CENTER

COMPANY

COMMUNITY ACTION

NEWSLETTER2012–2013

GIBNEY DANCE

BOARD OF DIRECTORSThomas Scott, Chair; James W. Kennedy, First Vice Chair; Marcia L. Worthing, Second Vice Chair; Lynn Gitlitz, Treasurer; Katherine Wickham, Secretary; Lauren DiPaolo, Officer-at-Large;

Gina Gibney, Officer-at-Large; Jane Grenier, Past Board Chair; Anika Davis Pratt;

Ralph A. DeCesare; Katie Glasner; Juliette Han; Rachel Norton; Sheila Wellington

HONORARY BOARDThomas K. Duane, Former State Senator; Diane Eidman; Frederica Gamble;

Jane Grenier, Chairman Emeritus; Stephen Jacoby, Chairman Emeritus; Kathryn Karipides;

Lisa Laukitis; Bill Lewis; Linda Rice; Frederika Rosinski, in Memoriam; Rita Zimmer;

Pamela van Zandt, Founding Chair

ADVISORY GROUPKyle Abraham, Hollis Bartlett, Janessa Clark, Kay Cummings, Tim Cynova, Ursula Eagly;

Hilary Easton, Jennifer Edwards, Katie Glasner, Jeff Kazin, Suzanne Lamberg, Sarah Maxfield,

Aston McCollough, David Parker, Jill Sigman, Sydney Skybetter, Gus Solomons Jr., Marya Wethers,

Dana Whitco, Michele Wilson, Ellis Wood, Eva Yaa Asantewaa

JUNIOR COUNCILEbonie Hazle, Maria Kucinski, Tara Leininger, Ben Lasser, Judy Joslow Quintana, Maureen Ragalie

GIBNEY DANCE COMPANYNatsuki Arai, Javier Baca, Zachary Denison, Casey Loomis, Amy Miller

STAFFJavier Baca, Operations Assistant; Julia Boyes, Programs Assistant; Andy Chapman, Operations Assistant; Janessa Clark, Global CAR Director; Jennifer Current, Studio Manager; Gina Gibney, Artistic & Executive Director; Elena Light, Communications Assistant; Jessica Martin, Development & Communications Associate;

Liz Montgomery, Development & Communications Manager; Yasemin Ozumerzifon, Community Action Manager; Allie Pfeffer, Operations & Programs Manager; Russell Stuart Lilie, Operations Assistant

CONSULTANTSBoehm Business Services; CrossRoads Technology; Christopher Duggan Photography;

Edwards & Skybetter; Kennedy Berg LLP; Kirkland & Ellis LLP; Lutz & Carr LLP; RedCurrant Collective;

Sacks & Co.; Samantha L Siegel Photography; Beth Silverman-Yam, Sanctuary for Families;

Sara Juli, Surala Consulting; Jeremy Williams; WiT Media

ADDRESS890 Broadway, Fifth Floor

New York, NY 10003

PHONE212 677 8560

WEBSITE www.gibneydance.org

EMAILinfo@gibneydance.org

NEWSLETTER DESIGNED BY Murphy Chang

EDITED BY Elena Light & Liz Montgomery

COVER PHOTO BY Christopher Duggan

© Gina Gibney Dance, Inc.

