“Echoes on the Wall,” Silva’s choreographic creation developed in collaboration with gallery artist Rosalind Tallmadge and her installation Pareidolia, is a playful, site-specific work that debuted in June as part of Carvalho’s 2025 summer performance series. Through the 20-minute piece, Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Silva and Re, along with New Jersey Ballet’s Vinícius Freire, weave through the intimate space around Tallmadge’s burnished gold tapestries made of organza silk and silvered mirror mica. They are accompanied by an original score—a largely percussive arrangement that combines strings, synths, and keys at varying tempos—which influences the tone of each sequence: some are jazzy and playful, others more sinuous and contemplative. 

Carvalho’s performance space is intimate, and audience members stand around the entire perimeter of the space when the dancers enter and situate themselves along three different walls; they are barefoot and carry their shoes (ballet flats for all, plus an additional pair of pointe shoes for Silva) with them, placing them to the side.  

The piece begins with Silva, Re, and Freire moving into the center of the space. Together, they create different geometric shapes with their bodies, especially as they work through a floor sequence that quickly breaks the fourth wall: one dancer begins by clapping a rhythm, and the others follow. The dancers make eye contact with audience members, bidding them to participate in the ritual with them. This moment, while small, is intentional. When dancers perform at eye level to their audience, the latter lacks the anonymity they can find in a traditional theater setting. “Echoes” confronts the reality of its setting, welcoming the audience not just as spectators, but as participants.