Gibney Company is a world-class contemporary dance company that presents a breadth of works by emerging and renowned choreographers. Based in New York City at Gibney, a dance and social justice organization founded by Gina Gibney in 1991, the Company underwent an ambitious expansion and reinvention in 2020 following a major donor gift. Over the past few years, Gibney Company has commissioned new works and is building a repertory for performances in New York and around the world. Gibney Company dancers, known as Artistic Associates, support the Gibney organization’s mission as both artists and activists, advancing artistry through performance while also leading entrepreneurial advocacy projects.

Gibney’s story began in 1991, when choreographer Gina Gibney founded her socially active dance company with a single dance studio to call home. Almost three decades later, throughout the organization’s many expansions, Gibney’s acclaimed resident dance ensemble, Gibney Company, remains at the core of its work.

Gibney Company grew alongside and within the Gibney organization as it became home to thousands of artists and community members across two New York City locations, totaling 23 studios, 5 performance spaces, and 52,000 square feet of space. Within a few years of Gibney acquiring its second location 280 Broadway in 2014, Gina Gibney expanded the Company’s directorial team.

Following its 25th anniversary in 2016, the organization re-envisioned Gibney Company in an intentional effort to empower its dancers as both artists and activists. Now known as Artistic Associates, Gibney Company members advance the quality of the organization’s artistry through impeccable performance and deepen its community engagement through dynamic change and advocacy for issues in the dance field such as diversity, mental health, and economic empowerment. Gibney Company Artistic Associates receive 52-week contracts, health insurance, on-site physical therapy, an annual artistic sabbatical, and paid vacation.

As Artistic Associates’ roles became more robust, the Company also began commissioning creation-based repertory in addition to performing Gina Gibney’s rich, evocative works. In the spirit of its namesake leader’s artistic sensibility, Gibney Company embarks on relationships with artists who are committed to exploring connections between the rigorous physicality of contemporary dance alongside responsive, humanistic storytelling.

GIBNEY COMPANY EXPANSION

In January 2020, the Company announced a transformative gift from Andrew A. Davis and  the Shelby Cullom Davis Charitable Fund. With new possibilities for commissioning original works, Gibney Company has retained its longstanding spirit of experimentation while taking a leading role in shaping a more robust landscape for contemporary dance in New York, and beyond.

Gibney Company is led by Artistic Director Gina Gibney and Director Gilbert T Small II. Since its expansion, the Company has commissioned eight new works from a wide range of choreographers including Rena Butler, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Sonya Tayeh, and Yue Yin; and performed acclaimed repertory Johan Inger and Ohad Naharin.

Gibney Company’s evolution has been inspired by our vision of creating a contemporary dance company whose artists reflect a diversity of experiences and backgrounds. Our aim is to chart a path for the future of dance as a powerful art form and an act of meaningful expression, and to connect with audiences in New York and beyond. – Gina Gibney

Over the last two years, we’ve brought some of New York’s and the world’s most renowned choreographers into our studios to create new work, or to explore fresh dimensions in existing pieces. We are inspired by their dedication to excellence and excited to share our artistry with new and diverse audiences. – Gilbert T Small II

In the 2020-2021 season, the Company doubled in size and made its debut at The Joyce Theater. In the 2022-2023 season, the Company commissioned and premiered Ghost Town by Tiffany Tregarthen and David Raymond at its second season at The Joyce Theater; restaged and premiered Ohad Naharin’s work YAG 2022 at New York Live Arts; embarked on an eight city U.S. tour including performances at DANCECleveland and TITAS/DANCE UNBOUND; and premiered Johan Inger’s Bliss  at New York City Center’s Fall for Dance Festival. The 2023-2024 season features two new commissions, the first by the Brazilian choreographer Fernando Melo, and the second by the choreographic team of Jermaine Spivey and Spenser Theberge; featured performance of Sonya’s Tayeh’s OH COURAGE! at the 20th Fall for Dance Festival; and international tour stops at prestigious festivals including Fall for Dance North in Toronto, Holland Dance Festival, and Dance Victoria in British Columbia. The Company returns to New York City for its season finale in the spring of 2024. 

Gibney Company is a creation-based repertory company commissioning work from both internationally renowned and emerging choreographers who are committed to exploring connections between the rigorous, often superhuman physicality of contemporary dance alongside responsive, humanistic storytelling.

Commissioned Artists Since 2021
Rena Butler, Emilie Leriche, Mthuthuzeli November, Alan Lucien Øyen, Gustavo Ramirez Sansano, Jermaine Spivey & Spenser Theberge, Sonya Tayeh, Micaela Taylor, Tiffany Tregarthen & David Raymond, andYue Yin. 

Repertory Artists Since 2021
Sharon Eyal, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Ohad Naharan and Twyla Tharp.

Symbio Physiotherapy is Gibney Company’s Exclusive Physiotherapy Partner

Moving you to health as we mutually grow into our best selves, insistent upon cultivation of each other and our community. Through education and empowerment, and by leading a growing movement of wellness and preventative care, we are changing the face of healthcare in our country.

