Gibney Center Expands Residency Programs & Names Sidra Bell Artist In Residence

Gibney, the New York City-based dance and social justice organization, is expanding its residency programs to provide wider and more diverse opportunities for early- and mid-career dance artists in support of the continuing advancement of the contemporary dance field.

Under the direction of Gibney Center Artistic Director Nigel Campbell Gibney now offers five residency programs for 21 artists at all career stages to provide essential time, funding, and resources that support the artistic process. Announced today, the newly created Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program, conceived and created by Campbell to help fill a gap in the field for multi-year residency and commissioning support.

"Gibney Center supports every facet of a dance artist's career, from technical training to research and from creative process to presentation and production. Our new and expanded residency programs include multi-year, in-depth support and access to Gibney's wide range of resources," said Campbell.

"A core component of Gibney's mission is to support dance artists at every stage of their career, through diverse programs, activities, and partnerships," said Gibney Founder, Artistic Director, and CEO Gina Gibney. "Now more than ever, it is crucial that dancers, choreographers, and all who work in our field have meaningful opportunities and resources that empower their creativity and career success."

The critically acclaimed and highly prolific choreographer Sidra Bell has been selected as the inaugural artist of Gibney's new, three-year Artist-in-Residence (AiR) program, the first signature program created by Gibney Center Artistic Director Nigel Campbell. Bell's work has been performed throughout the United States and internationally and in 2022 her Company, Sidra Bell Dance New York, is celebrating its 20th anniversary. As the inaugural Gibney AiR and a recipient of a 2022 Dance in Process (DiP) Residency, Bell's work will intersect with all three of Gibney's pillars: Center, Company, and Community. She will receive comprehensive support including over 300 hours of studio space, teaching opportunities, and financial support, and have ample access to Gibney's administrative and artistic resources. Additionally, she will serve as a mentor to the Gibney Company Choreographic Fellows. The residency will include the New York City premiere of a special repertory program offering audiences a look at Bell's work over the last 20 years in October 2022, and the commission of a new work for Sidra Bell Dance New York to premiere at Gibney: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center.

"The goal of the new Artist in Residence (AiR) program is to provide durational, multi-faceted support for established artists to deepen and share their work. Sidra Bell's work has been an integral part of the dance ecosystem in the United States and abroad for the last 20 years. As an artist, I have personally experienced the magic of her movement philosophy and I am thrilled to offer her this platform as Gibney's inaugural AiR," said Campbell.

"I look forward to collaborating in multiple ways with the Gibney community and working towards generating environments for creation, risk and discovery," said Bell.

Open Interval, a pioneering new partnership between Gibney and the New York City-based Simons Foundation is a collaborative choreographic residency that will focus on research and process to explore the connections between science and dance. A cohort of emerging and established choreographers will be provided with studio space, financial support, and access to scientific researchers over a period of nine months, with the aim of conducting focused research related to the basic elements of their practice through exchange, dialogue, and collaboration. Residencies will conclude with opportunities for public presentations and dialogue. Additional details to be announced soon.

Founded and curated by Eva Yaa Asantewaa, the Black Diaspora initiative supports up-and-coming, Black-identifying and Afro-Latinx dance and performance artists from various cultural backgrounds and aesthetic traditions. Now in its third year, Black Diaspora has launched an exciting new mentorship program pairing each member with an established artist in the field.

Members of the cohort also receive an annual stipend and studio space. Opportunities for informal studio showings and development of member-based leadership are also planned for the program's coming year.

"We are creating and holding space for Black and Afro-Latinx artists to help directly address their needs in an unusually challenging time for dance and performance. With the addition of the mentorship pairings, we hope to foster intergenerational exchange that fuels discovery, nourishment, and growth," said Yaa Asantewaa.

The 2022-23 Black Diaspora artists and mentors are: Beau Banks mentored by Nina Angela Mercer; Trinity Dawn Bobo mentored by Germaul Barnes; Jenny Boissiere mentored by Danni Gee; Wendell Gray II mentored by Stacy Spence; Alexandra Jean-Joseph mentored by Marjani Forté-Saunders; Makayla Peterson mentored by Kyle Marshall; Kendra Ross mentored by Ana "Rokafella" Garcia; Angelica Mondol Viaña mentored by Maleek Washington; and Maya Simone Z mentored by Ni'Ja Whitson.

Gibney Company Artistic Associates Alexander Anderson and Jie-Hung Connie Shiau have been named Choreographic Fellows for the 2022-23 season. Designed to foster the choreographic development of Company members, the program provides each Fellow with 100 hours of studio space to conduct research, explore the creative process, and develop new work; access to advisors, mentors, and technical assistance; a stipend; and the presentation and production of their work as part of the Gibney Center annual season. They will present their new works in November 2022 at Gibney Center in Company Created, in a shared bill with a specially selected Springboard emerging artist.

This year, Gibney's Dance in Process (DiP) Residency supports six mid-career New York City-based dance artists who are in the process of developing a new project. DiP artists receive three consecutive weeks of access to a dedicated studio at one of Gibney's locations, 40 hours of subsidized studio space throughout the residency year, and financial support to help complete the work in development. The 2022-23 DiP Artists are Ori Flomin, Vangeline, Antonio Ramos, Stacy Matthew Spence, Kate Watson-Wallace, and Director's DiP/AiR Recipient Sidra Bell.

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