Beth Formica Bender 322 Park Ave., Swarthmore, PA 19081 (484) 620-3890 [email protected] www.bethanyformica.org www.sawdustsiren.com Summary Beth Formica Bender aka Bethany Formica has 25+ years of international and national experience as a professional modern dancer, actress, educator, and choreographer. She has a particular interest in partnering, upside down, flip and floor work, teaching how to use one’s upper body as articulately as the lower body, often using elements from Capoeira and Yoga. Bethany is also a wood turner and the owner of Sawdust Siren, LLC. Education • Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance, Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University, 1994 • Gyrokinesis® Level 1 Pre-Training and Level 1 Foundation Training Courses, 2017 Grants, Fellowships, and Awards • Independence Foundation Fellowship in the Arts, 2012 • Dances in Public Spaces Grant, 2011 • Professional Development Awards, Supported by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through Dance Advance ▪ Performance, Choreographic Lab, Master Classes with Peggy Baker, April & Dec. 2011 ▪ John Jasperse Choreographic Workshop, Dec. 2011, Co-supported by the Philadelphia Live Arts LAB ▪ Workshop with Attakkalari, Taught by Jayachandran Palazhy and Hema Bharathy Palani, 2011 Co-supported by the Philadelphia Live Arts LAB ▪ Residency with Lucinda Childs and Ty Boomershine, Performed Lucinda Child’s Interior Drama and Melody Excerpt, 2010 & 2011 ▪ Residency developing American Silences with Petar Todorov (Bulgaria), 2007. ▪ Workshop and exchange with Petar Todorov (Bulgaria) and Gregor Kamnikar (Slovenia), 2006. • Philadelphia Rocky Award for performance in Factor T., 2009 • Pennsylvania Council on the Arts Fellowship for Choreography, 2008 Professional Dance/Theater Companies • David Gordon Pick Up Performance Co., New York City- Virtual Performer, The Philadelphia Matter- 1972/2020, Fringe Arts, Philadelphia, 2020 • Sylvain Emard, Montréal, Canada- Philadelphia performances 2012 & 2018, Swarthmore, PA performance 2018, and Choregraphic Research Lab, Fringe Arts, Philadelphia, 2015 • Cardell Dance Theatre, Philadelphia, PA- New York City, Philadelphia and NJ performances, 2005, 2011-2016 • Curt Haworth Movement and Performance, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2010-2013 • White Box Theater, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia and NJ performances, film work, 2005-2006, 2013 • Leah Stein Dance, Philadelphia, PA- San Francisco performances of Battle Hymns, 2013 • MacArthur Dance Project, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2011-2012 • Melina Martin, Buenos Aries, Argentina- Philadelphia performance & video presentation at Kings University, Western Ontario, Canada, 2012 • Makoto Hirano/OMNiBUS, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2010-2011 • Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia and University performances, 2000-2011 • Megan Mazarick, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2006-2011 • Ladybird, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2009-2011 • Brian Sanders/JUNK, Philadelphia, PA- Aerial performance for Feastival, 2011 • J. Ferron Hiat, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia and Jim Thorpe, PA performances, 2009-2010 • BoanDanz Action, Philadelphia, PA- International and National touring, 2007-2010 • Nichole Canuso Dance Company, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia and University performances, 2007-2010 • Dada von Bzdülöw Theatre, Gdansk, Poland- New York City, Philadelphia & Poland touring, 2007-2008 • Lee Etzold/My Kinda Pony, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2006, 2008 Formica Bender, 2 • MC3, West Chester, PA- Actress for Industrials, San Francisco and Boca Raton performances, 2006 & 2007 • Kate Watson-Wallace, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia and New York City performances, 2005-2007 • Koncentrat, Warsaw, Poland- Gdansk, Poland performance, 2007 • Martha Bowers Dance Theatre, New York City- NYC & MASS MoCA performances/residency, 1993-2006 • Reactionaries, Co-Director from 2005-2006, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2004-2006 • Elisa Lane, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2005-2006 • Jeb Kreager/The Brown Squad, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2006 • Group Motion Dance Company, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2004-2005 • Travis Mesman, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2005 • Myra Bazell, Philadelphia, PA- Leigh University opera performances, 2005 • Phillip Grosser, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2005 • The Bald Mermaids, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2004 • Pearson/Widrig DanceTheatre- New York City, NY- U.S. touring/teaching, 1995-2004 • Myriam Herve-Gil, Paris, France- Philadelphia performances, 2004 • Megan Durham/Merge Dance Company, Philadelphia, PA- Philadelphia performances, 2004 • Julia Ritter, Lambertville, NJ- International and U.S. touring/teaching, video work, 2000-2003 • Kim Whittam and Company, New York City, NY- New York City performances, 2002 • Jonathan Wooster, London, England- New York City Performances. 