GOVERNMENT SUPPORT

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the

New York City Council and Council Member Rosie Mendez

Materials for the Arts

The New York State Council on the Arts with the support of

Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature

National Endowment for the Arts

INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT

Lead Support - $2,500 & up

Lauren DiPaolo*

Jane DiPaolo & Jim Teague

April Galda Joyce

Lynn* & Marc Gitlitz

Martha Hirschman

Jane* & Jean Marie Grenier

James Kennedy* & Ana Olivier

Rachel* & Larry Norton

Thomas Scott* & Vanessa Woog

Pamela van Zandt

Sheila Wellington*

Katherine Wickham*

Marcia Worthing*

Contributors

Amy Acorn

Josephine Adamson

Katherine Adler

Larry Apolzon & Jim Stanton

Tom Bachtell

Robin Beltzer

Myra & Charles Biblowit

Judith Boomer

Scott Brady

Helene Brenner

Barbara Bryan

Mary Casey-Maydwell

Frances Cassidy

Laura Chapman

Amelie Dionne Charest

Bobbi & Barry Coller

Joyce Croak

Ralph & Debby Cunningham

Anne Delo & Rosemary Giuliano

Margot Dennedy

Deborah DeZure

Carolelinda Dickey

Carolyn Dorfman

Caryl & David Dreiblatt

Hilary Easton

Jennnifer Edwards

Diane Eidman

Diana & Fred Elghanayan

Linda Evans & Sandy MacGowan

David Fanger & Martin Wechsler

Margo Feinberg & Fred Ross

Stephanie Schwartz Ferdman

Victoria Ferrara & Michelle Loris

Clara Gamble

Frederica Gamble

Mrs. Frederica Gamble

Seth Gertsacov

Wendy Giffords

Richard Girgis

Katie Glasner*

Adrienne Glasser

Linda Greco

Cynthia Hart

Eugenie Cowan Havemeyer

Arnold Herzlich

Bettye Hill

Erin Hylton

Renee Jacob

Kathryn Karipides & David Brown

Miriam Katowitz & Arthur Radin

Ann Katzen

Richard Katzen

Jeffrey Kazin

Michael Kelly

Gloria Kessler

Francine Klagsbrun

Maria Kucinski

Suzanne Lamberg

Ben Lasser

Wayne Lawson

Emily Lemer

Lisa Levine

Bill & Jane Lewis

Tyra Liebmann & Randy Meadoff

Jocelyn Lorenz & Mary Hays

Ken Maldonado

Jessica Marshall & Jerry Tepper

Stephen & Carolyn McCandless

Joshua McHugh

Faith Middleton

Frances Milberg

Debbie & Tony Morenzi

Robin Morgan & Carol Magid

Lisa Mueller

Philip Mussman

Carmel Napolitano

Nina Nelson

David Parker

Kara Petraglia

Kay Phelan

Lisa & David Post

Anika Davis Pratt

Liz Radke

Douglas Raelson

Lydie Raschka

Linda Rice & Patricia Cristol

Susan Richards

Barbara Rosen & Patricia Martone

Betty & Roger Salomon

Karin Schall

Audrey Schlaepfer & Judith Bennis

James Schmidt

Margaret Sharkey

Jayne Sherman

David Shimotakahara

Andrea Sholler

Jill Sigman

Beth Silverman-Yam & David Yam

Barry Skovgaard & Marc Wollinsky

Andrea Snyder

Gus Solomons Jr.

Deborah Speyer

Fred Tarter

Denise & Philip Tavani

Sharon & Marc Teitelbaum

David Thomson

Annette Toutonghi

Brian Uy

Meital Waibsnaider & Rick Kiley

Maureen Waters

Kathy Westwater

Peter Wilson

Jean Wolff

David Woolard

Maria Yuan

Gary & Leslie Zema

Deborah Zum

As of June 30, 2013. This list does

not include individuals who made in-

kind donations or purchased silent

auction items or raffle tickets.

* Gibney Dance Board of Directors

1 10

MISSION STATEMENT

Gibney Dance is a groundbreaking organization whose mission is to bring the possibility of movement where it would

otherwise not exist. Its vision is to tap into the vast potential of movement, creativity, and performance to effect social

change and personal transformation through three interrelated fields of action—Center, Company, and Community Action.

COMMUNITY ACTION IN TURKEY

“What we created here today still exists after we leave. It’s ours. Now, let’s

go and share it!” Gibney Dance Company member Amy Miller’s call to action

mingled with the voices of Turkish dance and social service professionals

during their final training session at the Gibney Dance Community Action

Residency (CAR) in Istanbul, Turkey. Her motivating words still resonate

nearly six months after the Company returned home to the United States.

