WiM PRESENTS: SYMARA SARAI

SYMARA SARAI is a Portland, Oregon born Trinidadian currently residing in Brooklyn. Their choreographic practice navigates the complexities of their personal and cultural histories through movement, sound, and research. At present, they are particularly interested in combining the methodologies of folk, improvisation, and modern dance to explore their African American and West Indian heritage. These practices are merged with rigorous archival and embodied research. A 2023 Bessie Winner for Breakout Choreographer, Symara is also a recipient of the Dai Ailian Foundation Scholarship based in Trinidad and Tobago. The scholarship led her to Beijing, China where she spent two years gaining an associate degree in modern choreography at the renowned Beijing Dance Academy. Symara is a graduate of SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Dance Program. She was a resident artist for Bearnstow, Gibney 6.2 Work Up, Gallim’s 2022 Moving Artist’s Residency, BAX’s Fall 2022 Space Grant Program, and Center for Performance Research’s 2022 AIR Program. She is a 2023/2024 NYLA Fresh Tracks artist and a 2023 Women in Motion Commissioned Artist. Their work as a performer and maker has been reviewed and featured in the NY Times, Dance Enthusiast, Fjord, as well as promoted through Forbes. She has had multiple film works commissioned by Berlin-based choreographer Christoph Winkler. They have presented work at the WIP Showing at Bates Dance Festival, The Clarice at UMD, The LGBT Center, Judson Church, BAAD, WiM Salon, Chez Bushwhick, The Beijing Dance Academy Theatre, and other venues throughout the United States, China, and Germany. She is currently an Urban Bush Women company member. She has also notably worked with Jawole-Willa Jo Zollar, Joanna Kotze, Jasmine Hearn, Raymond Pinto, Ogemdi Ude, Ley Gambucci, Pioneers Go East Collective, Rena Butler, Kevin Wynn, Nattie Trogdon+Hollis Bartlett, Alexandra Beller, and Slowdanger, among others. Website: Symarasarai.com

WOMEN IN MOTION is a volunteer-run organization whose mission is to foster female choreographers through commissioning, producing and mentoring. Founded in 2000, WiM has produced a diverse group of over 92 dance artists, and the list of once-emerging, now-established choreographers goes on. In addition to their annual concert performance, WiM hosts quarterly performance salons presented in non-traditional performance spaces throughout the city, offering female artists the opportunity to show work-in-progress in a supportive, intimate setting, intended to create a dialogue between artists and audiences. Women in Motion is directed by Melissa Riker and Amber Sloan.

Photo by Maria Baranova, Courtesy of New York Live Arts