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ABOUT
New York City's Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (PCDC), led by Founder and Artistic Director Igal Perry, has been a powerhouse of expressive and innovative dance since 1983. The Company made its New York City debut in 1985 at the Riverside Dance Festival, and over the next 36 years has held NY seasons at venues including the Joyce Theater, the Kaye Playhouse, Lincoln Center, and the KnJ Theater at Peridance, commissioning over 75 new dance works.
Currently, the Company is based at the renowned Peridance Center in Union Square and presents an annual New York Season at the KnJ Theater at Peridance. In addition to Perry's signature works, described by the NY Times as "blessedly inventive," PCDC is passionate about commissioning and presenting works by both emerging and established choreographers in this annual season: Over the last decade, the Company has premiered new works by 21 choreographers, and, in line with Perry's commitment to commissioning new and live music for dance, the Company has employed over 48 musicians and composers.
The Company's annual performances serve as a launchpad for new works and touring performances both nationally and internationally. In the past six years, PCDC's domestic and international tours have brought contemporary dance to over 48,000 audience members around the globe at festivals and venues such as Jacob's Pillow, the Ent Center for the Arts in Colorado Springs, Spring to Dance St. Louis, the Staller Center at Stonybrook University, the Butler Arts Center in Indianapolis, the Suzanne Dellal Dance Centre for Dance and Theater in Tel Aviv, Ballet Internacional de Buenos Aires, Florence Dance Festival, Seoul International Dance Festival, and many more.
PCDC provides access to dance workshops for NYC Public School students through DanceBreak, its outreach program which has served over 1,000 students since it was launched in 2016. The company continuously offers free classes and outdoor performances through organizations such as CityParks’ SummerStage, Broadway Cares, and the Union Square Partnership, contributing to more accessible dance performances across New York City.
Over the last 10 years, PCDC has worked to expand its base of support, and has received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, NYC Department of Cultural Affairs, Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, Harkness Foundation, Google, Jewish Communal Fund, and many individual donors.
OUTREACH
Peridance Contemporary Dance Company is committed to serving the growing need for arts education in public schools and communities. Our outreach program, DanceBreak, as well as our other social engagements, are designed to offer the individual and the community life-long skills by instilling positive change.
For over a decade, Peridance has worked in collaboration with notable and diverse organizations such as Dance Against Cancer, New York Cares, New Alternatives for Children, The American Red Cross, Free Arts for Abused Children, Greenwich House, New York AIDS Coalition, the Free Arts for Abused Children Project, Dancers Responding to AIDS and the Latino Commission on AIDS in New York City, Turn2 Foundation, The Beacon Program, and University Settlement.
With the growing need for arts education in public schools and in most communities, DanceBreak is an instrumental service to the community and the young minds within it. Our outreach programming has positively impacted hundreds of children from various organizations through performances and interactive workshops, inspiring participants to grow their creativity and enhancing their sense of community.
WELCOME TO OUR HOME
Located in the beautiful Union Square area in the heart of New York City, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company has a permanent home at Peridance Center and its KnJ Theater. The unique arrangement of the Company situated within a school creates a harmonious blend of professionals and students, bringing artists from all walks of life together into a lively micro-community, and inspiring young dancers to reach great heights in their art.