SEDA AYBAY
We are thrilled to announce that Seda Aybay will be teaching a masterclass at NYU Tisch Dance on April 11th!
Seda Aybay
Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, Seda Aybay founded Kybele Dance Theater (KDT) in Los Angeles in 2003 and as the Artistic Director and Choreographer, she has produced, choreographed and performed multiple works. Her choreography has received awards from 2018 Outstanding Choreographer Youth America Grand Prix -- Las Vegas, 2017 Outstanding Choreographer Youth America Grand Prix – Las Vegas, 2016 Second Place, McCallum Choreography Festival, 2016 First Place Front and Main Dance Festival, 2016 Outstanding Choreographer from Youth America Grand Prix – Los Angeles, 2015 Elite Original Choreography Award, Dance Under the Stars Festival, MAD BAD Festival, as well as the RAW 2011 Los Angeles Performing Artist Award. Seda’s works have been toured and presented in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Fresno, Fullerton, Concord, San Jose, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, New York, Temecula and Istanbul, Turkey. Kybele has been Presented by The Broad Stage, Las Vegas Clark County Libraries, Highways, Theátre Raymond Kabbaz, Temecula Theater, The Muckenthaler and more to sold out audiences. In 2018, Seda was invited to be in residency at USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance and was a recipient of the Marcus Residency at Washington University in St. Louis. Seda has choreographed and taught for Le Lyceé Français Los Angeles, Notre Dame Academy Los Angeles, Temecula Presents, Cal State Fresno (Residency), Santa Monica Collage, Front and Main Festival, LA Dance Festival, Cerritos College, Pierce College, Spectrum, Why Dance, Praxis Project, and LACSA. She has choreographed/ performed at the Staples Center four times and for commercial and music videos in both the US and Turkey. Seda was featured on KTLA channel 9, Univision Kmex34, and twice on Fox 11 News with her unique global perspective and eclectic dance background. She has also had several featured print articles appear in the US as well as in Turkey. Seda is currently producing new works for Kybele Dance Theater alongside teaching modern dance classes at Santa Monica College as an Adjunct Professor, Debbie Allen Dance Academy, Danceline LA and various dance intensives. Additionally, she prepares young students for Spotlight, Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP), Elite dance competitions as well as college dance auditions with both training as well as original choreography. Her students have been invited to perform her work numerous times at YAGP finals in New York, and won first place in Elite Dance resulting in her students receiving scholarships for various distinguished schools and intensive programs such as Alvin Ailey, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, Netherlands Dans and more.
Quotes:
"Kina has beautiful moments and extraordinary dancing."
– Jeff Slayton, LA Dance Chronicle
“... her sophisticated sense of movement counterpoint sustained interest in her formal patterning.”
– Lewis Segal, LA Times
“Aybay displayed choreographic flair and a cutting-edge sensibility.”
– Victoria Looseleaf, LA Times
“Seda is a poetic genius.”
– Jodie Gates, Vice Dean,
Director, Glorya Kaufman School of Dance
"Plunging squats, deeply arching backs and lush turns ..."
– Claudia La Rocco, New York Times
"Seda Aybay’s work is rich with movement, purpose and thought-provoking images."
– Jeff Slayton, LA Dance Chronicle
"... the movement was all so beautiful ..."
– Karen Salkin, itsnotaboutme.tv
"Kybele Dance Theater performed … for an entranced audience."
– Michael Ray, Santa Monica Mirror
"As each couple danced, you seemed to be watching a summary of a complex relationship swiftly, lightly impressed upon your consciousness."
– Lewis Segal, LA Times
"I have been to the westside’s Theatre Raymond Kabbaz on several occasions over the past few years, and I have never saw it so packed as it was for last week’s performance by Kybele Dance Theatre!!!"
– Karen Salkin, itsnotaboutme.tv