Contemporary Dance: Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE, Gibney Company, and SYREN Modern Dance
Ronald K. Brown and his company EVIDENCE co-headline an evening of modern dance with Gibney Company following a performance by SYREN Modern Dance.
Curated by Tiffany Rea-Fisher.
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.
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).
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.
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.
Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn.
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.
Bryant Park Picnic Performances presented by Bank of America is a free outdoor festival that welcomes all New Yorkers to experience the city’s vibrant arts and culture. The series provides a platform for extraordinary artists and serves as a vital outdoor venue for a wide array of New York’s cultural institutions.
