CLYMENE ALDINGER
CLYMOVE FOUNDER & ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Clymene Aldinger, MA, LMHC (NY, NY) originally from Jacksonville, Florida, graduated with a BFA in Dance and with an Honors Award for Distinction in Choreography from The Ailey School/Fordham University in 2002. During her time at The Ailey School, under the direction of Denise Jefferson and Ana-Marie Forsythe, she performed for numerous acclaimed choreographers and apprenticed with Sean Curran Company. Clymene then spent several years as dance faculty, teaching and choreographing for Douglas Anderson School of the Arts in Jacksonville, Florida, and remains on faculty as a guest artist (DASOTA is also Clymene’s alma mater, where she has been honored with several prestigious awards) . Clymene graduated with a MA in Mental Health Counseling from Rollins College in 2006, and worked as a Specialist in Student Counseling at the University of Central Florida Counseling Center until her move back to NY in 2009. At both universities, in addition to providing individual psychotherapy, Clymene developed and facilitated racial/social justice, leadership, and community engagement programs, as well as psychoeducational workshops and group therapy. She is currently a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the State of New York in private practice: Artist Within, Psychotherapy for Artists & Creative Professionals since 2009.
Clymene performed with Elisa Monte Dance for eight years. Elisa Monte Dance was a critically acclaimed dance company in New York City that toured domestically and internationally for forty years. Clymene joined the company as a Lead Dancer and performed as Principal Dancer for seven years until her retirement in June 2017. One of her favorite performances was her first professional tour to Italy and Luxembourg in 2010, where she performed for the Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg/Royal Family. In her time with the company, she performed 20 of Elisa Monte's choreographic works, including Monte’s seminal Treading. Clymene acknowledges Elisa Monte as a lifelong mentor and enjoys the esteemed position of Rehearsal Assistant, aiding her in teaching and setting choreography all over the world. Most notably, Clymene assisted Monte in setting Treading on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater for its season at New York City Center (2024-25) and will continue to share this iconic repertory with other acclaimed dance companies. She has also set Pigs & Fishes at the California Institute of the Arts (2017) and on her own company, CLYMOVE (2024). Clymene regularly teaches and performs in Bali, Thailand, China, Florida and NYC.
She is the Founder and Artistic Director of CLYMOVE Dance, Inc., a 501(c)(3) nonprofit established in Brooklyn, NY in 2021. The company premiered her first evening-length production Femmenisto Chapter One in December 2021, followed by a second annual NYC season in December 2022, Hert; both received full house standing ovations. May 2023, the company embarked on its inaugural gala honoring Elisa Monte and established the Elisa Monte Leadership Legacy Award. This two-evening engagement earned the title of “The Dance Enthusiast - TOP PICKS Dance Events in New York City”, enjoyed a sold out fundraising success, and received a standing ovation plus a rave review from New York Theatre Wire. CLYMOVE has twice been featured on the Dance Data Project, first for its status as a female-led company and more recently in recognition of its successful 2024 gala that honored Sarita Allen and celebrated women’s mentorship. CLYMOVE has received glowing reviews from publications such as The Dance Enthusiast, Broadway World, New York Theater Wire, and Orlando Weekly.
Clymene’s artistic talents and achievements extend beyond dance and choreography. She also holds a MA in Performance Studies from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts. She has enjoyed acting roles alongside of her dance career. Her most notable theatrical roles include Sarah in The Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Interactive Sing-Along Screening of Jim Henson’s Labryrinth (New York premiere, hosted by Heather Henson, 2012) and the Third Witch in Macbeth at the Classical Theatre of Harlem (2016). Off the stage, Clymene is the co-author of a comic book series, Drawn In: The Adventures of Jamo Lady and Magners Man, and the children’s book, Pixie Love, an imaginative story about learning to find love within one’s self. Lastly, in addition to the birth of a new dream, forming her own dance company and exploring her choreographic vision, Clymene is a proud mother of two (ages three and six).