Movers & Shapers: Ariel Grossman

Ariel Rivka Dance (ARD) is a critically acclaimed all-female contemporary dance company led by a married choreographer/composer team, Ariel Grossman (Artistic Director/Choreographer) and David Homan (Executive Director/Composer). Based in New York/New Jersey, ARD is committed to creating work with new music that explores emotionally driven movement with underlying currents of technique and structure. Collaboration and accessibility are the heart of ARD. It produces shows that incorporate various styles of dance and music, exposing our audiences to quality artistry in an inviting way.In 2016 Ariel was named one of Jersey (New) Moves Emerging Choreographers and was invited back to the 2017 festival as a standout past grant recipient. The company recently toured to Houston, TX, for Dance Month at the Kaplan Theatre and to the Gordon Center for Performing Arts in Baltimore, MD, and is looking forward to an upcoming choreographic & performance residency in Vero Beach, FL. ARD has also been presented at NJPAC, Rutgers University, the Gershman Y (Philadelphia, PA), Saratoga Dance Museum, Baruch Performing Arts Center, Dixon Place, White Wave’s Wave Rising Series and Inaugural Solo/Duo Festival, and REVERBDance. Past performances include collaborations with RIOULT Dance NY, Heidi Latsky, Elisa King, Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, Carrie Ellmore-Tallitsch, Paul Dennis and Sean Curran. ARD has also held choreographic residencies at LaGuardia Performing Arts High School (NY) and Moving Youth Ballet Company (NJ) and was the recipient of a Lower Manhattan Cultural Council grant and a Nathan Cummings Foundation grant.

With a Masters in Early Childhood Education, Grossman has a passion for introducing dance to young learners offering family, community, and early childhood programming. Ariel Rivka Dance’s most recent family program is the touring work, “The Book of Esther: The Journey of Queen Vashti and Queen Esther,” which explores Ariel’s Jewish roots through a feminist lens. Traveling to Philadelphia, Ocean County, NJ, and various locations in New York City, “The Book of Esther” has provoked riveting conversations about artistic interpretation, biblical text, and the art of collaboration with adults and children alike.