Founder and Artistic Director
Eryc Taylor, the Artistic Director/Founder of Eryc Taylor Dance (ETD, established in 2006), has choreographed and presented new works worldwide since 1995. Originally from Los Angles, he received his BFA in Dance from the University of the Arts (and is currently on the Alumni Council) and an MFA from NYU's Tisch School of the Arts. Taylor has studied abroad at the London Contemporary School of Dance and the Centre de Danse du Marais in Paris. He has been awarded several major scholarships, including a residency at Jacob's Pillow, and spent two years with Merce Cunningham's Junior Ensemble (RUG).
Taylor's solo work has been presented at Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, The Second Avenue Dance Theater, and theaters across the US and Europe.
ETD has performed Taylor's original works at Joe's Pub, Joyce Soho, New York Live Arts, Martha Graham Studio Theater, Bryant Park Theater, Guild Hall (East Hampton, NY), Provincetown Dance Festival (Cape Cod, MA) and SLATE NY (residencies in 2022 and 2023). Internationally, ETD performed at the Busan Cultural Center (Busan, South Korea), the Armando Manzanero Teatro and Teatro José Peón Contreras for the 16th-18th International Avant-Garde Festival (Merida, Mexico), receiving praise from El Universal for ETD's workshops with the local Mayan youth.
Taylor founded the community outreach program ETD Outreach (ETDO) in 2007 to empower and uplift underserved communities through movement. Taylor curates the program and oversees a team of instructors teaching up to 900 workshops annually with partnering organizations such as youth programs, supportive housing sites, and senior centers spanning all five NYC boroughs. Since its inception, ETDO has presented more than 4,000 workshops to over 10,000 participants.
In 2013, Taylor created the New Choreographer Grant (NCG) to offer opportunities for early-career choreographers to develop and present their work publicly. The program serves four emerging choreographers annually and provides them with a budget, rehearsal space, performance venue and mentorship from Taylor.
Taylor's environmentally-focused project EARTH (2019) involved past recipients of ETD's New Choreographer's Grant. It was featured on the PBS ALL ARTS "Climate Artists" series and performed live in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
ETD's first dance film, Uncharted Territory, was conceived and created by Taylor in collaboration with his dancers, ETD resident composer Daniel Tobias and filmmaker Benny King during the height of the pandemic in 2020. The film has received critical praise and awards, including the IndieFest Film Awards' LGBTQ+ Category. The film was an official selection for the LGBTQ Unbordered International Film Festival and the Hong Kong International Short Film Festival.
Taylor developed Factory/Refractory in 2022, drawing inspiration from his experiences and observations of the NYC nightlife in the 1990s. The critically acclaimed site-specific immersive dance experience was presented at SLATE NY in 2022 and is continuing its residency in 2023.
As an NYC-based non-profit, ETD receives government and foundation grants and support from private and corporate donors, including Marta Heflin Foundation, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, New York State Council on the Arts, New York Department of Cultural Affairs, Dance/NYC, The Sills Foundation, and others.
Taylor collaborates with Photographers Lois Greenfield, Rachel Neville, Shannel Resto, and Steven Mendez; notable Costume Designers Patricia Field and Scooter LaForge; and Composers Gerald Busby, Daniel Tobias, and Salomon Lerner. He has recently collaborated with artist Karen Hakobian to teach a Masterclass series titled Fearless Zones.
Taylor is the Founder and Inventor of BurnBarre, LLC, the world's first portable ballet barre.
Taylor continues to carry out his company's mission and looks forward to the next chapter of ETD.
