Bridget Ryan is from Davis, IL and received her B.A. in Dance and International Studies from Denison University in 2019. She has worked with choreographers including Molly Shanahan, Sandra Mathern-Smith, Celia Perarnaud, Brandon Welch, Michael J. Morris, Umeshi Rajeendra, Momar Ndiaye, and Julie Fox. In 2020, Bridget was based in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where she taught contemporary dance at the University of Visual and Performing Arts, Mesh Academy of Dance, and several other local schools and studios. Bridget has presented work at the Detroit Dance City Festival's Choreographers Showcase, Rooted Residency, and in Mariposa Collective productions. She is curious about dance as a practice of holding multiplicities, cultivating presence and connection (with the earth, space, others, self), and expanding possibility. She finds daily joy in the way that her body experiences and responds to life. Currently based in Boulder, Colorado, Bridget dances as a freelance artist and with Wild Heart Dance Company.
About the Work
My current work and research interests exist at the intersection of contemporary dance, improvisation, and a somatic curiosity. Through interrogation, deconstruction, and re-imagination of my known realities, I find space for more possibilities. I am curious about challenging what feels true to me if it allows more liveability for others. I seek to address existing social structures that inherently divide or categorize. I make dances about what it means to exist in a human body at this time in the world. My dances explore practices of body decolonization, love, reflection, and healing. I am continuously inspired by books and through writing. I engage with discomfort, body compassion, and the intimate time-based relationship between audience and performer. I hope to co-create spaces for courageous exploration and dialogue between individual and collective bodies.