NYSEC’s Eco-Artist-in-Residence Jody Sperling shared her dancemaking journey into the realms of ecology and ethics, relating how the residency began, the many ways that it is continuing to grow, and the process behind making dances that respond to climate realities. Then, she told the story of how this climate-engaged work took her and company to Egypt–and how and why that tour was almost cancelled at the last minute. The presentation concluded with a collective movement experience.

About Jody Sperling

Jody Sperling is a dancer, choreographer, and founder of the Time Lapse Dance ensemble. Since 2022 Sperling and company have been Eco-Artists-in-Residence at the New York Society of Ethical Culture where they are advancing their mission of dancing toward a more embodied, sustainable, and equitable future.

Sperling is the leading exponent of performance technology innovator Loie Fuller (1862-1928), and has expanded Fuller’s genre into contemporary and environmental forms. In 2014, Sperling participated in a polar science mission and danced on Arctic sea ice, creating the short dance film Ice Floe, which was honored by the Creative Climate Awards. She earned a World Choreography Award nomination for her work on the French feature The Dancer (Dir. Stephanie DiGiusto, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival). Sperling’s work and company are also prominently featured in the feature-length Fuller documentary “Obsessed with Light”. The Paul Taylor Dance Company performed two of Fuller’s works in their 2024 Lincoln Center Season.

In recent years, Sperling’s work with her company and throughout the NYSEC residency has focused on creatively engaging with climate change and developing ecokinetics, a practice that cultivates the relationship between human movers and ecological systems.