2001-2002 • Harakti Multimedia, Philadelphia, PA- New York City and Philadelphia performances, video work, 2001 • Kevin Wynn Collection, New York City, NY- New York City performances, 2000-2002 • Liz Claire, New York City, NY- New York City performances, 2000 • Michael Foley Dance, New York City, NY- International and U.S. touring/teaching, 1995-2000 • Guido Turveri/Sanza Nemo Collective, New York City, NY- New York City performances, 1999 • Fancy Stitch Machine, New York City, NY- New York City and Bates Dance Festival performances, 1997-1999 • Memento, New York City, NY- New York City performances, 1998 • Steeledance, New York City, NY- New York City performances, 1998 • Sean Curran and Company, New York City, NY- New York City performances, 1996-1997 • Amy Pivar and Dancers, New York City, NY- Understudy for New York City performances, 1998 • Rennie Harris Puremovement, Philadelphia, PA- Bates Dance Festival performance, 1997 • JoAnna Mendl Shaw, New York City, NY- SUNY Purchase performances, teaching assistant, 1997 • Sara Sweet Rabidoux, Somerville, MA- Bates Dance Festival performances, 1996-1997 • Sarah Carlson, New York City, NY- New York City performances, 1996 • Kimberly Davis Dance, Los Angeles, CA- New York City and Bates Dance Festival performances, 1995 • Dance Network, Somerset, NJ- NJ performances, 1995 Community Based Projects • Sylvain Emard, Le Super Grand Continental, Rehearsal Assistant/Dancer, Contemporary line dance piece for 150 professional and community dancers, Fringe Arts, Philadelphia, PA, 2018 & 2012 • TD Bank WOW Awards, Dance Captain/TD Mascot, Susquehanna Bank Center, Camden, NJ, 2013 & 2014 • Pearson/Widrig Dance Theater, Ordinary Festivals, Dancer, Master Classes/Performances with professional dancers and community members, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 2003 • Martha Bower’s Dance Theatre Etcetera, The Dreamlife of Bricks, Rehearsal Director/Dancer, Master Classes/Performances with professional actors/dancers/musicians and community members, MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA, 2002 Teaching Experience International Teaching • National School of Dance, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Master Classes in Modern Technique and Improvization with Boan Danz Action, 2010 • Cultural Center of Lódz, Lodz, Poland, Master Class in Modern Technique, 2008 • Scena Tanca Wspólczesnego, Poznan, Poland, Master Class in Modern Technique, 2008 • International Dance Theatres Festival, Lublin, Poland, Guest Faculty teaching Modern Technique, 2008 Formica Bender, 3 • Klub ZAK, Gdansk, Poland, Master Classes in Modern Technique and Choreography, 2007-2008 • Alfred ve dvore, Prague, Czech Republic, Residency with Julia Ritter Performance Group, 2003 • Artimste’, Turin, Italy, Master Classes in Adv./Intermediate Modern Technique, 2002 • Ringsend Technical College, Dublin, Ireland, Master Classes for Actors, 2002 • Assault Events Dance Co., Sheffield, England, Residency/Choreographic Collaboration, 2001 • Balettakademien, Stockholm, Sweden, Residency with Michael Foley Dance, 1998 Festival Teaching • nEW Festival, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA. Technique Classes, 2012 & 2008 • American College Theater Festival Association, University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Workshop with Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre, 2009 • ACDFA, Bates College, Lewiston, ME, Residency with Michael Foley Dance, 2000 • The New York Dance Intensive, Dancespace, Inc., New York, NY, Rehearsal Director/Teaching Assistant with Michael Foley Dance, 1998 • Bates Dance Festival/Young Dancers Workshop, Lewiston, ME, Master Classes/Residency with Michael Foley Dance, 1997; Counselor for Bates Young Dancers Workshop, 1996-1998 University Teaching • Bryn Mawr College, Byrn Mawr, PA, Advanced Modern Technique, 2016-present, Modern Ensemble, 2019 • Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, PA, Contemporary Modern Technique, 2019-present • West Chester University, West Chester, PA, Master Classes and Guest Choreographer for West Chester University Dance Company, 2016 & 2017 • University of the Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Master Lecturer, Modern Technique, 2012- 2015; Substitute Teacher, 2010-2012 • Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, Adjunct Faculty, Modern Technique, 2015; Substitute Teaching, 2005-2008, 2012-2013; Workshop with Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre, 2009 • Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, Guest Artist, Int./Adv. Modern Dance, Choreography, and Creative Process, 2014 • Georgian Court University, Lakewood, NJ, Commissioned for a Site-Specific Pool Piece for Ensemble, 2012; Master Classes and Performance