The weeklong CAR that took place this April was Gibney Dance’s first outside

of North America. For Gina Gibney, the Company dancers, and Community

Action Manager Yasemin Ozumerzifon—an Istanbul native—it was a cross-

cultural testament to art in action. A panel that included Turkish and American

experts in domestic violence and the arts kicked off the residency’s first day

and provided a public platform for discussing the issues and progress in

both countries. That same evening, the Company previewed an excerpt from

Dividing Line, Gina Gibney’s most recent work-in-progress set to premiere

this fall. Company member Zachary Denison described the backstage scene:

“We all held hands in a circle before the show began and took three deep

breaths together.... The people of Turkey welcomed us with open arms and

breathed life into the piece.”

The residency’s home base was Mimar Sinan University, Turkey’s only

university offering a degree in dance. Company members taught master

classes to a range of undergraduates, who reported that, “Learning different

techniques helped us a lot. We loved the positive energy of Gibney Dance

Company members.” The Company’s work with the students culminated in

a showing at the end of the week. Company member Javier Baca reflected,

“I am glad to have met these students and to have had the experience of

teaching dance without relying on words; I am glad to have watched these

students grow from the start of the week to a spectacular final showing; and

I am glad to have had the opportunity to learn from them probably just as

much as they picked up from me.” Understanding prevailed, despite the

language barrier.

Gibney Dance also held Community Action trainings at Mimar Sinan, inviting

Turkish dance and social service professionals to learn about the Community

Action program model and eventually create their own local programs. The

feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. One replied, “Thank

you for mobilizing those who are interested in uniting movement and social

issues to come together.” Another later wrote to say that she and other

attendees had already started their own group, Haphazard, inspired by what

they had learned.

Gibney Dance’s experience in Istanbul confirmed that the program model,

already successful in New York City, is highly replicable elsewhere. Even in

a completely different culture, the work transcended differences in language

and social norms. In a country where the issue of domestic violence is dire,

CAR mobilized people to take action through the arts. Now, the question is:

where will CAR go next?

COMMUNITY ACTION

COMMUNITY ACTION exceeded its goal of providing 365 movement workshops and consequently reached over 4,000 domestic violence survivors—a

huge milestone for the program. We also shared our 13 years of experience pairing art with social action with 10 future leaders at the first annual Institute

for Community Action Training. In April, the Company traveled to Istanbul, Turkey to share our program model with dancers and social service professionals.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FUNDING HIGHLIGHTS

The Agnes Varis Trust provided Gibney Dance Community Action with a major

gift that allowed us to meet our goals of offering free movement workshops over

the course of the year and bringing our groundbreaking work to dance students

and social service professionals in Istanbul, Turkey, through a Community Action

Residency. We wish to express heartfelt thanks to the Trustees for continuing

to support our vision of effecting social change and personal transformation

through movement.

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supported Gibney Dance’s game-changing

work with the Nonprofit Finance Fund. Upon completion of the consultancy, the

Foundation went above and beyond in its support by providing Gibney Dance

with a cash reserve. The Foundation also continued to support the Center’s

services to the field this year by offering generous space subsidies for nonprofit

dance artists. Special thanks to Don Randel, President; Susan Feder, Program

Officer; and Hannah Durack, Program Associate.

The Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust supported critical infrastructure

developments, including the implementation of Patron Manager technology,

and an increase in our staffing capacity. The Trust’s support made possible

the overhauling of outdated and inefficient systems in favor of laying the

groundwork for many years of future success. Furthermore, Gibney Dance was

able to invest in the members of its staff in new and vital ways.

The Jerome Robbins Foundation continued to support Gibney Dance Center

Programs, which have been integral to the Center’s transformation into a creative

home for the NYC performing arts community. Special thanks to Christopher

Pennington, Executive Director.

