About | Dancers | Past Season | Repertory | Outreach | Press | Media Kit | Youth Ensemble | Contact | Donate | Audition

Mission Statement

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company is committed to leadership and collaboration in
dance performance and education in NYC.

The Company aspires to challenge audiences with innovative choreography, fostering an
intelligent appreciation of dance as an art form.

The Company works to provide a creative and intellectually stimulating outlet for high-caliber dancers,
choreographers, composers, musicians, and designers.

The Company is dedicated to providing an array of opportunities for its pre-professional, aspiring students.

Company History

Peridance Contemporary Dance Company was established by Artistic Director Igal Perry in 1984 as the Peridance Ensemble, and made its New York City debut in October of 1985 at the Riverside Dance Festival. Having earned critical acclaim, the Company was invited to return in April of 1986. Over the next 20 years, the Company performed as far afield as Alaska while maintaining major New York seasons at venues including the Joyce Theatre, The Kaye Playhouse (for the Company’s 15-year anniversary), the Marymount Manhattan Theater, and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center. On the international stage, the Company represented the United States in the Kwang-Ju International Dance Festival in South Korea, performed in the Vignale Dance Festival in Italy, and was the only American dance company invited to appear in the opening of Florence Italy’s prestigious “Maggio Musicale” Festival. In January 2006, the Company celebrated its 21st anniversary at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College with a multi-program series of performances involving live original music and a company of 19 dancers led by guest dance icons José Manuel Carreño and Elizabeth Parkinson.

As part of its quest for originality and unique identity, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company has always sought out
choreographic and compositional collaboration that result in a diverse repertory. Over the years, Company repertory came to include original work by world-renowned choreographers such as Ohad Naharin, John Butler, Danny Ezralow, and Benjamin Harkarvy, in addition to the work created by Artistic Director Igal Perry. The Company has presented many works with live music, with original compositions by young composers including John Mackey, Quentine Chappetta, and Avner Dorman. Collaborations that were originally created on the Company have since been presented by companies in the USA, Israel, and Italy, including Accord/Discord (1998) Sudden Void (2001), Dreams & Demons (2003), and Udacrep Akubrad and Impact commissioned for the Company’s 21st season in 2006.

Between 2007 and 2010, the Company went on hiatus while Peridance Capezio Center went through a major transition. The Center began a partnership with Capezio/Ballet Makers, Inc., initiating its move to a state-of-the-art new studio space in January 2010 and opening its doors to six spacious studios and in-house Salvatore Capezio Theater. Beginning with the Fall 2011 season, the company re-emerged with a new name, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, and began the process of reconstruction, with the Salvatore Capezio Theater as its residence.

Company Home

Located in the beautiful Union Square area in the heart of New York City, Peridance Capezio Center and its Salvatore Capezio Theater are the home of Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. The unique arrangement of the Company situated within a school creates a harmonious blend of professionals and students, bringing artists from all walks of life together into a lively micro-community, and inspiring young dancers to reach great heights in their art.

Peridance Capezio Center

For almost 30 years, Peridance has provided enjoyment for the recreational dancer, development for the professional, inspiration for the educator, and fertile ground for future Company dancers. Peridance Capezio Center offers over 250 weekly open adult classes taught by an exceptional faculty, multiple International Student Programs with students from over 30 countries, and a two-year Certificate Program designed for pre-professional dancers. It is also home to The School at Peridance with over 100 weekly classes for children ages 18 months to 18 years, and the Peridance Youth Ensemble, a non-profit performance and outreach troupe.

The Salvatore Capezio Theater

The Salvatore Capezio Theater is a unique 160-seat black box theater that serves as a beautiful performance venue for the Company, as well as for guest professional companies of all sizes and genres, who rent the theater for artistic and
commercial events.

The building has a rich history of its own. Constructed in 1903, it originally served as the Van Tassall & Kearney Horse Auction Mart. The building later became the studio of renown minimalist painter, printmaker, and sculptor Frank Stella from 1978 until 2005. As Peridance’s home, the building continues to be a hub for artistic creation.