Contemporary Dance: Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Gibney Company, and SYREN Modern Dance

Founded by Ronald K. Brown in 1985 and based in Brooklyn, New York, Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, A Dance Company focuses on the seamless integration of traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and spoken word. Through work, EVIDENCE provides a unique view of human struggles, tragedies, and triumphs. Brown uses movement as a way to reinforce the importance of community in African American culture and to acquaint audiences with the beauty of traditional African forms and rhythms. He is an advocate for the growth of the African-American dance community and is instrumental in encouraging young dancers to choreograph and to develop careers in dance. Brown has choreographed work for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Cleo Parker Robinson Ensemble, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, Jennifer Muller/The Works, Jeune Ballet d’Afrique Noire, Ko-Thi Dance Company, Philadanco and others. He choreographed Regina Taylor’s award-winning play, Crowns, and won an AUDELCO Award for his work on that production. The company has traveled internationally to perform, teach master classes, and conduct lectures/demonstrations for individuals of all ages. EVIDENCE brings arts education and cultural connections to local communities that have historically lacked these experiences. The company reaches an audience of more than 25,000 people per year.

Upside Down
Choreography: Ronald K. Brown (1998)
Music: Oumou Sangaré, Fela Anikulapo Kuti
Original Lighting Design: Brenda Gray. Lighting Re-Creation: Tsubasa Kamei
Costume Designer: Omotayo Wunmi Olaiya
Dancers: Demetrius Burns, Austin Warren Coats, Aaliyah Fisher, Isaiah K. Harvey, Samiyah Lynnice, Jai McKoy, Spirit Priester, Adanna Rae Smalls, Amina Vargas, and Shaylin D. Watson.
Music “Kun Fe Ko” written and performed by Oumou Sangaré, publishing and master rights administered by BMG; “MAW Expensive” A Tribute to Fela, composed by Fela Anikulapo Kuti, remixed by Master at Work and Wunmi Olaiya, administered by MAW Records and BMG.

Upside Down is an excerpt from the evening-length work Destiny. The full evening work was created in collaboration with Rokiya Kone of the Ivory Coast and her company Jeune Ballet d’Afrique Noire and premiered at Aaron Davis Hall in June 1998. The development and creation of Destiny received support from Africa Exchange, the Rockefeller Multi-Arts Projects and Production Fund, the Aaron Davis Hall Fund for New Work, and Evidence/Circle of Friends.

Gibney Company, led by Artistic Director Gina Gibney and Company Director Gilbert T Small II, commissions and performs works by renowned and emerging choreographers from New York and around the world who are committed to exploring connections between the rigorous, often superhuman physicality of contemporary dance alongside responsive, humanistic storytelling. Presenting a broad range of aesthetics and techniques, Gibney Company has an unrelenting focus on artistic excellence and social integrity. 

Since its expansion in 2020, the Company has commissioned over ten works from a wide range of choreographers including Rena Butler, Emilie Leriche, Mthuthuzeli November, Alan Lucien Øyen, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Jermaine Spivey and Spenser Theberge, Sonya Tayeh, Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond (Out Innerspace), and Yue Yin; and performed acclaimed repertory by Sharon Eyal, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Ohad Naharin and Twyla Tharp. During the 2024-2025 Season, the Company has commissioned new works from Lucinda Childs and Peter Chu, and added a work by Roy Assaf to its repertory.

Gibney Company has been invited to perform nationally and internationally at prestigious venues and festivals including The Joyce Theater (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025), Jacob’s Pillow (2024), New York City Center’s Fall for Dance (2022, 2023), Fall for Dance North (2023), Holland Dance Festival (2024), Dance Victoria (2023), Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur (2024), Chautauqua Institution (2024), DANCECleveland (2022), TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND (2022), and Guild Hall (2025).

Three Dances (for prepared piano) John Gage
Choreography by Lucinda Childs.
Lighting Design by Burke Brown.
Costume Design by Karen Young.
Music Composed by John Cage.
Music Compositions: Three Dances for Prepared Pianos: I; Three Dances for Prepared Pianos: II; Three Dances for Prepared Pianos: III
Performed by Xenia Pestova and Pascal Meyer
Recordings Courtesy of Naxos of America, Inc.
Presented under license by Henmar Press, copyright owners Assistants to the choreographer: Caitlin Scranton and Sharon Milanese
Dancers: Graham Feeny, Madison Goodman, Tiare Keeno, Lounes Landri, Andrew McShea, Jie-hung Connie Shiau, Zack Sommer, and Madi Tanguay.

Three Dances (for prepared piano) John Cage embraces the rhythmic intensity of John Cage’s 1944-45 composition Three Dances, exploring the intricate interplay between music and movement. Childs’ signature postmodern minimalist precision and deep reverence for structured repetition take center stage in this stunning new work, exemplifying Childs’ lifelong fascination with transdisciplinarity and formalism, harkening back to her Judson Dance Theater roots.

The creation of Three Dances (for prepared piano) John Cage was made possible by Gibney Company’s Master Makers Initiative, with generous support from Joan & Jerry Lozinski, Virginia & Timothy Millhiser, Andrew A. Davis and the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund, Richard Feldman and The SHS Foundation, the Simons Foundation, Nurit & Rick Amdur, Deborah Goodman Davis, and Pamela van Zandt. This project was made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

SYREN Modern Dance is a women-founded and directed non-profit organization based in New York City. The artists of SYREN have been named Cultural Ambassadors by the United States Department of State.For two decades, SYREN has been inviting artists, audiences, students, educators, and other diverse and often unexpected participants into the process of making and experiencing modern dance. In the U.S.A., SYREN has shared dance in 16 states and across the ocean in France, The United Arab Emirates, and Germany. SYREN was founded in 2003 by Kate Sutter and Lynn Peterson, upon graduating from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase, where they nurtured a deep passion for American Modern Dance, a drive to create, and a mission to share modern dance broadly and inclusively.

At the Table: Humanity at the Dawn of AI (excerpts)Choreographer: Kate Sutter
Composer, Pianist, Vocalist: Lauren Cregor
Dancers: Alice Chacon, Rivkins Christopher, Jessica Nolan, Lynn Peterson, Roxanne Potes, Alex Larson (Swing).
Music Producer: Alex Weinstein. Violin: Doori Na. Cello: Emily Brausa.

Today, when we talk about humanity, artificial intelligence is in the room. What would happen if we not only allowed AI in the room, but invited it to the table? Through At the Table created in collaboration with Boston Museum of Science, SYREN Modern Dance seeks to prod at the answer. In this piece, SYREN journeys into the complicated experience of being human at the onset of the AI era. Central to this journey is the acceptance – even celebration – of the ways in which AI may, in fact, get us even closer to our own humanity. SYREN believes that this journey is a collective one, and aims to empower audiences to actively partake in the process of ingesting and shaping this new technology, and its role in the future of our species.

Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first-come, first-served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs. 

Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere in the park except for the center lawn "blanket zone". 

Bring your own picnic or purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn. Attendees can enjoy cuisine from the five boroughs with a rotating line-up of artisanal vendors curated by Hester Street Fair.

Stout NYC also offers giant pretzels, gourmet popcorn and other light bites as well as a selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase.

Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more!

Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events. 

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Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc on Twitter and Instagram for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.