Three Female Choreographers Portray Empowerment At NYLA

Known for its "powerfully engaging" (New York Arts) and "contemporary and fresh" (Theatre Is Easy) choreography, Ariel Rivka Dance (ARD) collaborates with the acclaimed Amy Marshall Dance Company and choreographer/dancer Chanel DaSilva for a season of provocative dance dedicated to empowering female expression. An audience favorite for its accessible, graceful signature style of movement, the all-female ARD celebrates its 11th season under the helm of choreographer Ariel Grossman. Program includes two world premieres by Grossman, one by DaSilva, and beloved repertory by both Grossman and Marshall. (Program details are below.)

"This is a particularly charged time and this year has brought to light many of the inequities women have faced historically," says Ariel Grossman, artistic director of Ariel Rivka Dance. The way I can contribute to the movement of females empowering other females is by recognizing and supporting fellow choreographers. I pride myself on the community of women I surround myself with, who are all intelligent, powerful, creative, and disciplined humans."

"Amy and Chanel create honest and vibrant work that isn't afraid of being extremely vulnerable. I am honored to share our season with two women who are not only incredible artists, but also women whom I have deep respect for because of their endurance, work ethic, and ability to bring communities together."

ARD presents two new works: a solo work that reflects on the sacrifices one makes for passion, and She, a dance that delves into the emotional waves of motherhood. As a mother of two, Grossman shares her frustrations with striving to attain the unattainable goal of being "the perfect mother" in She. In collaboration with female costume designer Marianna Tsartolia (former Rioult dancer), this compelling work is set to a unique soundscape of layering breast pump sounds by female composer Stefania deKenessey. Also on the program is ARD's No Words (2017), a response to the frustrations and fears associated with women being silenced. Commissioned by NJPAC, it premiered last year at New York Live Arts during ARD's 10th anniversary season. According to Critical Dance, "it's a coarse, angry, absorbing dance, and one that's groundbreaking both for Grossman and her dancers."

Sharing the stage is the Amy Marshall Dance Company. According to Marshall, she mixes contemporary themes with classical structure. "I fuse these elements into an enduring emotional experience. That which lasts beyond the performance itself is the essence of my work." Marshall showcases three works from her inspiring, dramatic repertory. Two duets, Ne Me Quitte Pas (2014) and No Exit (2005), are athletic tour de forces. The ensemble work, Shakambhari (2015), is inspired by a story of the Hindu goddess who once had to defend herself and the people over a drought caused by the Demon, Durgamasur. Marshall has created movement and characters to help translate the story for the stage.

Chanel DaSilva returns to set a premiere piece on four ARD dancers with her signature energetic style. Her 2017 debut was a success: "the choreographer was multi-faceted and searing...the movement was unified and disciplined, programmed and purposeful (Critical Dance). DaSilva was a classmate of Grossman's at LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, is a Juilliard School graduate, and after a lengthy association with Trey McIntyre Project, is currently a member of Lar Lubovitch Dance Company and a co-founder of MOVE(NYC), an intensive summer program for local teenagers.

Ariel Rivka Dance (ARD) is a critically acclaimed, all-female contemporary dance company founded by married choreographer/composer team Ariel Grossman and David Homan. Based in New York/New Jersey, the company celebrated its 10th Anniversary Season at New York Live Arts last year. Recent highlights include tours to Cleveland, OH, the Gordon Center for Performing Arts (Baltimore, MD), Dance Month at the Kaplan Theater (Houston, TX), and a two-week teaching, choreographic, & performance residency in Vero Beach, FL. ARD has also been presented at NJPAC, Rutgers University, the Gershman Y (Philadelphia, PA), Saratoga Dance Museum, Baruch Performing Arts Center, Dixon Place, White Wave's Wave Rising Series and Inaugural Solo/Duo Festival, and REVERBDance. Past performances include collaborations with Rioult Dance NY, Taylor 2, Heidi Latsky, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, and Sean Curran. www.arielrivkadance.com

CHANEL DaSILVA, a native of Brooklyn, NY, fell in love with dance at the age of three. She studied at The Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center and also studied at Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn. Her training continued at LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, The Ailey School, and Springboard Danse Montreal. She received a BFA in Dance from The Juilliard School, under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes and was the recipient of the prestigious Martha Hill Award. Chanel has performed works by Ohad Naharin, Doug Varone, Jose Limon, Jessica Lang, Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Camille Brown, and Lar Lubovitch. Chanel is a 2004 Level 1 YoungArts Awardee, a 2004 Presidential Scholar in the Arts and also a 2011 Princess Grace Dance Awardee. She was also featured in the 2004 PBS Documentary "American Talent". From 2008 - 2014 Chanel was a founding member of the highly celebrated Trey McIntyre Project where she was a muse for many of Mr. McIntyre's works. She graced the cover of DANCE MAGAZINE in 2011 and as a part of Brooklyn Academy Of Music's "Dance Motion USA" Chanel toured throughout Asia with TMP as an ambassador to the United States.

She has taught master workshops and choreographed works for schools, universities and companies across the nation such as The Juilliard School, LaGuardia High School, Harvard Dance Project, Idaho Dance Theater, and Ariel Rivka Dance among others. She was a member of Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, a notable repetiteur of the works of Trey McIntyre, and also currently serves on the dance faculty at her alma mater, LaGuardia High School. In 2015, alongside her partner Nigel Campbell, Chanel co-founded MOVE(NYC). She currently resides in New York City.

Choreographer Amy Marshall and Executive Director Chad Levy co-founded the Amy Marshall Dance Company in 2000 in order to realize a vision of dance theater as a visual metaphor for the human spirit. Ms. Marshall's choreography pays tribute to both the beauty and tribulations of life's experiences through dramatic movement. The work's emotional structure explodes across the stage with dramatic confrontation and then suddenly resolves itself into a poignancy of classical dimensions. The virtuosic performance of the dancers leaves audiences awed and delighted.

During the past eighteen years, the Amy Marshall Dance Company has performed and taught across North America, Europe and Asia. Through these performances, master classes and dance workshops, the company has inspired audiences and invigorated young dancers in a way that will both challenge and reward them all for years to come.