Founders(pictured above) Laurie De Vito, Michael Geiger, Danny Pepitone, Lynn Simonson and Charles Wright were artistic pioneers in 1984, creating and building a studio DSC and now DNA for educating and developing dancers and choreographers. Their work has played a critical role in helping build what has become a vibrant dance community that has helped established New York City as a cultural Mecca and DNA continues to support that vision to ensure dance is alive and developing in NYC.

Dance New Amsterdam: A Brief History

Dance New Amsterdam (DNA)’s 25-year history began in the “Noho” (north of Houston Street) neighborhood of Manhattan in 1984 when five dancer/choreographers founded “Dance Space Center” - a place to dance and a home for the whole dancer. DSC offered dance training, anatomy awareness, performance and choreographic opportunities as well as community to all students at their own level of technique and engagement. Founder Lynn Simonson created and continues to develop The Simonson Technique, training thinking dancers whose strong technique and performance quality is based on intimate knowledge of their own body’s parameters. This philosophy continues to inform the teaching of all faculty members at DNA to this day.

Founders Laurie DeVito, Michael Geiger, Danny Pepitone, Lynn Simonson and Charles Wright were artistic pioneers in 1984, creating and building a studio themselves in what would become a vibrant arts community thanks to fellow arts pioneers in the New York City artistic community. Founder Michael Geiger left a few years later to pursue other projects; Founder Danny Pepitone passed away. Laurie DeVito, Lynn Simonson and Charley Wright continued as co-directors until 2002, after which Charley took on the Executive Director role. Laurie DeVito and Lynn Simonson continue to teach at DNA, inspiring a whole new generation of students and faculty alike.

After 15 years, Dance Space Center lost its lease to the economic boom of the Charles Wright found a temporary home for Dance Space Center in the Chinatown area of Manhattan. Following the attack on the World Trade Center on September 11th, 2001, he continued our pioneer tradition by creating a new home for us in Lower Manhattan in the historic Sun Building on City Hall Park, where – renamed Dance New Amsterdam (DNA) in the former ‘New Amsterdam’ section of Manhattan – it became the first arts organization to move downtown after this tragedy. Today, Executive Director, Catherine Peila continues DNA’s tradition, and is making DNA a vibrant part of our neighborhood - an area formerly exclusive to the financial and civil-service industries.

In our home in the Sun Building at 280 Broadway on Chambers Street, six beautiful studios and a full-service theater bustle with dance students of all levels and Theater Majors from Pace University (a new cultural partner from across City Hall Park!). Audience members enjoy performances by new and established choreographers, and related visual-art exhibits in our Gallery enrich all. The gift to the dance community and to New York City of our five Founders cannot be measured, and continues to be treasured by each student and audience member who walks through our doors.

-Martha Chapman
Board member Martha Chapman, a staple in the DNA community (as ballet faculty and as student) since 1997, and Board Member since 2002, reminisces on beginning of DNA, its journey and its future.