The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, National Endowment

for the Arts, & New York State Council on the Arts continued their generous

support of Gibney Dance. We are grateful to all three of our government funders

who not only affirm the mission of Gibney Dance, but also champion the arts

as an essential part of society.

The Mertz Gilmore Foundation has been fundamental in aiding Gibney

Dance’s cultivation of Individual Donors and has provided generous support

toward the goal of growing and deepening our organization’s donor base. We

also extend thanks to the Foundation for realizing the dire impact of Hurricane

Sandy and alleviating the burden it placed on arts organizations by initiating

the NYC Dance Response Fund. Special thanks to Jay Beckner, President, and

Leah Krauss, Program Officer.

FOUNDATION SUPPORT

Agnes Varis Trust

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Bossak/Heilbron Charitable Foundation

Dance/USA’s Engaging Dance Audiences with support from the Doris Duke

Charitable Foundation

Dextra Baldwin McGonagle Foundation

Emma A. Sheafer Charitable Trust

Gramercy Park Foundation

Harkness Foundation for Dance

The Hyde and Watson Foundation

Jerome Robbins Foundation

Joseph and Joan Cullman Foundation for the Arts

Mertz Gilmore Foundation

The Moody’s Foundation

New Music USA

The New York Community Trust – Lila Acheson Wallace Theater Fund

NYC Dance Response Fund, a program of Dance/NYC established

by Mertz Gilmore Foundation

New York University Community Fund

O’Donnell-Green Music and Dance Foundation

The Patrina Foundation

Tisch Dance Summer Residency Festival

Gibney Dance Center has received gracious encouragement from Eliot Feld’s

Ballet Tech.

CORPORATE SUPPORT

Bloomingdale’s

Credit Suisse

EILEEN FISHER

The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

Goldman Sachs

Kennedy Berg LLP

Kirkland & Ellis LLP

Macy’s Merchandising Group

Moody’s Investors Service

Morgan Stanley

Polisan Holding

Sanctuary For Families

Wyndham Worldwide

Yentus & Booher

2 3 89

Dear Friend of Gibney Dance,

You hold in your hands our second annual Newsletter, a look back on the 2012 – 2013

season and all that we’ve accomplished across our three fields of activity—Center, Company,

and Community Action. Moving ideas into the realm of action is a never-ending process,

both in creating dance and in running a nonprofit organization. It is thanks to you, both our

longtime supporters and enthusiastic new friends, that we can continue to do just that.

Our Center Programs blossomed this year into a dynamic series, fostering the kind of focused

and friendly environment for which we strive. Our Company evolved from five fiercely talented

individuals into a close-knit company of dancers. We shared our Community Action program

model with a global audience from New York City to Istanbul and ignited conversations about

using the arts as a tool for social change. Above all, we have embraced this year’s stability

as the perfect opportunity to translate the needs of our community into solutions.

When I walk down the Center’s long central corridor, I am struck by how these spaces have

shifted and settled since we faced the possibility of expansion two years ago, a time that

was full of excitement (and no small amount of trepidation). Dancers come and go from the

Greenroom, choreographers retreat into the havens of the studios, teachers return each week

to provide their students with the opportunity to practice their craft. There is a comforting

ebb and flow to the artistic workday, yet always a dynamic current of energy running under

the surface. Since our expansion, Gibney Dance has crossed boundaries, welcomed change,

and pressed forward into the unknown—all with the support of our expanding community.

Over the past year, we have brought our unique blend of art and action to many new people

and places. Thank you for having welcomed us with open arms.

