New Kyd
New Kyd (they/she) is a movement artist, DJ and sound artist based in Zürich. Born in the UK to Nigerian parents, Kyd’s practice has developed at the intersection of diasporic identity, ritual and experimental dance performance art. They hold a BA in Dance from the University of Roehampton; they examine / practice dance through a historical (social) lens and somatic movement practices.
Kyd’s artistic practice blends movement, sound and abstract storytelling through a hauntologist perspective. Their practice is rooted in modern, post-modern and somatically driven forms. Their work draws from tracing Yoruba cosmologies through contemporary muses, ritualised performances and postmodern dance philosophical thinking. Kyd approaches performance as a site of transmission. Through repetition, sonic experimentation and embodied research; ritual, memory and resistance/persistence are explored within contemporary performance contexts.
Their work explores themes of urban isolation, invisibility, opulence, desirability and spectral resistance within contemporary city life. They find stories, voices and muses which are drawn from dance history, supernatural stories, popular culture and ritual practice to create a fragmented yet intimate choreographic and sonic landscape. Their work sits at the intersection of postmodern dance, ritual and diasporic embodiment. Kyd confronts Western narratives of independence and visibility while addressing dance as a structural and political condition.
Schaupielhaus Zurich ensemble (2018 – 2020), Trajal Harrells, Zurich dance ensemble (2019 - present) and a resident accomplice artist at Tanzhaus Zürich from 2020. Their collaborations include artists such as Ligia Lewis, Wu Tsang, Paul Maheke, Jeremy Nedd, Akram Khan, Kandis Williams and Tiran Willemse. Kyd has presented at institutions including: Tanzhaus Zürich, Gessneralle, Berghain Halle (Berlin), Movement Research at the Judson Church (NYC), Cabaret Voltaire (ZH) and Museum Rietberg (ZH).
Kymbali Williams
Kymbali Williams is a multi-instrumentalist producer, composer, and interdisciplinary performance maker based between Estonia and Switzerland. Her practice explores the intersections of sound, movement, and audiovisual space, weaving together voice, lamentation, memory, and intercultural performance.
Central to her work are performative audio walks—site-specific aural performances that guide participants through urban landscapes via spoken word and multi-genre soundscapes. Rooted in psychogeography and embodiment research, these walks operate as a form of singing people through a city, transforming pedestrian routes into intimate listening experiences.
Ophelia Young
Ophelia Young was born in Harlem, New York City, and grew up in a village in Austria. After completing her Bachelor of Arts degree at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Ophelia danced full-time with the Tanztheater Wuppertal Pina Bausch for many years. From 2021 until the start of the 23/24 season at Ballet Basel, she is working internationally as a freelance performer and co-author. Since 2021, she has also been working as a rehearsal director for the Pina Bausch Foundation and its projects. Throughout her career, she has worked with Artmann&Duvoisin, Ben J. Riepe, Dimitris Papaioannou, Jorge Puerta Armenta, L Twills, Magdalena Weniger, Mertixell Aumedes, Mirjam Klebel, Nathalie Larquet, Rainer Behr, Saar Magal, Senga Nengudi, Studio Stefan Jovanović and Tim Etchells, among others.
Frances Chiaverini
Frances Chiaverini (Pittsburgh 1981) is a Juilliard alum, Performer, Director, and Choreographer working most recently with Pierre Huyghe, Trajal Harall, ,Bruch’- in Münich, and with William Forsythe and Anne Imhof in Frankfurt. She was a Resident Fellow at NYU’s Center for Ballet and the Arts in 2020 and Pact Zollverein Choreographic Center in Essen where she co-directed the creative platform WHISTLE which advocated for dancers’ safety and wellness. Her work has been supported by Stadt Frankfurt am Main Kulturamt and M2ACT Migros Kulturprozent in Zürich where she now lives with her 5 year old son.
