SYREN was formed in 2003 by Lynn Peterson and Kate St. Amand, has since produced eight New York Seasons, created 17 dances, and performed for thousands of audience members in the tri-state area. SYREN has been presented at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Symphony Space, Dance Theater Workshop, The Riverside Theatre, Queens Theatre in the Park, Dancers Responding to AIDS, The Warner Theatre, and The Ethel Walker School, among others. It has been supported by grants from NYC’s Department of Cultural Affairs, Harkness Space Grants (92nd Street Y), residencies at DanceNOW/NYC’s Silo and DTW’s Outer/Space, and was commissioned by Purchase College.

SYREN’s mission is to place dance within a broader social context and harness the unique power of live performance. Central to that mission is pairing vigorous motion with live onstage music to bring dance back to where it started – in dialogue with live music. SYREN has collaborated with Galeet Dardashti, Artemis Chamber Ensemble, and Steeplechase Arts & Productions to bring over 20 performances to the public that feature dance with live music. SYREN is driven to explore movement and music in ways that deeply connect the two, as they have always been. Blending narrative ideas with the unique journey of each dancer and also that of each audience member is at the core of the work. The individual journey of a shared experience is the place SYREN loves to explore.

SYREN has worked with students at Purchase College, Yale University, Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, Greater Hartford Academy of the Arts, The Hartt School, Performing Arts Center of Connecticut, and Anderson University, among others. SYREN launched its fourth year of “Dance on Canvas” in 2011. This Partnership with the Art Students League of NY is a series of gallery-based rehearsals where visual artists capture the company’s dynamic motion in oil, charcoal and ink. In 2009, this Partnership sparked a relationship between SYREN and artist Xéna Lee who became inspired to create a painting that would become the backdrop for the dance “the last of the leaves”.

Learn about SYREN’s Performance History
Explore SYREN’s “Dance on Canvas” project

SYREN Modern Dance is a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. All donations to the organization are tax deductible under the fullest extent of the law.
Board of Directors: Kate Dalton, Jessica Hubbard, Rachel Miller, Lynn Peterson, Sue Spiner, Kate St. Amand

Photography: Christopher Duggan
Header Lighting Design: Kate Ashton