I believe that dance has the power to move people, to heal people, and to enrich and empower communities.
Who’s that girl? AKA:
Beth Ann Formica, B., Beth, Bethy Ann, Betty, Formica, Betanita, Breath, Ciotka Betty, Tabletop, Countertop, Ant, Fire Ant, Ant Girl, Betty Bad Ass, Maggot, Beth Bender, Bent Fender, Mrs. Bender, Rhapsody, Lady B, Ninja Girl, Bef, Queen B, Momma B, Beth Formica Bender, Sawdust Siren
Artistic Statement:
I am freelance contemporary dancer with a particular interest in partnering, humor, and collaboration between artists and non-artists alike. I equally value my roles as a performer, educator, and choreographer. I am also an avid gardener, wood worker, candle maker, house renovator, and sometimes art installer. My major inspiration as a dance artist is collaborating with a diverse range of artists and art forms. Dance is a positive conduit to encourage people to connect body, mind, and soul together. I value the merging of accessibility with artistic excellence; I honestly believe dance can be used as a vital tool to communicate, educate, entertain, and challenge people’s ideas. I think that teaching dance in our communities to dancers and non-dancers alike is key.
Biography:
Bethany Formica is a dancer, educator, choreographer, and artisan whose work spans performance, teaching, choreography, and art. She earned her BFA in Dance from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University in 1994 and has since built an expansive career collaborating with groundbreaking artists and companies across the U.S. and internationally.
In New York City, Bethany performed with numerous influential companies including The Kevin Wynn Collection, Pearson/Widrig DanceTheatre, Sean Curran and Company, Michael Foley, Martha Bowers Dance Theatre Etcetera, David Gordon, Lucinda Childs, Guido Tuveri, and Memento. In Philadelphia, she has worked with Cardell Dance Theater, Boan Danz Action, Megan Mazarick, Nichole Canuso Dance Company, Reactionaries (which she co-directed with Mark O’Maley), Maria Urrutia, Melanie Stewart Dance Theatre, White Box Theater, Curt Haworth, Group Motion, Leah Stein, and international companies such as Sylvain Émard Danse (Montreal) and Dada von Bzdülöw Theatre (Poland), among many others.
Bethany’s choreography has been presented extensively throughout New York City and Philadelphia, as well as in Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, and England. Her creative work has been supported by a range of competitive awards, including a J. Cooper Foundation Grant to produce Abby Z and the New Utility at Swarthmore College (2024), a Subcircle Residency (2022), fellowships from the Independence Foundation (2012) and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts for Choreography (2008), a Rocky Award (2009), and multiple professional development grants from The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through Dance Advance.
She has taught dance, theater, and vocal master classes and residencies for professional companies, studios, and institutions across the U.S. and abroad. Bethany is currently researching dance-on-screen practices with collaborator Katie O’Loughlin and is the owner of Sawdust Siren, where she creates wood-centric and nature-inspired artwork.