With deepest gratitude,

Gina Gibney

Artistic & Executive Director

Photo of Natsuki Arai by Christopher Duggan

Photo of (from left to right) Zachary Denison, Casey Loomis, Gina Gibney, Javier Baca, Amy Miller, Natsuki Arai by Christopher Duggan Photo of Amy Miller & Casey Loomis by Christopher Duggan

Dance in Process: The Inaugural Year

The 2012 – 2013 inaugural year of the Dance in Process (DiP) residency

program was a resounding success. This year’s Resident Artists were a

diverse group of choreographers: Decadancetheatre, Anna Sperber, David

Thomson, and Melinda Ring. Each was given continuous access to studio

space, a production office, and a menu of additional resources that enabled

each artist to “customize” the residency and fit it to their needs. The group

ultimately ranged in their approaches: some spent long days developing

choreography and experimenting with production choices, while others

forged productive relationships with the Center staff and took advantage of

administrative resources. All of the Resident Artists approached DiP with a

seriousness of purpose that brought fresh creative energy to the Center.

The first of the year’s DiP artists was Jennifer Weber’s Decadancetheatre, an

all-female troupe redefining the image of women in hip-hop. Decadancetheatre

rehearsed at the Center in November 2012 after having just returned from

a tour of the United Kingdom. At the end of the residency, Weber presented

an informal open rehearsal that many Center community members wandered

into inadvertently, only to be wowed by the group’s virtuosic performance.

In 2013, DiP continued with choreographer Anna Sperber’s residency in

February. A Brooklyn-based artist, Sperber spent her time at Gibney Dance

rehearsing The Superseded Third, a duet with dancer Molly Lieber that they

presented in an open rehearsal at the Center. The piece later premiered at

JANUARY

Gibney Dance launches the Institute for Community Action Training that takes

place January 25 – 27, welcoming dance and social service professionals to

workshops on our Community Action program model. ICAT attendees leave the

weekend empowered to create new arts outreach programs.

Dancer and choreographer Anna Sperber presents an open rehearsal of The Superseded Third, a duet that premieres at The Chocolate Factory in April. About

her time at Gibney, Sperber remarks, “During the residency, we invited people to

come in and watch which was very helpful…. We were able to sink into a deeper

ownership of the material and an understanding of dancing it together.”

Executive Director of Dance/NYC Lane Harwell facilitates a Center Line town hall

style discussion on the topic “How Can Dance Artists Help Shape the Future of

the City?” The January 16 event draws nearly fifty community members.

JULY

Gibney Dance celebrates a full year since its expansion to a seven-studio Center at

the historic 890 Broadway.

The Dance in Process (DiP) residency program is off to a fantastic start as its

inaugural Resident Artists are announced:

Decadancetheatre, Anna Sperber, David

Thomson, and Melinda Ring. The artists

are granted rehearsal space, stipends,

and staff support.

FEBRUARY

On Valentine’s Day, Gibney Dance Community Action partners with The Playground to organize the Give Love Dance Jam in solidarity with One Billion

Rising, a campaign calling for one billion women across the world to rise up and

dance in a demonstration of collective strength. Choreographer Camille A. Brown

teaches a class, and many come to dance in support of the campaign.

Gibney Dance Center also celebrates Valentine’s Day with I <3 GDC, an evening of

performances by artists who regularly work at the Center. Everyone comes together

in a night emblematic of the creative exchanges happening here.

MARCH

Gibney Dance Center’s renovations of Studio 8 are completed in March,

transforming what was once a shoemaker’s workshop into a versatile studio with

unique character.

APRIL

The Company travels to Istanbul from April 4 – 11 for a weeklong Community Action Residency at Mimar Sinan University. Says Gina Gibney about her time

in Turkey, “I realized for the first time the full potential of our work to make an

impact across international boundaries—and for our organization to serve as a

cultural ambassador and champion of women’s rights.”

Choreographer David Thomson, the 2013 DiP Presenter Partner Resident Artist, presents an informal open rehearsal for the public. During his residency, David

rehearses in multiple studio spaces at Gibney Dance Center. “Studio 3 is smaller

so you’re right up on top of the action, whereas in Studio 1 you have more of

a frame. The variety of different spaces was helpful for me. It has been nice

moving from one space to another to gain different perspectives on the work.”

