Stefanie Nelson is the artistic director of Stefanie Nelson Dance Group, a contemporary dance company based in New York City. Since it’s inception in 2000, SNDG has been presented internationally in Toronto, Canada and throughout Italy. In Florence, the company performed to sold-out audiences at the renowned Fabbrica Europa Festival in 2004 and 2005, the Corpo al Corpo Series at the Florence Dance Center, and the Florence Winter Dance Festival @ the historic Teatro Goldoni; in Genoa the company was presented at the Corpi Urbani Festival and Teatro G. Modena in collaboration with Italian company Lische; in Lucca at Sala del Teatro and Teatro del Giglio; and in Prato at the festival OnStage @ Cantiere Culturali - Ex-Macelli. Nationally, the company has been presented in New York at the 92nd St. Y, Bowery Ballroom (with off-broadway’s smash success BETTY RULES!), Dance Theater Workshop, Debaun Auditorium @ Stevens Institute, Fieldston Ethical Culture School, Gowanus Arts Exchange, Hostos Cultural Center, Joe’s Pub, Jose Limon Institute, New York University, Pier 63, Rockland Community College, Stella Adler Conservatory, University Settlement, Washington Square United Methodist Church, Williamsburg Arts Nexus-WAX; and in Nashua, NH at the Academy of Movement.
Recent performances include the CYBER ARTS festival (Boston, MA), the premiere of Out of Wonderland at Dance New Amsterdam (NY, NY) on June 7 – 9 where Stefanie is an artist in residence, LaMama Moves – Motion Makers festival (NY, NY, and Mamapalooza, which featured a live broadcast of Stefanie Nelson and dancer Jennifer Sydor live on ABC-TV. A new work has been commissioned for the Bessie Shoenberg Choreographers residency at The YARD (Martha’s Vineyard, MA) this summer from August 20 – September 16. Excerpts from Out of Wonderland will be presented at the Solar One festival (NY, NY) July 26-28 and at Lincoln Center Out of Doors on August 21 (NY, NY).
Independent choreographic projects include a featured tango scene in Plan-B, a feature film starring Diane Keaton produced by Half-Moon entertainment, and The FIRES, a rock musical produced by Cardona Inc. Stefanie’s choreography for “Cocoon” won a first place award at northeast choreography competition, DTI, and she was the subject of an in-depth, live radio interview (www.ciut.fm at the University of Toronto). Stefanie’s essay about her solo EMERGE was recently published in Rome, Italy in the book ‘Resti di Scena’ written by Italian critic, Paolo Ruffini.
The company has received numerous awards and distinctions and has taught workshops in New York, New Hampshire and Lucca, Italy. We thank the following for their financial support: The Massachusetts Cultural Council, The Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust Live Music for Dance Program, American Express Co., J.P. Morgan Chase Foundation, The Duke Energy Foundation, Johnson & Johnson, The New York Times, Safe Horizon Inc., Sony Music, World of the Walking Stick; and David Leach Photography, Elizabeth Arden Red Door Salon, Etoile Toy Visual Arts, Florence Dance Center (ongoing space grant while the company is in Italy), Harkness Space Grant @ the 92nd Street Y, Jarvis Recording Studios, Movado Watch Company, 17 Corporation, and Sony Recording Studios for their in-kind donations!!
Stefanie has danced with Anna Sokolow’s Players Project, Thoughts In Motion, Isabel Gotzkowsky and Friends, Perspectives In Motion, Randy James Dance Works, Wendy Osserman Dance Company, and Sensedance. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. in English and Psychology where she studied dance primarily with JuMay Chu and June Finch and from The Fieldston Ethical Culture School where she studied dance and composition under the direction of Alice Teirstein.
Her choreography has been set on students at The Fieldston Ethical Culture School, New York, NY (9/05-1/06) and at Scuola Fuoricentro, Lucca, Italy where she taught Contemporary Dance from 9/04- 5/05, Stefanie has taught Contemporary Dance at The University of Korea, Seoul, Korea, 3/98, as assistant to Lorry May (Artistic Director of Anna Sokolow’s Players’ Project), The Academy of Movement, Nashua, NH (9/95). She taught Creative Movement at The Columbia Grammar School where she was on faculty from 1994-2002, and for the outreach program, Education in Dance from 1994-1997. She is currently teaching Creative Movement to toddlers in Harlem.
Company collaborators include Andrea Ferrara (composer, electronic music), Daniel Bernard Roumain (composer, musician), the Howard Fishman Quartet, John Price (filmmaker), Justin Randolf Thompson (visual artist), Lisea Lyons (costume designer), Maria Rosaria Busia (costume designer), Nell Breyer (media artist), and Philip Lees (composer, musician).
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