When I see something good that reminds me what dancing can be at its most basic,
I'm faint with pleasure.

The village Voice

company

Seán Curran Company, founded in 1997, has presented 30 premieres and toured to over 100 venues in the U.S., France, Germany, Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic and Turkmenistan. Presentations in New York City include the Brooklyn Academy of Music Next Wave Festival, Dance Theater Workshop, The Joyce Theater, Dance New Amsterdam, the Guggenheim Museum, New Victory Theater, 92nd Street Y/Harkness Dance Project, Danspace Project, Symphony Space, Central Park Summerstage and Celebrate Brooklyn.

Artistic excellence has been recognized through funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, New England Foundation for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, and numerous private foundations. The company’s highly regarded service to the field includes donation of performances and classes to the American Civil Liberties Union NYC Chapter, Cyndi Lauper’s True Colors Residence (a safe house for LGBT youth), Dancers Responding to AIDS and the Hetrick-Martin Institute.

The company recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a new production as part of the Brooklyn Academy of Music 2018 Next Wave Festival, premiering a new work Everywhere All the Time with live music by the Grammy Award winning ensemble Third Coast Percussion. The company’s previous season at BAM, in 2015, featured performances of Dream’d in a Dream, a collaboration with traditional Kyrgyz music ensemble Ustatshakirt Plus. The evening length work was inspired by Seán Curran Company’s 2012 tour to Central Asia as cultural ambassadors of the U.S. State Department, part of the DanceMotion USA program. Other notable touring works include Left Exit, an examination of spirituality, faith, and religion commissioned by the University of Notre Dame, and Travel Songs, an evening of works with the Grammy Award-winning King’s Singers.

seán curran

Seán Curran's (Artistic Director) career in the arts spans 35 years, beginning with traditional Irish step dancing as a child in Boston. He is known for his performance work with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, for which he was honored with a “Bessie” award for his role in Secret Pastures, and as an original New York City cast member of STOMP! Curran’s 30 dance works for his professional ensemble Seán Curran Company are characterized by collaborations across genres and have toured to over 100 venues in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The company recently celebrated its 20th anniversary with a season as part of the BAM 2018 Next Wave Festival featuring live music by the Grammy award-winning ensemble, Third Coast Percussion.

A sought-after choreographer and director for opera and theatre, notable commercial projects for Curran include Salome (Opera Theatre of St. Louis, San Francisco Opera, Opera Montreal, San Diego Opera); Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream for The Shakespeare Theater; An American Soldier, 27, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, Shalimar the Clown, Ariadne on Naxos, Nixon in China, Daughter of the Regiment, and Champion at Opera Theater of St. Louis; NYC Opera productions of L'Etoile, Alcina, Turandot, Haroun and the Sea of Stories, Capriccio, and Acis and Galetea; Shakespeare in the Park's As You Like It; the Metropolitan Opera's Romeo and Juliette; Much Ado About Nothing and A Midsummer Night's Dream for The Shakespeare Theater; and Broadway’s James Joyce's The Dead, Cymbeline, and The Rivals at Lincoln Center Theater.

A graduate and faculty member of New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, Curran is currently an Arts Professor and Chair of the Department of Dance. He has over 25 years of teaching experience in modern technique, improvisation, body percussion and composition as a visiting artist at the American Dance Festival, Harvard Summer Dance Center, Bates Dance Festival, Boston's Conservatory of Music, and countless U.S. university dance departments and private studios. Curran has created works for The Wooden Floor, The Limon Dance Company, Trinity Irish Dance Company, ABT II, Denmark's Upper Cut Company, Sweden's Skänes Dance Theater, Irish Modern Dance Theatre, Ririe Woodbury Dance Theater, and Dance Alloy.

Irish American Magazine selected Curran as one of its "Top 100” in 2002 and he has been awarded several Choreographer's Fellowships from the New York Foundation for the Arts. He has performed his solo evening of dances at venues throughout the United States as well as at Sweden's Danstation Theatre and France's EXIT Festival. Happiest when making new work, Curran hopes to continue to be an ambassador for the art of dance by building and educating the dance audiences of tomorrow.

dancers

Elizabeth Coker (Co-Artistic Director, Dancer) trained at the Washington School of Ballet and the Ballet Nacional de Cuba before joining The Washington Ballet for several seasons. She has been a member of the Seán Curran Company since 2006, and its Co-Artistic Director since 2014. 

Elizabeth holds degrees in psychology and dance from Columbia University and a doctorate in Motor Learning and Control from Teachers College of Columbia University. Areas of research include multi-sensory integration during balance, and novel motion capture technologies. 

