Ariel Freedman was born in Philadelphia in 1983. After graduating from The Juilliard School, she danced in the companies of Mikhail Baryshnikov and Aszure Barton, followed by the Batsheva Ensemble and Company under the direction of Ohad Naharin. She has collaborated with such groups and artists as Roy Assaf, Talia Beck, the Cambrians, Charlotte Griffin, Kidd Pivot / Crystal Pite, Ella Rothschild, vAL / Corey Scott-Gilbert, Helen Simoneau, Bobbi Jene Smith, Meredith Webster, and Zoe | Juniper. Her own works include the community-based Mayagidu, a solo and duet as part of Suzanne Dellal Centre’s 1|2|3 program for emerging choreographers, and The Context, a commission for Roy Assaf Dance. She is a parent and an activist.

Photo credit: Justin Sorenson