New Victory Theater: Ephrat Asherie + Barkin/Selissen Project

The finale of Bryant Park's first-ever 'Family Day' features dance performances by renowned dance companies Ephrat Asherie Dance and Barkin/Selissen Project as well as fun, interactive moments specifically chosen for younger audiences. The performances are curated by New Victory Theater, as part of their summer series New Victory Dance, a program for New York City-based dance companies hosted by New Victory Teaching Artists.

EPHRAT ASHERIE, a 2016 Bessie Award winner for Innovative Achievement in Dance, creates work for the dynamic group of multifaceted dancers in her company Ephrat Asherie Dance (EAD). Rooted in a multiplicity of African American and Latine vernacular dances, including breaking, hip hop, house and waacking, EAD is dedicated to exploring the inherently complex and dynamic qualities of these forms as a means to tell stories, develop innovative imagery, and find new modes of expression. The company's central ethos is that of the club, where the collective consciousness energizes and celebrates each person's uniqueness.  EAD has presented work nationally and internationally at ArtPower! at UCSD, Apollo Theater,  El Festival Internacional Cervantino, Jacob’s Pillow, Joyce Theater, La MaMa, The Momentary, New York City Center, New York Live Arts, Spoleto Festival USA, White Bird, Works & Process at the Guggenheim and The Yard, among others.  EAD is committed to educating, celebrating and bringing awareness to the history, expansiveness and vastness of street and club dance culture by creating and sharing innovative performance work and facilitating platforms for dialogue through workshops, film screenings, open rehearsals and pre/post-show Q&As

Barkin/Selissen Project (B/S P), a New York City-based contemporary dance company founded in 2009, presents the choreography of Artistic Directors Kyla Barkin and Aaron Selissen through live performance, film and workshops. The company strives to blur lines between the emotional and intellectual, dream worlds and waking states. With dramatic shifts from nuance to explosive athleticism, Barkin and Selissen’s choreography infuses fresh perspective on subjects ranging from the complexities of mathematics to the complexities of human nature. Barkin/Selissen Project has been presented at venues across the U.S and abroad including Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, SUNY Stony Brook’s Staller Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, West End Theater, 92Y, Bryant Park, and more. Partnerships for workshops include Sally Taylor’s ConSenses, Festival of the Moving Body, Communicating in Partnerships through Dance/Hartford Performs, Balance 1 Academy Berlin, Limón Professional Studies Program, and more. With a similar approach to teaching and training, the company promotes the coupling of techniques and modalities to prepare artists’ bodies for the challenges of the work. By creating a mindful and inspiring environment, B/S P provides a vibrant platform for artistic growth and refinement.