MAY

On May 9, Gibney Dance invites friends and patrons to the Center for our annual Benefit featuring a cocktail reception, silent auction, and excerpts

from Dividing Line, Gina Gibney’s most recent evening-length work set to

premiere in November 2013. Swing dancing lessons are among the items up

for auction—perfect for an evening in support of dance!

Gibney Dance Company presents excerpts of Dividing Line in open rehearsal previews on May 10 and 11 in Studio 5–2. The string quartet ETHEL plays

live music by Son Lux to a crowd of supporters.

A long-overdue upgrade for our website brings a refreshing and bold new

aesthetic to Gibney Dance’s online presence.

AUGUST

Gibney Dance Advisory Group member

and longtime supporter Aston McCullough facilitates the first Show/Share of the year on August 28. Many artists currently

working at the Center share work and

receive feedback.

SEPTEMBER

September 3 marks the 21st anniversary of 890 Broadway becoming home to Gibney Dance. The Center celebrates by restoring Studio 6 to its original

name circa 1991: Studio 5-2.

On September 26, Ishmael Houston-Jones curates the season opener of Sorry I Missed Your Show, featuring Danspace Project’s PLATFORM 2012: Parallels. Drawn from his groundbreaking 1982 spotlight on African and

African-American artists pushing the boundaries of the mainstream, Houston-

Jones presents a screening of dance works to an enthusiastic audience.

OCTOBER

Gibney Dance Company welcomes new members Javier Baca, Zachary Denison,

and Casey Loomis. The company begins rehearsals for Dividing Line.

In October, Gibney Dance embraces Domestic Violence Awareness Month’s

official purple color and asks friends on social media to declare, “I AM

AGAINST VIOLENCE.” The Center offers awareness events, free wellness

classes, and a demonstration of the movement workshops that take place in

the city’s domestic violence shelters.

With the arrival of Hurricane Sandy, Gibney Dance is forced to close for a week as 890 Broadway finds itself within the notorious “no power zone.” Doors

reopen to a community eager to continue dancing!

NOVEMBER

The Brooklyn-based, all female hip-

hop group Decadancetheatre is the DiP artist in residence in November. The

group wows during an open rehearsal

on November 16 with their fresh and

stunning movement vocabulary.

DECEMBER

After months spent budgeting and number

crunching, Gibney Dance emerges from a consultancy with the Nonprofit Finance Fund with new perspectives on the

meaning of fiscal health and solid plans

for future growth.

Though the holiday season and New Year approaches, there are no signs of hibernation. The Broadway revival of

Roger & Hammerstein’s Cinderella keeps

things lively, rehearsing in three of the

Center’s studios.

JUNE

This summer marks Gibney Dance Company’s sixth year in residency at NYU Tisch Dance’s Summer Residency Festival. The Company presents a public

showing on June 26.

DiP resident artist Melinda Ring presents a June 29th open rehearsal of Forgetful Snow, a three-part work set to premiere in 2014. She shares choreographic

research and methods developed during her residency.

Gibney Dance Community Action celebrates its most active year to date having

accomplished 365 movement workshops in domestic violence shelters—one for

every day of the year.

2012

2013

COMPANY

Gibney Dance Company: Growing Together

In the fall of 2012, Natsuki Arai, Javier Baca, Zachary Denison, Casey Loomis,

and Amy Miller were recent acquaintances; by this summer, they had become

a cohesive Company of dancers. Over the course of weekly rehearsals, an

extensive creative process, Open Studio presentations, Community Action

training, and many movement workshops in shelters, the five dancers got to

know one another by working as a team.

“The dancers are always talking about how different we are from each other,

as people interested in various aspects of life, as well as in the way we dance,”

says Javier Baca, who joined the Company this past October. “Performing in

this year’s Benefit, right along with one of my favorite string quartets, ETHEL,

has given me an opportunity to see how, though each of us are different, we

have found our way as a Company of artists and have melded together in the

creative process.”

