QNCC presents: DON'T KIDNAP US by Tyler Ashley

QNCC presents the one, the only, Tyler Ashley! Known around town as the Dauphine, Ashley will be gracing the QNCC stage with DON’T KIDNAP US, a revisiting and continuation of her 2014 performance “Kidnap Me.” The production will take place at the QNCC warehouse space on May 13th and 14th, 2026. A dance art performance set to the minimalist universe of composer Julius Eastman, Don’t Kidnap Us takes the form of an enduring, vulnerable, choreographed and improvisational trance. Originally presented at La MaMa in 2025 and reimagined as a site-specific work for QNCC, this iteration of the performance will incorporate spells new and old. In Tyler’s words, the performance centers around: “A chosen family at the barycenter of escapist ‘anywhere-but-here’ desire and the will to stay and fight who confronts the systemic self-righteous illness of seize, capture, and exploit.” Attendees are welcome to witness the performance however most comfortable for the individual; to sit, stand, stretch, settle, and rest around the QNCC space. Water and snacks will be provided, and focusing in and out of the performance as needed is encouraged. For more information and tickets, visit qncc.org. Tickets start at $25 with a $5-$50 sliding scale. Tyler Ashley’s dance art and/or drag performances have been presented by Performa, Honcho Campout, Times Square Alliance, and BOFFO, and seen at Brooklyn Museum, Poetry Project, BAM, FIAR, The Kitchen, The Public Theater, Jacob’s Pillow, Triskelion Arts, Knockdown Center, The Chocolate Factory, Danspace Project and many more. Ashley has performed in the work of Elizabeth Streb, DANCENOISE, Larissa Velez-Jackson, Sean Donovan, Kade Pyle, and Charles Atlas among others. She is also known as The Dauphine—a nightlife personality, performer, producer, and emcee. Her brainchild, the BABY TEA party series, boasts a long-running durational Drag Brunch with co-creator Charlene Incarnate, performance popups, and fundraisers for trans advocacy programs. For nearly two decades, Ashley has worked in Nonprofit Artist Services, Curation, and Producing. In 2018, Ashley created premier Pride programming at New York Live Arts, in collaboration with artistic leadership Bill T. Jones and Janet Wong. Ashley has served on the New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Awards selection committee since 2022 and was nominated for the 2019 Brooklyn Nightlife Awards Best Emcee/Femmecee and Community Vanguard, as well as the 2020 NYC GLAM Nightlife Award for Best Host.