Peridance Contemporary Dance Company

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (PCDC) has been a "powerhouse of expression and innovation since 1983," establishing itself as a "premier contemporary dance company in New York City for 40 years." Led by its Founder and Artistic Director, Igal Perry, the company was founded in tandem with the Peridance Center, a prominent dance education hub located in New York's Union Square.

As a repertory company, PCDC is dedicated to "amplifying diverse artistic voices" from a range of established and emerging choreographers. This philosophy, combined with its "virtuosic and dynamic performers”, underpins the company's commitment to collaboration and artistic innovation. The company's repertoire features a wide range of contemporary aesthetics and includes works for 2 to 8 dancers.

Igal Perry, Artistic Director

Igal Perry is a world-renowned choreographer, ballet master, and dance educator. His choreography, known for its "attuned musicality, kinetic inventiveness, and emotional depth" , has been described as "blessedly inventive" by The New York Times. Perry has choreographed over 60 works for PCDC and has been commissioned by numerous companies worldwide, including Ailey II, Complexions Contemporary Ballet (NYC), and Alberta Ballet (Canada).

Choreography and Collaboration

PCDC is a launchpad for choreographic careers, having premiered new works by 30 choreographers, including world-renowned artists like Dwight Rhoden, Sidra Bell, Alice Klock, Yin Yue, and Johannes Weiland. Reflecting Perry's commitment to new or live music and dance, the Company has also engaged over 50 musicians and composers over the past decade.

Tours and Performances

The Company has performed at major venues such as the Joyce Theater, BAM, and Lincoln Center in New York. National tours have included Jacob's Pillow and the Butler Arts Center. Internationally, PCDC has represented the United States at the Suzanne Dellal Dance Centre for Dance and Theater in Tel Aviv, Israel, and the Kwang-Ju Dance Festival in South Korea, among other venues.

Outreach and Education

Public and educational programming are "vital to PCDC". The company offers sought-after open workshops, free performances, and multidisciplinary university residencies. A key initiative is

DanceBreak, which since its launch in 2016 has seen company dancers teach repertory, modern technique, improvisation, and composition to over 2,000 NYC public school students. PCDC's holistic pedagogical approach is aimed at increasing access to contemporary dance and cultivating the next generation of dance artists.

PCDC Site

Company Bio

The Peridance Contemporary Dance Company (PCDC) has been a "powerhouse of expression and innovation since 1983," led by its Founder and Artistic Director, Igal Perry. As a repertory company, PCDC is dedicated to "amplifying diverse artistic voices" from both emerging and established choreographers. The combination of this philosophy with its "virtuosic and dynamic performers" has established PCDC as a "premier contemporary dance company in New York City for 40 years".

Igal Perry, Artistic Director

Igal Perry is a world-renowned choreographer, ballet master, and dance educator. He founded PCDC in tandem with the Peridance Center, a dance education hub in New York City's Union Square. Perry's choreography is known for its "attuned musicality, kinetic inventiveness, and emotional depth". Since its founding, he has choreographed over 60 works for the Company. His works have been described as "blessedly inventive" by The New York Times. He has also been commissioned by numerous prestigious companies worldwide, including Complexions Contemporary Ballet (NYC), Ailey II, and Alberta Ballet (Canada).

Repertoire and Collaborations

PCDC is committed to artistic innovation and collaboration. The Company has premiered new works by 30 choreographers, including world-renowned artists such as Alice Klock, Dwight Rhoden, Sidra Bell, Yin Yue, and Johannes Weiland. The Company's repertoire features a wide range of contemporary aesthetics and includes works for 2 to 8 dancers.

Works in the touring repertoire include:

Twilight (2013) by Igal Perry
Bolero (1983) by Igal Perry
The Hunt (2004, PCDC premiere 2023) by Robert Battle
Evermore (2013) by Dwight Rhoden
Just Above the Surface (2019) by Yue Yin

Performances and Tours

PCDC has performed at major venues such as:

Joyce Theater
BAM
Lincoln Center
Teatro Coliseo de Buenos Aires, Argentina
The Chiostro Maggiore di Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy

The Company's national tours have included Jacob's Pillow and the Butler Arts Center. PCDC has represented the United States internationally at the Suzanne Dellal Dance Centre for Dance and Theater in Tel Aviv, Israel, the Kwang-Ju Dance Festival in South Korea, and the Florence Dance Performing Arts Festival in Florence, Italy, among others.

Outreach and Education

Public and educational programming are essential to PCDC. Offerings include:

Sought-after open workshops and free performances
DanceBreak outreach initiative, through which company dancers have taught repertory, modern technique, improvisation, and composition to over 2,000 NYC public school students since 2016
Master Classes, taught by Igal Perry or Company Dancers, offering students unique opportunities to learn repertoire in ballet or contemporary techniques
Lecture-Demonstrations (LEC-DEM), which combine live performance with a Q&A for large groups of students