The Symbio Team is a collection of the best in their fields, all personally identifying with their patients because we are just like our patients. Each provider specializes with a population they know and love because we know being part of your tribe is the fastest way to understanding what you need to get back to it.

Education Residencies bring Gibney Company, Gibney’s acclaimed resident dance ensemble, to your city to work directly with your students and community.

Residencies are adaptable to support pre-existing community and educational goals. We will work with you to develop a plan that meets your needs and your budget. Gibney Company has partnered with Adelphi University, Brown University, Connecticut College, Jacksonville University, Marymount Manhattan College, New York University, Texas State University, and others on training residency programs.

To inquire about planning your residency, please contact Karen Kitchen, Executive Producer, at karen@gibneydance.org.

Both acknowledging and pushing against the often transactional nature of university residency exchanges with non-profits, Gibney creates multi-year partnerships with academic institutions dovetailing together our individual resources, expertise and lived experiences in hopes of offering more comprehensive interplay between students, faculty, and university audiences with our Gibney Company Leadership and Artistic Associates. 

To inquire about university partnerships with Gibney, please contact Karen Kitchen, Executive Producer, at karen@gibneydance.org.

Gibney’s Moving Toward Justice (MTJ) Curriculum cultivates spaces for ‘artist entrepreneurs’ to build skills and foster dialogue and exchange at the intersection of arts and social justice. Geared toward artists, educators, administrators and activists alike this discussion-based curriculum centers somatic awareness and makes space for the exploration of the ‘new choreographies’ at play in social and interpersonal justice, all while expanding the definition of ‘community’ to include those right around us. Sessions could include sharing Gibney’s time-tested Model and Methods; self-management best practices; skill-building toward facilitation techniques, program development, persuasive writing, business practices in entrepreneurship; as well as the personal stories of Gibney Company’s Artistic Associates embarking on their fellowship projects addressing gaps in the dance field.

Sessions build awareness about a myriad of social justice issues and are rooted in Gibney Community’s long history in addressing gender-based violence alongside survivors and social workers. This curriculum is inspired by Gibney’s organizational-wide model valuing reflection, expression, collaboration and sustainability while intentionally progressing from internal ideas to external action, and from individual work to collective care. This four part framework aims to move from the abstract toward the tangible, internal to external, from the individual towards the collective.

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Gibney Company’s full-time dancers, known as Artistic Associates, embrace a broad spectrum of activities—in the studio, on stage, within our organization, and throughout the community. Artistic Associates give back to the dance field through individually-crafted Moving Toward Justice Fellowships. Each Artistic Associate pinpoints a pressing issue in the dance field then leverages the resources and mentorship of the larger organization to develop, implement, and co-create new programs in response to the evolving needs of the field.

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A repository of current and past Moving Toward Justice Fellowships, updates and curriculum sharing.  Check back for updates on annual convenings to further cohort relationships and share project developments.

In his Moving Toward Justice Fellowship Revive, Anderson aims to address mental health and mindfulness in the dance community to enable longevity and sustainability in dancers’ careers. In a time when artists in the field are struggling and more isolated than ever, Revive welcomes facilitators who have also been professional artists of the dance field to offer practices such as meditation and Ilan Lev Method integrated into institutional daily structures. Anderson also aims to create a yearly retreat model that will provide artists with holistic tools and mindful practices — including Reiki and hypnotherapy — to move through trauma within and outside of the dance community at little or no cost.

Rena Butler is Gibney Company’s Choreographic Associate. This is a new position created to allow Butler, who joined Gibney Company as an Artistic Associate in 2020, to continue her career as a professional dancer while further developing her talent and experience as a choreographer and leader in the dance field. The three-year, full-time position will provide time and space for research and travel as Butler develops new works for Gibney Company and for dance companies in the U.S. and abroad, while she continues to rehearse and perform with Gibney Company.

In 2015, with support from Gibney’s Moving Toward Justice Fellowship program, Campbell co-founded MOVE|NYC| with his partner Chanel DaSilva. MOVE|NYC|‘s mission is to cultivate greater diversity and equity in the dance field and beyond. The cornerstone of MOVE|NYC| is its tuition-free, Young Professionals Program which provides year-round access to 1-on-1 mentorship & college/conservatory prep for a diverse roster of gifted New York City teenagers. MOVE|NYC| aims to empower the next generation of leaders in our field by celebrating each young artist’s unique cultural identity.

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Gomez’s Moving Toward Justice Fellowship aims to provide dancers/artists with the resources and support to advocate for themselves while feeling more confident in their own skin. Developed for dance professionals to students, CONFIDANZ offers photography workshops and services from a photographer’s perspective, focusing on lighting basics, movement coaching, and informative legal guidance all while valuing healthy dialogue throughout the process.