The dancers’ trust of and consideration for one another make them a

compassionate community—which is exactly what Gina’s vision was when

she first created a performing and social action dance Company back in

1991. The Company members are a diverse group with distinct movement

backgrounds. Natsuki and Amy had been with the company prior to October;

Javier, Zachary, and Casey joined in the fall to create the now five-member

Company.

Amy was recently named the Company’s Associate Artistic Director. In her

new position, Amy will be serving as rehearsal director and administrator,

and will be a regular contemporary ballet teach at Gibney Dance Center.

She explains, “ I will spearhead the creative development of the Community

Action workshops done in domestic violence shelters across the city. Along

with Community Action Manager Yasemin Ozumerzifon and the dancers, I

will collaboratively move our model forward by generating new best practices

for this important and invigorating outreach work.” This renewed focus

on Community Action has been made possible by this group of dancers’

dedication and creative approach to this aspect of their work.

In addition to uniting around their Community Action work, the Company

has developed into a cohesive artistic entity over the course of rehearsing

for their upcoming premiere. At this fall’s opening of Dividing Line, they will

take the stage as the strong, united group they have become.

4 5 67

The CENTER welcomed over 30 commercial and nearly 500 non-profit renters over the course of the year. In March, we unveiled the newly renovated

Studio 8, a unique rehearsal space in what was once a shoemaker’s shop that now brings our studio count up to 8. Our Center Programs presented an

exciting calendar of over 45 events supporting professional and artistic development in the dance community, while the Dance in Process residency

brought 4 mid-career artists into the Center to develop work.

CENTER

The COMPANY received a fresh infusion of energy in October with the addition of 3 new members. The dancers completed Community Action Training in the

fall, preparing for weekly movement workshops at 17 local domestic violence shelters. They spent much of the year learning, rehearsing, and presenting a total

of 12 preview performances of Dividing Line, transforming over time into a close-knit company of dancers.

Photo of Studio 3, the Dance in Process dedicated workspace, by Samantha Siegel

Photo of Amy Miller by Christopher Duggan

Photos by (left to right) Samantha Siegel, Samantha Siegel, Samantha Siegel, Yasemin Ozumerzifon, Murphy Chang, Christopher Duggan, Samantha Siegel, Yasemin Ozumerzifon, Christopher Duggan

The Chocolate Factory in April 2013. Sperber explained that she and Lieber

“…had a lot of movement material, so during the residency we worked on

editing and distilling certain qualities. We were able to get deeper into the

detail and intricacies of the piece and push the material further.”

Sperber was followed by David Thomson, an interdisciplinary artist chosen

by Danspace Project as DiP’s 2013 Presenter Partner Resident Artist. While

at the Center, Thomson worked on a series of performances set to premiere

in fall 2014. Working at the intersection of dance and theater, Thomson

presented a more formal culminating open rehearsal to which he invited

many friends, colleagues, and supporters of his work. When he was not able

to use the full amount of studio space allotted to him, Thomson regranted the

space to “under-wing” artists, underscoring the resource-sharing emphasis

of DiP. Of the residency, he wryly stated, “Short of making the work for me,

it was pretty ideal.”

The year’s final DiP Artist in Residence was Melinda Ring, who rehearsed

at the Center in June. Ring’s body of work is comprised of dance,

performance art, video, and installation. While at the Center, she offered a

weekly improvisation workshop, providing attendees an inside look into her

creative process and encouraging an individual approach to improvisational

technique. Her residency culminated with an open rehearsal of Forgetful Snow, a three-part work set to premiere in fall 2014.

Gibney Dance was honored to be able to offer a temporary home to these

artists at such a crucial stage in their careers. Their commitment to the

exploration and discovery of new creative forms and processes has inspired

us. DiP’s inaugural year has reinforced for us how crucial the resource of

uninterrupted space is for New York City-based, mid-career artists, and we

end this season with a firm commitment to continuing this form of support.

The 2013 – 2014 DiP panel met in June, and Gibney Dance looks forward

to welcoming a new crop of artists this fall.