Elizabeth is an Assistant Arts Professor at NYU/Tisch School of the Arts where she teaches contemporary technique, somatics, and dance science. She has taught and set choreography in university dance departments and dance companies across the country and has assistant choreographed for and/or appeared with the Limon Dance Company, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Opera de Montreal, San Diego Opera and Yale Repertory Theater.

Rebecca Arends (Guest Artist) dances with the Seán Curran Company, Rosario, and Ana Isabel Keilson Company. She studied at The Ailey School (Oprah Winfrey Foundation Fellowship) and holds a degree in History and Afro-American Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Notable credits: Champion (Original Cast, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis); DanceMotionUSA Tour of Central Asia (Seán Curran Company); Travel Songs: The King's Singers + Seán Curran Company; Anybodys (West Side Story, El Paso Opera); Kiss Exhibition (Tino Seghal, Guggenheim Museum). In 2014, Rebecca founded RAredancework, a non profit organization, dedicated to the performing arts. For more information please visit: www.rebeccaarends.com

Evan Copeland (Guest Artist) Born in Framingam, MA, raised in Camp Hill, PA, Evan grew up dancing at the Wevodau Dance Center and loved the oldies! He continued his training at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts where he received his BFA in dance and got to breifly study abroad at the Salzburg Experimental Acadamy of Dance(SEAD). He went on to work with The Seán Curran Company, as well as with Kyle Abraham/A.I.M., Wendy Blum, Stephen Koplowitz, Brook Notary, Elke Rindfleisch, and Shen Wei Dance Arts. He is involved with the Circle Rules Football Federation created by Greg Manley.

David Gonsier (Dancer) was born and raised in New York City. He came late to the dance world, starting his training while studying philosophy at Skidmore College. In modern concert dance, opera productions, and musicals he has toured across the US, Europe, and Asia. As well as performing with the Seán Curran Company, he can be found dancing on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera, as well as freelancing in photography and graphic design.

Jin Ju Song-Begin (Dancer) is a choreographer, dancer and dance teacher from Seoul, Korea, whose work has been presented internationally in Korea, Japan, Singapore and the U.S. Since moving to New York in 2010, her work has been shown in many venues in NYC. In 2012, Jin Ju founded her dance company, Da-On Dance. Jin Ju is currently dancing with Douglas Dunn + Dancers, Tere O'Connor Dance and Seán Curran Company.

Dwayne Brown (Dancer) is from New York City. He trained at The Ailey School, American Dance Festival, The School of American Ballet, and Vassar College where he graduated with a B.S. in Psychology. Theatre credits: San Francisco Opera - Turandot, Broadway's AFTER MIDNIGHT, Lincoln Center – Cinderella and the Prince who Slayed the Magic Dragon, Franco Dragone Entertainment Group – TABOO, Metropolitan Opera – Faust, Rigoletto, Death of Klinghoffer, Don Giovanni, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis – Magic Flute. Concert Dance credits: Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Sean Curran Company, Trainor Dance, Reggie Wilson/Fist & Heel Performance Group. TV/Film credits: "Do you dance, Ms. Parker?", Netflix Original - The Get Down, PBS - Great Performances at The Met: Prince Igor. For the 2018 season Dwayne will be with San Francisco Opera.

Maurice Ivy Dowell (Dancer) graduated from Duke University with a major in Literature (Critical Theory), a minor in Dance, and a certificate in Film in 2016. Upon graduation, he attended the American Dance Festival on scholarship where he had the fortune to collaborate with choreographers Lee Sher and Saar Harari (LeeSaar The Company). Maurice has spent summers at Virginia School of the Arts, The Ailey School, Point Park University, Summer Stages at Concord Academy, and the Nederlands Dans Theater in 2015. He has performed in works by Seán Curran, Lightfoot/León, Darshan Bhuller, and Gerald Arpino in addition to producing original film and choreography. Currently, he is an artist with Drigg Productions and The Orsano Project. He was an apprentice at Nimbus Dance Works before joining the Seán Curran Company.

Mariel Harris (Dancer) began dancing in her hometown of Vancouver, WA at the age of 3. She has trained extensively at The Joffrey Ballet School and LINES, prior to receiving her BFA cum laude from NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. While attending NYU, Mariel studied abroad in Austria at Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD) and had the great pleasure of performing works by choreographers such as Bill T. Jones, Merce Cunningham, and Pamela Pietro. Mariel has also had the opportunity to attend intensive programs with Hubbard Street, ImpulsTanz in Vienna, The Rock School, and Steps on Broadway. Along with Seán Curran Company, Mariel can be seen performing for Rovaco Dance Company, Lori Belilove and the Isadora Duncan Dance Company. 

