Artistic Director Kathleen Dyer established
K D N Y in 1997 as an
all-female modern dance company which focuses on the compelling
experiences and intricate nature of the female spirit. Based in New York
City, the five-woman company features Ms. Dyer's vibrant feminine
choreography that is renowned for its athleticism and grace.
K D N Y is committed to uncovering the female spirit and transports diverse
audiences through poignant dance, dynamic music and brilliant
characters.
K D N Y has developed a vast repertory of group works that range from
narrative to abstract and feature highly talented performers. The
company currently tours with five dancers, but selected works include as
many as thirteen. K D N Y has extensive performance engagements at top
New York City dance venues including Lincoln Center's Clark Studio
Theater, Danspace Project at St. Mark's Church, The Duke Theater on 42nd
Street, and has been featured in the New York International Fringe
Festival and Joyce SoHo Presents. Touring highlights include Jacob's
Pillow Dance Festival, Toronto's Fringe Festival of Independent Dance
Artists and the Panoply Festival in Alabama where the company has been
in engagements throughout the Artistic Director's home state.
K D N Y celebrated its 10th Anniversary in the 2007-2008 season with the revival of the beloved evening-length work inspired by Joan of Arc, Charges from Domremy. Following the New York performances in November, Charges was presented by Dance Place in Washington, DC in January 2008. In conjunction with this performance season, K D N Y offered a two-week residency with master classes, repertory workshops, and invited several of the local dancers to perform as guest artists in the company’s performance season.
A distinguishing characteristic of K D N Y is the abundance of live
music and collaborations with production designers. The company has
worked with several distinguished composers such as Richard Einhorn,
Kevin Keller and Phil Kline; percussionists PJ Merola and Grammy-award
winner Glen Velez; and sopranos, Michelle Jennings and Laura
Pfortmiller. Designers who have contributed to K D N Y 's performances include Aaron Copp, Richard Koch and Carolyn Wong.
K D N Y enjoys collaborating on shared performances with other female
dance companies through its Out-on-a-WIM project (Women in Motion).
This artistic exchange has included shared programs with Zephyr Dance
Company in Chicago and New York; Florida's Physical Theater Project, a touring company for emerging female choreographers;
Bernier Dance and Chalasa Dance Company at Fairfield University,
Connecticut; and the Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company for performances
in Dallas, Austin, and New York City. K D N Y is currently
developing a collaborative project entitled Navigating the Hallway in which the company will work with additional choreographers around the country
to create a unique, site-specific dramedy, with both live and projected rooms filled with high energy dance.
K D N Y was clean and sharp, geometric and postmodern, sleek and stoic.
It was a thrill to watch. Kevin Giordano, Dance Magazine