CUNY Dance Initiative Announces Awarded Artists for 2021-22 Residency Cycle

The CUNY Dance Initiative has announced 23 awarded artists for the 2021-22 residency cycle.

From August 2021 to June 2022, 12 CUNY colleges are hosting 23 choreographers (complete list below), selected from a competitive pool of 166 applicants. An incubator for the New York City dance field, CDI taps underutilized studios and theaters on CUNY campuses to provide rehearsal and performance spaces for artists. The 2021-22 cohort mirrors both the City and CUNY's cultural vibrancy through a variety of dance styles-modern dance, street forms, ballroom, flamenco, aerial dance, tap, jazz dance, and kathak, among others. The 2021-22 season marks CDI's eighth year.

Despite the ongoing challenges facing educational and performing arts institutions, host CUNY colleges are planning creative development residencies in fall 2021, with several premiere performances scheduled for spring 2022.

Expanding upon its CUNY residencies, CDI is beginning a new partnership this fall with Brooklyn Arts Exchange (BAX) to launch a special Arts & Social Justice residency. In collaboration with Brooklyn College, this expansive two-year residency will support Anna Gichan, the inaugural choreographer, with extensive rehearsal time, as she shares her perspective as a deaf artist in a hearing world via workshops and showings for Brooklyn College students and faculty.

In spite of the extraordinary situation created by the COVID-19 pandemic, CDI was able to fulfill residencies for the 2020-2021 cycle, and is now ready to extend its resources to this new group of artists at this critical time for the dance industry. Indeed, NYC's independent and small budget choreographers have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic and need CDI's support more than ever.

"CDI provided great support and resources to help us stay connected with our audiences during the pandemic," said Leonardo Sandoval, Artistic Director/Choreographer for Music from the Sole. "Now that we're back in person, our CDI residency at City College has been crucial to getting ready for summer and fall performances."

2021-22 CUNY Dance Initiative Resident Artists

Baruch College: Baruch Performing Arts Center (Manhattan)

Ephrat Asherie Dance

Josh Beamish/MOVETHECOMPANY

BMCC: Tribeca Performing Arts Center (Manhattan)

International Affair/ Miki Tuesday

Jazz Roots Dance Company

Brooklyn College: Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts (Brooklyn)

The LayeRhythm Experiment

The City College of New York: City College Center for the Arts (Manhattan)

Music from the Sole: Leonardo Sandoval & Gregory Richardson

Sonia Olla & Ismael Fernandez Flamenco Company

College of Staten Island: Department of Performing and Creative Arts, in partnership with Snug Harbor Cultural Center (Staten Island)

Stephen Petronio Company

Hostos Community College: Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture (Bronx)

Nélida Tirado / Arte 718

Oyu Oro Afro Cuban Experimental Dance Ensemble

John Jay College: Gerald W. Lynch Theater (Manhattan)

Jon Lehrer Dance Company

Fly-by-Night Dance Theater

Kingsborough Community College: On Stage at Kingsborough (Brooklyn)

DNA

FJK Dance

LaGuardia Community College: LaGuardia Performing Arts Center (Queens)

Dolly Sfeir

Isaac Iskra

Lehman College: Department of Dance and Theatre (Bronx)

Boy Friday

Harambee Dance

Queensborough Community College: Dance Program (Queens)

Movement of the People Dance Company

Jazelynn Goudy

Queens College: Kupferberg Center for the Arts & Department of Drama, Theatre, & Dance

Barkha Patel

Jiemin Yang

Arts & Social Justice Residency at Brooklyn College and
Brooklyn Arts Exchange (Brooklyn)

Anna Gichan