CONFIDANZ workshops create a safe and supportive environment for dance artists to learn tangible tools and build ‘confidanz’ that will support them in participating in safe, successful, and empowering photo shoots. CONFIDANZ published a 2021 calendar featuring members of Gibney Company.

CONFIDANZ is additionally supported by the Ready Foundation.

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Miller focuses on Gibney’s Community Action initiatives through facilitating movement workshops with survivors of trauma, conducting both local and international trainings for artists interested in engaging in social action and raising awareness about the role of the arts in violence prevention. Committed to performance as advocacy, she also works alongside Gibney’s Move to Move Beyond Storytellers. Now advocates after experiencing gender-based violence, the Storytellers activate the stage as a supportive container to reclaim a sense of agency and to move more fiercely in the direction of the shared liberation each one of us deserves.

Obremski’s Moving Toward Justice Fellowship project OUR PATHS envisions and cultivates an ethos where WHY is at the forefront of how we see each other, ourselves, and our global community towards communal empathy. Through an online platform featuring video, written interviews, podcasts, and workshop models, OUR PATHS creates space for dialogue, highlighting artists from across the field and exploring individual motivations and ideas in an effort to foster communal empathy.

OUR PATHS is additionally supported by the Ready Foundation.

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Pajarillaga’s Advocacy Fellowship project, EVERGREEN, is a platform for diverse creators to produce socially relevant and impactful new works on film. In response to the lack of in person performance opportunities during this time, this project will also serve as an online archive and database of artistic films that will be open and accessible to the public. Curated films will challenge artists to reflect on their sense of purpose in a unified and collaborative space.

In April 2021, Kevin Pajarillaga partnered with Portland school/organization “Open Space” to conduct a virtual workshop with six teachers over three days in honor of Earth Day, with all proceeds going to the environmental organization, Asian Pacific Environmental Network.

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Feeling the need to create more opportunities for dancers later in their performance careers, Phelan’s Advocacy Fellowship project, Movement Museum, aims to support mid-career and established artists in building upon their artistic portfolios. By widening participants’ skillsets within the field, the project’s ultimate goal is to promote sustainable longevity in dance. The project will provide dancers with tools, resources, and guidance from leaders in the field to support their journeys in developing multifaceted career opportunities while still performing.

Currently, Movement Museum is in production on a series of short films featuring Gibney Company’s Artistic Associates in collaboration with Movement Museum commissioned choreographers.

Shiau’s Advocacy Fellowship, BODYHUES, exists to challenge harmful body stereotypes that have been fostering a culture that nurtures hierarchy, exclusion, and supremacy based on how one looks; and to remind culture that not one body is the same, and different is absolutely beautiful. It is time to dismantle body-shaming culture, deconstruct body stereotypes, and create spaces for all. BODYHUES believes that when loving and celebrating our miraculous bodies and building confidence in our bodies, we are truly thriving by unlocking the full potential, pleasure, and creativity from within.

BODYHUES, launched in August 2021, features four guest speakers presenting workshops that center nurturing self-love, self-care, self-confidence, and creativity within participants.

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As a member of the ever-expanding LGBTQIA+ family, Thoman’s Advocacy Fellowship is a multi-prong biannual magazine featuring intergenerational artists across mediums. This publication will be dedicated to community care and self-practices that highlight senses of validation and grounding calmness.

Tribus’ Advocacy Fellowship, Converge2Emerge, (“C2E”) aims to magnify emerging choreographic voices in New York City through resource allocation, professional mentorship, career development, and artistic collaboration. We curate dance performances that seek to showcase a wide range of dance forms while challenging the Eurocentric placement of dance solely on a theatre stage by activating unconventional spaces. An application process will reward selected choreographers with the resources to create work and cultivate their voice, mentorship in self-production to continue building their portfolio, and a network to draw upon in the future.

The first selected emerging choreographer Rachel Harris and cinematographer Aidan Gibney will collaborate to create a virtual dance film set to premiere in September 2021.

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Zielińska’s OKAY, LET’S UNPACK THIS aims to normalize the conversation on mental health in the dance community. When the pandemic caused the cancellation of shows, tours, and rehearsals the OKAY, LET’S UNPACK THIS collective quickly realized that many artists who rely on mental health services would struggle to access critical support systems due to significant loss of income. Over the past several months, OKAY has cultivated a community of therapists and counselors who are offering free services to dancers during this unprecedented crisis. Their services are listed on OKAY’s website, www.okayokayokay.org, alongside other mental health resources. The website also shares dance artists’ own mental health stories in written and video form and offers comprehensive resource lists for anyone who might need additional support.

OKAY, LET’S UNPACK THIS launched a free 8-week Online Support Group for dance students, open to all dancers currently attending a college, conservatory, or pre-professional dance program. This marks the first expansion of Zielinska’s fellowship into this age demographic.

OKAY, LET’S UNPACK THIS is additionally supported by the Joseph and Bernice Tanenbaum Foundation, the Laurie M. Tisch Illumination Fund, the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, the Office of the Manhattan Borough President, and Virginia & Timothy Millhiser.

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