Danse Lumière presents a Conversation on Women Choreographers with Sidra Bell

Danse Lumière presents a Conversation on Women Choreographers with Sidra Bell

Danse Lumière presents a Conversation with Sidra Bell on April 8, 2022 at 7:00 pm at the Martha Graham Studio Theater in NYC.

Danse Lumière’s Artistic Director Kathryn Roszak will discuss the surge of women in leadership in dance with choreographer Sidra Bell, followed by a brief presentation of Bell’s work. Bell was invited by Roszak to be a part of the Women Directors, Choreographers, and Composers Award given to Wendy Whalen, Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet, in New York City in October of 2021.

“We are in the midst of a period of great change in the dance community,” said Bell. “Bringing more women into leadership positions is just the first step in a larger journey.” 

As the founder of the annual Women Directors, Choreographers, and Composers Residency, Roszak believes residencies are a crucial step to bringing women to the forefront of the industry.

“This residency highlights choreographic, musical works and leadership by women,” said Roszak. “We help women artists further develop their work while giving them greater opportunity and visibility.”

Kathryn Roszak trained as a dancer on Ford Foundation scholarships at San Francisco Ballet, and at the School of American Ballet in New York. Ms. Roszak performed for many years with the San Francisco Opera Ballet and has danced with San Francisco Ballet and San Antonio Ballet.

In 1995, Ms. Roszak founded Danse Lumière (known as Anima Mundi until 2006), and has since specialized in the creation of her own original productions. Her unique approach brings new audiences to classical art forms by blending and innovating within the disciplines of dance, literature, music, visual art, and theater. Cross-cultural and interdisciplinary collaborations have included working with Kabuki master Shozo Sato; choreographer Alonzo King; playwright Velina Hasu Houston; musicians Mazatl Galindo of Mexico and Ailu Gaup of Arctic Norway; composer Gordon Getty; and writers Gary Snyder, Michael McClure, and Maxine Hong Kingston.

Sidra Bell’s career has spanned for close to 20 years, and she is currently a Master Lecturer at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, and a recent artist-in-residence at Harvard University. She has a BA in History from Yale University and an MFA in Choreography from Purchase College Conservatory of Dance. She was a University of Minnesota Theater Arts & Dance Cowles Visiting Artist and an artist in residence at Cornish College of the Arts (Seattle).

Bell has received many commissions from institutions and companies internationally and created over 100 new works notably for BODYTRAFFIC, Ailey II, The Juilliard School, Harvard University, Boston Conservatory, River North Dance Chicago, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Sacramento Ballet, and Ballet Austin to name a few. She is the first Black woman ever to create a new work for New York City Ballet in October 2020. 

Tickets for Danse Lumière’s a Conversation with Sidra Bell are $25 and can be purchased online at https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/5372130, by phone at 1-800-838-3006or in person at the Martha Graham Studio Theater Box Office on the day of the event.