent agency, On The Moon Arts. Eisenberg said that Moon favors performers who can appeal to a broad audience without diluting their offbeat qualities.
“I think Jin looks for acts that are appreciated by the mainstream but also a little more cutting edge,” said Eisenberg, who lives in Park Slope.
Eisenberg will host the first night of the festival, where she will keep the crowd laughing in between stand-up comedy from Jaye McBride, tunes by Lord Easy and the Lady Exclusives, and an indescribable performance from Adira Amram and the Experience, among others.
“I’m going to be your party starter, and that’s always a fun job for me,” Eisenberg said. “I’ll be a jolly ringmaster and I’ll bring a boatload of jokes to sprinkle in between [the acts].”
On the second night, Eisenberg will return with her own performance, cracking jokes during a stand-up set that will turn into a storytelling session — a signature blend that Moon said helps elevate Eisenberg’s performances.
“Ophira has that ability to transform typical stand-up into something extraordinary, because she has that storytelling ability and that ability to command a room,” Moon said.
Another notable act on the second night will be the group Dance Cartel, said Moon, who expects the crowd to be on their feet by the end of the posse’s performance.
“They’re able to make it feel like a dance party and make it not feel like you’re just watching dancers perform, and by the end everyone’s dancing,” she said.
Moon said she hopes the festival will bring the performers into each other’s orbit, and that they will support each other’s work in the future.
“I just wanted to do something different, and kind of just bring a different perspective and hopefully build a community through that,” she said.
On the Moon Arts Holiday Party at Littlefield (635 Sackett St. between Third and Fourth avenues in Gowanus, www.littl
