New York City Circus Festival

Sxip Shirey is an international composer, producer, sound artist, and sonic pioneer. His compositions, performances and curated evenings “Sxip’s Hour of Charm” established him as a fixture in New York’s underground art scene and internationally. He makes music, sound design and Foley for theater, dance and film. Shirey presented at TED, is a United States Artist Fellow, and has been artist curator and artist in residence at National Sawdust, Brooklyn. He was the composer and music director for the circus arts production “LIMBO”, produced by Melbourne based Strut N Fret Productions House and London based, Underbelly and South Bank Center. “LIMBO“ toured internationally (2013-2019) to critical acclaim, including Sydney Opera House, London’s Southbank Center, the Bogota International Theater Festival, and Madonna’s 57th Birthday Day party. Shirey teaches workshops in "Text and Object Oriented Composition" at Norwegian Theater Academy in Fredrickstad which he considers a contemporary Black Mountain College. His community-inclusive, immersive choral works, "The Gauntlet," developed with Coco Karol, have been created for Rockefeller Center, The Sydney Opera House, Bard College, Friends of the Highline, Cleveland Museum of Art, and virtually in 3D immersive sound for NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Center. He is a collaborator of singer, scholar, and song composer, Rhiannon Giddens, and released tracks together that include, “All Babies Must Cry,” “Woman of Constant Sorrow,” and “Just the Two of Us.”  Shirey composed for the short Neil Gaiman film "Statuesque" which premiered on Christmas Day on SKY TV, UK. Other compositional highlights include music for choreographer Morgan Thorsen’s “Still Life”, for choreographer Dan Safer’s “The One You Feed” at M.I.T., the Pearl D’Amour production "Ocean Filibuster" which premiered at A.R.T. in Boston, music for Little Amal’s visit with the artist SWOON’s Sibylant Sisters presented by Saint Anne’s Warehouse, and music and Foley for puppeteer Kate Brehm's "The Poacher" at Harvard University. He is currently working on a new 3D sound radio opera with co-composer Paola Prestini based on a play written by Winter Miller, "No One Is Left Behind." And is in pre-production for the film Sibylant Sisters, by the artist SWOON.

Bindlestiff Family Variety Arts, Inc., founded by Keith Nelson and Stephanie Monseu in 1995, prides itself on being an integral part of America’s outstanding folk traditions of circus, sideshow, and vaudeville.  Bindlestiff’s activities fall into three main areas. First, we produce original shows, festivals, and public events. Over the decades, Bindlestiff has presented nearly 600 of the world’s top artists in the circus and variety fields. Shows in  our home regions of NYC and the Hudson Valley, as well as national touring in the United States, have engaged audiences in the hundreds of thousands, with performances in theaters, Spiegeltents, big tops, cruise ships, fairs and festivals, including 2017’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival, celebrating the cultural heritage of the American circus on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

The second area of Bindlestiff’s work is support of emerging and professional variety artists. The Bindlestiff Open Stage Variety Show is the premiere circus “open mic” night of New York City, presenting acts by over 100 artists every year. Bindlestiff’s yearly First of May Award and Residency offers emerging NYC-based artists financial support and mentorship from Bindlestiff. Twice a year, Bindlestiff’s Cavalcade of Youth, produced in collaboration with Playful Productions, pairs young artists from diverse backgrounds interested in learning the craft and skills of circus and variety with professional mentors in the field, presenting public shows in New York City. 

And third, Bindlestiff provides high-quality circus arts education and enrichment opportunities. Free Out-of-School-Time and Elder programs serve people in the Hudson Valley and New York City by using circus arts training as a medium for social justice, community building, and youth development. Circus skill workshops are also offered with touring productions. Bindlestiff yearly develops and expand its educational programs with new partnerships, greater outreach, and continued professional development for instructors.

ABCirque is NYC’s premier contemporary circus, production, and events company, where artistry, community, and inclusivity take center stage.

From dynamic performances to supportive circus arts education, ABCirque creates opportunities for all ages and abilities to connect through the magic of the circus.

Hybrid Movement Company (HMC) began as a conversation in movement between artists from many backgrounds (contemporary ballet, Contemporary Circus, martial arts, bboying, visual arts, music and animation). HMC developed  a collaborative method which provides skilled artists with an opportunity to recognize and reframe themselves in each other and in space.

HMC's first presentation was in 2010 at Lincoln Center in collaboration with Antigravity and The Little Orchestra Society. Since then their work has appeared at City Center Theater in NY, the New Victory Theater, the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow RU and many more.

Dzul Dance fuses dance with aerial arts, contortion and acrobatics as a means to communicate indigenous, pre- Hispanic, Mexican and Latin culture as well as create bridges between contemporary art and historical heritage. By transforming bodies into earthbound and airborne forces of nature Dzul breaks physical and cultural boundaries. This daring and unique company connects the ancient and the modern in order to illuminate the vast array of drama and beauty inherent to the natural world and the human condition.

Isabella Diaz and Keaton Hentoff-Killian, lead artists from Company 29 present A Little Chunk, an excerpt of their coming production titled Natural Causes. A Little Chunk revolves around a singular goldfish's fight for survival in a swirl of contemporary circus, storytelling, and mischief.

Company 29 is at the forefront of a new wave of contemporary circus; reimagining the art form. Combining elements of acrobatics, dance and theatre, they create emotional experiences and powerful physical creations to challenge the audiences notions on what circus has the potential to be. 

Conceived & Directed by Monique Martin, Minty Fresh Circus is a US-based circus show performed by an all-Black cast, celebrating the healing power of Black music & movement, infused with the joy & resilience of those who traversed the transatlantic slave trade.

Grounded in Sankofa with an Afro-futuristic vibe, Minty Fresh Circus features movement, music, and circus arts in a time-bending journey of redemption. This evening's performance is an excerpt featuring Luciany Germán and Ian Robinson.

Inspired by abolitionist Harriet Tubman the central question in Minty Fresh Circus is: what does freedom feel & sound like if your only access to it is through your imagination? 

Bryant Park lends out hundreds of free blankets on a first-come, first-served basis, or bring your own cotton or fleece blanket. To protect the lawn, please do not sit on waterproof materials such as plastic tarps, yoga mats, or inflatable chairs. 

Take a seat in one of the pre-set chairs on the lawn or grab a chair from the gravel. You can use a chair anywhere in the park except for the center lawn "blanket zone". 

Bring your own picnic or purchase food and drinks from tents on the east side of the lawn. Attendees can enjoy cuisine from the five boroughs with a rotating line-up of artisanal vendors curated by Hester Street Fair.

Stout NYC also offers giant pretzels, gourmet popcorn and other light bites as well as a selection of beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverages for purchase.

Visit the Bryant Park Shop tent for exclusive Picnic Performances merchandise and more!

Find a parachute, hula hoops, and more fun on the east side of the lawn at select events. 

Dogs are welcome on the gravel and bluestone, but not on the lawn.

Performances are cancelled when it is unsafe to be outdoors. In some cases, the lawn may be too wet to open but the performance may continue. Follow @bryantparknyc on Twitter and Instagram for day-of event updates. You can also check the lawn status on the bryantpark.org homepage.