Sidra Bell
Sidra Bell is the founder of Sidra Bell Dance New York and a dancer, choreographer, and educator. She has been an artist in residence at University of Oklahoma (Brackett Distinguished Visiting Artist Chair), Visiting Lecturer and Artist in Residence at Harvard University, and an Adjunct Professor at Barnard College. Bell received a BA in History from Yale and an MFA in Choreography from Purchase College. She is the founder of the award winning MODULE Laboratory. Bell has won awards for her work, notably a First Prize for Choreography at the Solo Tanz Theater Festival in Stuttgart, Germany, a National Dance Project Production Award from NEFA and Creative Capital Wild Futures Award. In 2017 Mayor Thomas Roach named February 3 “Sidra Bell Day” in White Plains, NY. Her work has been seen throughout the United States and in Denmark, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Turkey, Slovenia, Sweden, Germany, China, Canada, Aruba, Korea, Brazil, and Greece. Bell has created over 100 works notably for Nevada Ballet Theater, Nashville Ballet, BODYTRAFFIC, Ailey II, The Juilliard School, Whim W’Him, Boston Conservatory at Berklee College, River North Dance Chicago, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Sacramento Ballet, Boulder Ballet, among many others. She was the first Black female commissioned to create work for New York City Ballet where she created works for film and the Lincoln Center stage (Fall Fashion Gala 2021). Her work was performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC for New York City Ballet’s engagement in May 2022. She was nominated for a Bessie New York Dance & Performance Dance (Outstanding Choreographer) for SUSPENDED ANIMATION for New York City Ballet. She was Bessie nominated once again as Outstanding Choreographer for the Gibney presented show IN | REP: Introspection. Recent features of her historical work at New York City Ballet include Essence Magazine, NY1, News12, Playbill and Amsterdam News. She has also been featured in press outlets Town & Country, Cero Magazine, Meet the Dance Company Theater Development Fund, Good Company Cleveland WYKC, Dance Magazine, DancePulp, Home4Dance, BiT TV Bulgaria, Turkish TV and CityLights Vancouver. She has been a featured guest speaker on numerous podcasts and at institutions for dance and theater. She was highlighted in an aired feature on TODAY (NBC) “How choreographer Sidra Bell is blazing a trail for next generation” in June 2023.