How choreographer Sidra Bell is blazing a trail for next generation

SHE CAUGHT ME MANY LESSONS, THE PERSEVERANCE AND PATIENCE, WHICH I'M STILL WORKING ON. NOW SHE IS BLAZING A TRAIL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION. >> I THINK DANCE WILL BE THE INTERSECTION OF MANY IDEAS. IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE JUST ONE WAY OF EXPRESSING THE BODY. IT'S SOCIAL. IT'S LANGUAGE. IT'S IDEAS SHIFTING IN SPACE. >> Reporter: SHE IS A CLASSICALLY TRAINED DANCER, CHOREOGRAPHER AND ARTIST. HER

AND I WAS LIKE, ARE YOU SERIOUS? WE DID IT AGAIN. >> AND YOU WERE THE LEAD. AGAIN IS SOMETHING A LOT OF STUDENTS HAVE SAID I SAY OFTEN. STUDENTS HAVE SAID I SAY OFTEN. AND I THINK I'M NEVER SATISFY ED >> Reporter: SIDRA'S JOURNEY LED HER TO MANY STAGES. DANCING UNDER THE LIGHTS AND DIRECTING MIND INGING FROM BEHIN CURTAIN. >> I WAS A SHY AND RESERVED

CHILD. ALWAYS FEELING A BIT LIKE AN OUTSIDER IN SOCIAL GROUPS. BUT MY PARENTS REALLY PUSHED ME INTO THOSE SPACES BECAUSE THEY KNEW I HAD A LOT TO SAY. >> Reporter: EVEN WITH 15 YEARS OF TRAINING, HER DREAMS WENT BEYOND PERFORMING. >> WHEN I WAS AT YALE UNIVERSITY, THERE WAS NOT A DANCE GROUP AT THE TIME. >> Reporter: SHE FOUNDED HER DANCE COMPANY SIDRA BELL DANCE NEW

YORK. AND SHE BEGAN HER SECOND ACT AS A CHOREOGRAPHER. WHEN WE WERE GROWING UP, THE ROOMS LOOKED A LITTLE DIFFERENT. THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOMS LOOKED A LITTLE DIFFERENT. >> I WAS IN BLACK-LED DANCE. THERE WAS ALWAYS FEMALE LEADERSHIP AND BLACK LEADERSHIP. EVEN WITHIN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS, THERE IS AN ADHERENCE TO A SPECIFIC WAY. FOR ME, IT IS LIKE A WHY NOT. LIKE WHY NOT HAVE A

BREAK DANCER IN THE ROOM WITH A BALLET DANCER? >> Reporter: NO 202IN 2021, SIDR HISTORY. BEING THE FIRST COMES WITH A LOT OF PRESSURE. >> UH-HUH. >> Reporter: WALK US THROUGH THAT CALL, THAT E-MAIL OF SAYING, YOU KNOW WHAT, THIS IS A BIG DEAL. >> SCREAMING ON THE INSIDE. I'VE HAD A FEW MOMENTS LIKE THAT. I HAVE BEEN VERY BLESSED IN MY CAREER TO HAVE SEVERAL

REALLY IMPORTANT MOMENTS. THERE ARE THESE MOMENTS THAT REALLY SHOCK YOUR SYSTEM AND MAKE YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH WORK YOU HAVE PUT IN. COMING OUT OF THE LINCOLN CENTER AND SEEING MY PARENTS WAITING FOR ME. JUST THE PRIDE THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS FOR ME WAS MORE OVERWHELMING THAN THE ACTUAL WORK. IT WAS THE BRINGING FORWARD OF THE COMMUNITY, THAT THIS NEEDED TO HAPPEN, IT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED,

THAT THEY WERE PART OF IT HAPPENING, THAT THEY WERE ALL PART OF THIS MOMENT. >> Reporter: OKAY. I HAVE THIS BRIGHT IDEA, MAYBE NOT SO BRIGHT ON MY BEHALF. BUT WHAT IF WE DANCED TOGETHER AGAIN? >> I WOULD LOVE THAT. >> Reporter: I'M EXCITED BUT ALSO NERVOUS. >> OKAY. WE'LL TAKE IT SLOW. >> Reporter: SIDRA'S MOVEMENTS ARE ABSTRACT AND PASSIONATE. SHE CALLS IT BALLET ON AXIS.

SOON I WAS NOT ONLY DANCING WITH MY FEET BUT WITH MY HEART AS WELL. >> RIGHT FOOT CHANGES, ELBOWS PUT TOGETHER, SHELF LOW TUCKING THE TAILBONE BACK. THIS TIME YOU ARE USING SOME OF THE SHAPES. >> Reporter: AND AFTER A POWERFUL SESSION TOGETHER, A FAMILIAR EXPERIENCE. OH, MY GOSH. I CAN'T BELIEF WE DID THE WHOLE THING. >> YOU DID REALLY WELL. AGAIN. >> HOW CUTE. >>

WORKING ON A NEW PIECE SET TO PREMIER NEXT YEAR AS A PART OF HER RESIDENCY AT THE BALLET. >> IT WAS SO COOL. >> I WAS WATCHING THE TAPE AND JUST GETTING EMOTIONAL BECAUSE I FORGET HOW POWERFUL MOMENT IS. WE CEREBRAL. IT WAS NICE TO GIVE BACK. >> I LOVE THAT. YOU WERE AT THE BALI. >> I SAW THAT. I WAS LIKE IT WAS SUCH AN

INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE.