Alyssa Gersony

Alyssa Gersony (b.1990) is a Jewish-American interdisciplinary artist born in Rutland, Vermont whose ancestors immigrated from Riga, Latvia. Her upbringing was framed by an early exposure to western medical practices through her paternal grandfather, a pediatric cardiologist, and her maternal grandfather, a lifelong dairy farmer. This intergenerational context set the groundwork for Alyssa’s artistic research which embraces multiple epistemologies, primarily those of blind rehabilitation and choreography. Trained both as a contemporary dancer and orientation and mobility specialist, Alyssa regularly traverses ‘the clinic’ and ‘the studio.’ Across these spaces, Alyssa practices within western lineages of contact improvisation, medical models of disability therapeutics, interabled performance collaborations, and experimental prosthetics development. Her work takes the form of theatrical performances, electronic sound compositions, group workshops, 1:1 individual instruction, and multimedia installation. Alyssa has worked as a dancer and choreographer in NYC since 2012. Her solo performances have been presented by Movement Research at the Judson Church, Gibney Dance, Dixon Place, the Center for Performance Research, Triskelion Arts, the Actors Fund Art Center, Brooklyn Fire Proof, and Green Space. In addition to her solo practice, Alyssa has performed in collaborative ensemble projects with choreographers Keith Hennessy (USA), Inky Lee (DE), Moya Michael (BE), Christian Duarte (BR), Eileen Standley (USA), Mary Fitzgerald (USA) and Charlotte Adams (USA). She has had the pleasure of working as a performance research assistant to artists Jaamil Olawale Kosoko (USA), Thomas Lehmen (DE), and Grisha Coleman (USA). Alyssa holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Studies, with a focus in Choreography and Intermedia Performance. She was a 2021-2022 Fulbright awardee in dance research. Her work abroad has been supported by residencies at Mā Telpa and Laukku in Rīga. She is currently a 2022-2023 postgraduate artistic researcher at a.pass (advance performance and scenography studies) and an artist in residence at Hectolitre in Brussels, Belgium.