Artist's Statement
The emerging focal points of my artistic practice include romanticism, shapeshifting, and melodrama, expressed through a movement vocabulary that has been influenced by butoh, post-modern dance, and dance theater. My dance creations are movement collages that reimagine the unfolding of time and the expression of the self. I am curious about the position of the contemporary body in light of environmental catastrophe and the emotional and physical catharsis that is needed to heal ourselves and our planet.
About Me
Photos by Alyssa Bouma
Madelyn Sher is a multidisciplinary artist, educator, producer, and New York City native.
Madelyn creates dance performances that blend contemporary dance, Butoh, improvisation, and theater. Her choreography has been presented at Theater for the New City, SMUSH Gallery, MERDE at The Footlight, annex:art (New Mexico), Downtown Art, The Baumann, Triple 9 Festival, and Triskelion Arts. She was an artist-in-residence at annex:art (San Fidel, New Mexico) in 2019 and at the Triple Nine Festival (Gowanus, Brooklyn) in 2018. Her short dance film, Looking Inwood, won her the Promising Filmmaker Award at CUNY Film Festival 2018. Madelyn has danced for REDi Dance Company, Amirov Dance Theater, Vangeline Theater, Svea Schneider, Rina Espiritu, Ni'Ja Whitson, Herbert H. Dance Company, and others. She currently works as a freelance dancer and choreographer.
As an actor, Madelyn had her TV debut as "Amy" in ABC's "The Baker and the Beauty", which rose to popularity as the number one show on Netflix in spring 2021. She performs with the Bronx Arts Ensemble/Lehman Children's Theater Company, which brings classic fairytales with a modern spin to young Bronx audiences. She has studied improvisation at the People's Improv Theater, and with Amy Larimer of the Raving Jaynes. Madelyn enjoys creating and performing devised theater with her friends as part of a collective called Zoo City; a favorite project with this group is "Brainfood", in which the actors tell an imaginative story of struggle and acceptance while cooking a delicious breakfast for the audience.
Madelyn values public, accessible art as a vehicle for community engagement, arts appreciation, and environmental awareness. She produces Groundswell Series, an annual site-specific outdoor dance festival that brings dance into shared spaces in parks and playgrounds in Brooklyn, NY. Madelyn is an advisory board member of the Bronx-based REDi Dance Company, in which she is also a collaborating dancer. She also works as a program manager and teaching artist for REDi Dance's educational programs, the Dance Bridge Workshop and Junior Company. Madelyn has worked in New York City schools for the past five years, teaching and assisting dance, drama, and music classes.