Faculty

Profile

I am now, and have always been, fascinated with movement, and the possibilities for self-expression and communication that movement holds for us. What can choreography say that verbal language cannot? How does movement give us subtext, in order to enhance our understanding of the world around is? These are the questions that my students and I explore at length. I have also always loved the magic and beauty in the world of the theater, and am constantly rewarded in sharing and discovering this anew with my students. “For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.” T.S. Eliot

My professional training began at the Interlochen Arts Academy, followed by studies at The Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Earning a BFA from The Juilliard School was a natural choice for me, as my interest in collaborating with live music led me to want to study at an institution where I could fully mine those possibilities. More recently I received an MFA from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. I have performed and toured throughout the world as a principal dancer with Momix (1990 to 1996) and Pilobolus (1996 to 2002). In 1996 I founded my own company, Rebecca Stennn Company, and since then we have toured to over 50 cities nationally and internationally, garnering excellent critical and popular response. I continue to produce yearly New York City seasons with the company and look forward to international tours each summer, as the company carries on our quest of broadening the boundaries and blurring the distinctions between the disciplines of dance, live music and more recently, explorations with film and projected images.

Degrees Held

BFA, The Juilliard School;
MFA, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Professional Affiliation

• Princeton University - Lecturer at Lewis Center of the Arts 
• Dartmouth College - Choreographer in Residence of the Dartmouth Dance Ensemble 
• The Juilliard School - Choreographer, Center for Innovation in the Arts
• Momix Dance Theater
• Pilobolus Dance Theater
• Rebecca Stenn Company
• Vision Into Art 
• Lincoln Center Open Stages Program
• The Joyce Theater - Teaching Artist
• National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts - Dance Mentor and Choreographer
• New Orleans Ballet Association
• Manhattanville College – Visitng Artist in Residence (2010)
• Stockton College – Visitng Artist in Residence (2012)
• Montclair State University - winner of New Works Initiative Award, Artist in Residence (2013)
• Keene State - Artist in Residence (2014)
• University of Wisconsin, Alumni Award winner, Artist in Residence (2014)

Recent Publications

A Life In Dance: A Practical Guide by Rebecca Stenn and Fran Kirmser, released summer 2017

https://www.amazon.com/Life-Dance-Practical-Guide/dp/1542982359/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1505247415&sr=1-1&keywords=a+life+in+dance

Performances and Appearances

Choreography for the opera Cracked Orlando, premiered at The Juilliard School, Center for Innovation in the Arts, March 2017

New York City Season, Rebecca Stenn Company, Gowanus Loft, July 12-15, 2018

Hopkins Center for the Arts, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH - choreography for Petroushka, collaboration between the Dartmouth Symphony Orchestra and Dartmouth Dance Ensemble

Research Interests

I am interested in looking at modern dance as a reflection of culture and our time, and improvisation as it relates to our perception and interaction with the world at large.  Choreography is a means of furthering our understanding of the world around us and the inquiry and study of dance making as a serious art form holds constant interest and excitement for me.

Awards And Honors

• National Endowment for the Arts Grants
• New York State Council for the Arts Grant
• American Music Center Grants
• Resident Artist Grant from The Joyce Theater Foundation
• University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee – Alumni Award
• Montclair State University - New Works Initiative Award
• Jewish Community Center, Stryer Family Fund Award