05.06.2023 / Dayton Daily News
Dancer-choreographer embraces joy, new opportunities
“Jennifer Sydor began dancing at the Dayton Ballet at the age of 11 , where it was “love at first sight.” She was Clara in Dayton Ballet’s first production of “The Nutcracker” in 1993. Sydor’s family arrived in Dayton by way of Iran. Before the Iranian Revolution, her father came to study at Ohio University, where he met her mother. Tragically, Sydor’s father died in a helicopter accident in 1985. Raised by a single mother and grandparents in North Dayton and attending Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School, Sydor felt most at home in the ballet studio, making forever friends and fostering her lifelong love affair with dance.”
02.05.2023 / Dayton Daily News
Dayton Ballet celebrates 85th season
“…Her [Jennifer Sydor] work, “I’ll Meet You There,” is based on the Tibetan tradition of the “bardo,” a space between death and the next life/rebirth.
“In the work there are eight souls that find themselves in the bardo at the same time,” said Sydor. “They are reflecting on their past life and reflecting on their next life. One woman in particular starts to notice another woman and they discover a soul connection. This work was also collaborative. Much of the movement the audience will see came from the dancers. I wanted to create a collaborative, intimate environment with them. I wanted them to put their own identity into the movement.”
02.18.2022 / Aljazeera
Where one Ohio town wants Biden’s Build Back Better funds to go
“…Dayton native Jennifer Sydor moved to New York City in 2002 and until recently lived there, working at Rutgers University and dancing for the Metropolitan Opera. But when the pandemic hit New York in March 2020, she and her family decided to leave their one-bedroom Brooklyn flat behind and shelter in place with Sydor’s mother in Dayton. Six months later the family moved back permanently to Ohio.”
“Sydor says she has been pleasantly surprised by the city’s “rich dance community”.
But there are still problems that plague the area, she said, like segregation. Sydor believes encouraging more people to come downtown would help push the needle on solving that pernicious problem.”
10.20.2021 / The Dayton Daily News
Dayton Opera, Dayton Ballet kick off new seasons
“The inspiration for her [Jennifer Sydor’s] piece “Causeway” is taken from the intricate mirror embedded sculptures of Iranian artist, Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian. “She pairs Western Abstraction with Iranian cut glass mosaic techniques that reflect, dance and draw one in,” explains Sydor. “The labyrinthine geometry of her work brings one into a meditative state, allowing the interiority of our consciousness to come forth.”
Sydor is hoping to add to the “extraordinary and vibrant arts community” of Dayton. “With the opening of The Arcade, I envision unification between arts organizations to create multi-dimensional performance experiences, workshops, collaborations and even monthly meetings in which artists can share ideas with each other. For a mid-sized city, Dayton’s art scene is impressive and deserves to continue to thrive.”
04.18.2019 / Dance Spirit
How dancers can bounce back after rejection
“In her senior year at Butler University, Jennifer Sydor auditioned for more than a dozen regional ballet companies—and got a string of “no, thank you” responses. “I have an athletic build, and my movement quality isn’t the typical ballet aesthetic,” Sydor says. “But I’d been laser-focused on ballet. When I didn’t get a ballet contract, I was heartbroken.”
Sydor has danced with the Metropolitan Opera, toured with the electropop band Fischerspooner, and worked in film and television. “Being rejected early on opened me up to the different ways I could define my career,” Sydor says. “The most important thing is perseverance. If you stay connected to why you love dance, you can transcend rejection and keep going.”
02.17.2017 / Dance Well Podcast
Episode 82: COVID-19": The Dancer’s Perspective
“We've heard from the dance medicine and science community on a variety of topics related to the COVID-19 pandemic. On this episode, we turn our attention to our dancers to ask how they've been doing during this past year as the dance world has been put on pause.
Thank you to Alexandra Carter @alliegcarter, Jennifer Sydor @jensydor, Sofia Blasco @thedancermovement & www.thedancermovement.com, and Alexa Torres for sharing your experiences on this episode of DanceWell!”
07.25.2009 / The Boston Globe
REVELATIONS AND A CELEBRATION
“Opening the show were two short confections in a similar vein, a rollicking excerpt from “Wayfare’’ expanded from Lorraine Chapman’s solo into a quintet, and “Show Business,’’ given a dazzling performance by Jennifer Sydor. As she whips through fleet footwork and sharp fouettes, she dramatically basks in the spotlight, her gestures mimicking some of the sentiments of the lyrics.”
02.10.2007 / The New York Times
Walking on Eggshells in a World of Traumas
“The dazed solo that opens this 80-minute piece, set to an atmospheric electronic score by Kristin Norderval, performed live, establishes Ms. Sigman as a slight, unkempt figure on an unerring path through a disorderly world. She is set upon by four other performers: Toby Billowitz, Donna Costello, Hilary Maia Grubb and Jennifer Sydor, all remarkable for their intense focus and vivid dramatic skill.”