ODC Announces New Writer-in-Residence Sima Belmar

ODC, a cultural, creative, and community hub comprised of a world class dance company, a presenting theater, and a dance school, announces Sima Belmar as its new Writer-in-Residence, effective immediately.

As Writer-in-Residence, Belmar will play a unique role at the nexus of ODC's artistry, creative process, and current and potential audiences. The Writer-in Residence provides insight into specific works; provides a framework for contemporary dance and its connection to the broader social/cultural milieu; introduces a critical dance vocabulary to the public; and furthers ODC's mission to foster diversity and inclusivity through dance. Belmar succeeds Marie Tollon, who has been in the position since 2013.

"We are thrilled to have Sima join us as Writer-in-Residence," said ODC Founder & Artistic Director Brenda Way. "Sima has been an important thought leader in the Bay Area Dance Community for nearly three decades. Her writing is engaging, rigorous, and wonderfully personable. She is a perfect fit for ODC."

"It is exceedingly rare to find a Writer-in-Residence position committed to dance practice, and I'm thrilled to begin working with an institution devoted to finding ways to engage writing as a correlative of dancing," said Belmar.

Belmar earned her PhD in Performance Studies from UC Berkeley, and holds an MFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Her scholarly writing has been published in The Journal of Dance and Somatic Practices, Performance Matters, and the Oxford Handbook of Screendance Studies(2016). Belmar was a member of the inaugural dance-writing lab at the National Center for Choreography in Akron (NCCAkron) from 2017-2018. She currently writes the monthly column "In Practice" for Dancers' Group's publication In Dance. She has taught dance on film and television, dance history, performance theory, modern dance technique, and college writing at several institutions including UC Berkeley, St. Mary's College of California, Sonoma State University, Mills College, Austin Peay State University, Shawl Anderson Dance Center, Berkeley Ballet Theater, and IALS (Roma). Her research foci include the relationship between dance, talk, and gesture in North American concert dance, Dance in Popular Film and Television, Somatic Theory/ Practice/Pedagogy, Performance and Phenomenology, and embodied research methods.

ODC is a groundbreaking contemporary arts institution: a world class dance company, a presenting theater, and a dance school. Known nationally for its entrepreneurial savvy as well as artistic innovation, the organization is unique for its fully integrated vision. Operating in San Francisco's Mission District for more than 48 years, our programs and activities contribute to San Francisco's vibrant dance and arts ecosystem, community development, arts education, and access to creative art-making. ODC strives to cultivate artists, inspire audiences, engage the community, and foster diversity and inclusion through dance performance, training and mentorship.

ODC's Writer-in-Residence position is made possible by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Writings are available online at medium.com/odc-dance-stories

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