Jacoby Pruitt (Dancer) began his dance training in Miami, Fl where he attended New World School of the Arts. An Honors graduate of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, Mr. Pruitt is also the recipient of the Martha Hill Dance Fund’s Young Professional Award. Jacoby has studied on scholarship at The Ailey School, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. He has performed works by choreographers Alvin Ailey, Bill T. Jones, Dwight Rhoden, Robert Battle, and Shannon Gillen among others. Jacoby was previously a member of Ailey II. 

Lauren Kravitz (Dancer) is a freelance dance artist living in Brooklyn. She received her early training from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, and graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Dance. She has performed nationally and internationally as a company member of Take Dance and Indah Walsh Dance Company, and has been a member of Sean Curran Company since 2016. She is also a co-creator and performer, alongside Shantel Prado, of the performance duo bait. 

collaborators

Joe Doran (Production Manager/ Technical Director) has worked with Armitage Gone! Dance, HT Chen and Dancers, Gabrielle Lansner and Co., and Martha Graham Dance Company, among others. He is the producing artistic director and resident designer of Equilateral Theatre Company, a nonprofit organization he founded in 2004. He recently designed an adaptation of "The Tempest" starring Olympia Dukakis for the Alpine Theatre Project. Regionally, Joe has designed for Historic Swift Creek Mill Theatre and Richmond VA’s Festival of the Arts at Dogwood Dell. He is the 2008 and 2009 recipient of the Richmond Theatre Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Lighting Designer. He is an artistic member of Resonance Ensemble in NYC. Graduate of North Carolina School of the Arts. Member of United Scenic Artists Local 829. www.joedorandesign.com

Mark Randall (Visual Designer) is a NYC-based design professional with over 30 years of experience in design and strategic consultancy. Awarded an AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) Medal for his “singular dedication to diversity in design and his tenacity in funding minority and economically disadvantaged design students” in 2017, his strategic communications and brand management consultancy, Worldstudio, is well known in the field, with clients and projects across a wide range of sectors, including private/for profit, nonprofit, civic/government, education, and charitable giving. Mark is also president of Worldstudio Foundation, a nonprofit that offers scholarships and mentoring programs in the fine and applied arts and sponsors public art and design initiatives that unite communities around compelling social themes. Mark is co-founder and chair of the Impact! Design for Social Change intensive summer program hosted by the School of Visual Arts. Since 2010, this four-week program aimed at design professionals has promoted socially-oriented creative and entrepreneurial projects. Mark has taught for SVA, Parsons, Fordham University, and Hartford University. He has a degree in graphic design from the University of Washington. He has collaborated with Seán Curran Company since its inception.

Robert Wierzel (Lighting Designer) has worked with artists in theatre, dance, contemporary music, opera and museums on stages throughout the country and abroad. His dance collaborations include works with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Elizabeth Streb, Liz Gerring, Andrea Miller/Gallim Dance , Doug Varone, Larry Goldhuber, Heidi Latsky, Molissa Fenely, Donna Uchizono, Alonzo King, Charlie Moulton, Michael Tracy/Pilobolus Dance Theatre, Arthur Aviles; Margo Sappington, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Seán Curran Company, Lyon Opera Ballet, and the Berlin Opera Ballet. Productions with opera companies include Paris-Garnier; Tokyo; Toronto; Bergen & Kristiansand, Norway; Folk Opera, Sweden; Glimmerglass Festival; New York City Opera; Chicago Lyric; Seattle; Boston Lyric; Minnesota; San Francisco; Houston; Washington; Williamstown Theatre Festival, Virginia; Montreal; Vancouver; Florida Grand; and Portland, among others. Wierzel's designs have been seen on and off Broadway, including the play Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill, (starring Audra McDonald) and the musical Fela! (Tony Award nomination). His lighting designs have appeared in productions for New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theatre; The Signature Theatre; The Roundabout; Playwrights Horizons; Mostly Mozart Festival; BAM; The Acting Company and the Lincoln Center Festival/American Songbook Series, among others. Robert has collaborated with the composer Philip Glass, winning an American Theatre Wing Lighting Design Award, and visual artists Thomas Schütte, Peter McGough, Paul Kaiser, Lesley Dill, Robert Longo, Bill Katz, Red Grooms and Gretchen Bender. He has designed lighting for art exhibitions including the Red Grooms installation at Grand Central Station; at the Yale Art Gallery and at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Wierzel is currently on the faculty of New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts and The Yale School of Drama.