Sidra Bell Becomes The First Black Female Choreographer To Be Commissioned By New York City Ballet

essence.com:

Sidra Bell‘s dance journey started in the home. With a mother who’s a classically trained musician and dancer, Bell witnessed her take classes with the Alvin Ailey Organization and study at the Clark Center.

Once she began to express interest in the dance world, her mother enrolled her in one of the local schools in Riverdale. After seeing how serious she was about her crafter, Bell’s mom eventually took her to audition for the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s Saturday morning program. “I started to fall in love with the language of dance right away,” Bell tells ESSENCE. “The language, the form, and the rigor.”At 14 years old, Bell recognized her need to expand her horizons in the dance world which influenced her decision to audition for the Alvin.