Amid a summer hallmarked by Michael Jackson’s biopic and Madonna’s comeback, Janet Jackson’s quiet retreat or self-imposed exile is louder and louder. 

She was last seen on stage earlier this summer at the BET awards in Tupac shirt delivering an honor to Teyana Taylor. She seems to have stopped playing the game that so often played or siphoned from her. Her precise performance style, distinctive visual language, and sonic innovation continues to reverberate across several generations of pop stars, from Britney Spears and Tinashe to K-pop groups and beyond.

Dance to Disappear: Janet Jackson Live will feature a screening of selected Janet Jackson performances, including Janet Jackson Live in Hawaii, followed by a conversation with curator Hugo Cervantes and writer, artist, archivist  Harmony Holiday. Together, they will consider Jackson’s enduring influence and ask what her work makes visible about performance, non-performance, sexuality, childstardom, and celebrity.