Eryc Taylor Dance Kicks Off Bryant Park Outdoor Contemporary Dance Program

Eryc Taylor Dance (ETD) will join Bryant Park's Contemporary Dance Program with three of their most popular repertory works on Friday, June 22. The program is from 6-8pm, with Eryc Taylor presenting at 6:45pm. Bryant Park is located behind the New York Public Library in Midtown Manhattan, between 40th and 42nd Streets & Fifth and Sixth Avenues. The annual Bryant Park dance series will feature acclaimed contemporary dance choreographers on five back-to-back summer Fridays in June and July; open to the public, there is no admission charge. Preview Eryc Taylor Dance.

The Eryc Taylor Dance Program at Bryant Park:

· Cycles (2017 - excerpt) an abstraction of space and sea (both weightless environments), Cycles emphasizes the parallels between the two worlds. The matrix that makes up all organisms is artfully degraded, reassembled and reinvigorated, sparking evolution. The movement of the dancers in Cycles reflects the natural process of diffusion as the means to navigate the weightlessness and vacuum of space. Original costumes by NYC-based artist Ether are geometrical structures - an exoskeleton - that outline the dancer's bodies. British electronic Artist/DJ Swarm Intelligence created the soundscape that transports viewers into another world. "Cycles" was commissioned by the Sills Foundation and is dedicated to them in perpetuity.

· Chaise Lung (1992 - duet reconstruction), a theatrically quirky and comical take on tango, was conceived over two decades ago. The work, created in collaboration with choreographer Laura Peterson, premiered at The Kunsthaus Tacheles in the former East Berlin. Chaise Lung was presented on tour throughout Germany and the USA, including Lincoln Center Out of Doors in 1993. Salomon Lerner's score, originally composed by Astor Piazzolla, brings a fresh and contemporary twist to the musicality. It is the fourth original score Mr. Lerner has created for Eryc Taylor Dance. Chaise Lung will feature ETD company members Alex Tenreiro Theis and Taylor Ennen.

· Grand Duo (2016 - duet), featuring dancers Christopher Bell and Nicole Baker, is a three-part love story exploring the ups and downs of romantic relationships. Relatable and poignant, the choreography is performed to the music of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone and Otis Redding. Grand Duo had its premiere during ETD's 10th Anniversary Season.

"In the achingly beautiful movements of the dancers you'll feel weightless and powerless one moment and invincible and super-heroic the next.... I felt like I was punched in the gut." - Chuck Gomez, Emmy Award winner for news and winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award for Excellence in Journalism

"Skill, sweat, and sex appeal make this a must-see" - Scott Stiffler, Chelsea Now

"Experimenting with and finding the right music for choreography has always been a major part of what Taylor calls his 'avant-garde style.'" - Dance Teacher Magazine

Eryc Taylor Dance was established in NYC in 2006 with a mission to advance the appreciation of movement through creating and presenting original performances, conducing master classes and curating movement-based community outreach workshops. Eryc Taylor Dance has been home to over twenty New York City dancers since its founding. Each year ETD awards three New Choreographer Grants in the amount of $1000 to emerging New York-based for each to fund the creation of a new piece. The ETD "New Choreographer 2018 Works in Progress" showcase will take place this year on Saturday, October 13.

The Eryc Taylor Dance "Community and International Outreach" program specifically uses dance as a tool to inspire, heal and build communities for populations who might not otherwise have access to movement programs. The ETD "mobile" program currently conducts twelve workshops a week for the following organizations: PGCMH, CUCS, NYU Langone Medical Center, Odyssey House, and Acacia Network. VIDEO.

The Marta Heflin Foundation has awarded funds to Eryc Taylor Dance and ETD Outreach for the third consecutive year. The awarded funds have directly increased the reach and impact of each of ETD programs, from weekly movement workshops across NYC to original, self-produced works shown internationally.

Eryc Taylor Dance celebrated their 11th NYC season in October 2017 at Martha Graham Studio Theater.