Sidra Bell Dance NY (SBDNY) is a Harlem based contemporary dance troupe presenting a dynamic fusion of dance and live music. Using original scores, contemporary soundscapes and newly arranged classics, each performance offers a fresh and innovative perspective on the exciting amalgamation of movement and music.
By uniting dance and live music, two powerful and fundamental forms of human expression, Sidra Bell Dance NY (SBDNY) is on the cutting edge of making the performing arts more accessible to people from different walks of life. The company intends to bring classic arts back to the community at affordable prices in intimate venues. In this way audiences can reconnect with performances in a way that has become rare in the contemporary landscape of art and culture.
SBDNY has presented three sold-out seasons to enthusiastic audiences in Harlem, NY. The performances have featured the live jazz music of Dennis Bell Jazz NY under the direction of Gold/Platinum Award winning producer, pianist and composer, Dennis Bell.
The Ensemble
The SBDNY dance ensemble features an exciting new generation of dancers who have performed with Ailey II, Dance Theater of Harlem, Fosse!, Celine Dion, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, Noemi LaFrance, Ronald K. Brown/Evidence, OPUS Dance Theater, Virginia Ballet, The Juilliard School, Jacques D'Amboise, and Mariah Carey.
The Artists
The Dennis Bell Jazz NY ensemble features musicians who have performed worldwide with great musicians such as Dizzy Gillespie, Wynton Marsalis, Roy Ayers, Sonny Rollins, Sarah Vaughn, Roberta Flack, Manhattan Transfer, DJ Logic, Aretha Franklin, U2, Dave Valentin, Lenny Kravitz, Patti Austin, Sun Ra and Doug E. Fresh.
Support
Sidra Bell Dance New York was a winner in the 2002 Yale Entrepreneurial Society's Y50K Competition receiving a grant to help develop the Sidra Bell Performing Arts for Kids Program at the Joseph P. Kennedy Center in Harlem. In 2004, SBDNY was awarded a grant provided by the Mary W. Howard Charitable Trust in support of its 2004 season. In 2005, SBDNY received a Puffin Foundation Award to support its 2005-06 season that included performances at Tribeca Performing Arts Center/LMCC-BMCC and the 1st Annual Reverb Festival.
The PepsiCo Corporation and the Archdiocese of New York City have also generously supported SBDNY.
If you are interested in learning more about Sidra Bell Dance New York, or would like information on tour schedules and bookings, please contact: Claudette Washington (claudettebell@optonline.net), 212-567-0411 or Sidra Bell (sbdny@optonline.net).
