Welcome to our “Sunday Spotlight” series, where we recognize many of the incredible artists who have been awarded by the Princess Grace Foundation-USA.
With this “Sunday Spotlight,” we aim to amplify innovative female-identifying choreographers in our creative community. Masters of movement, these choreographers have crafted pieces for dance companies, festivals, gallery installations, as well as film, television, and theatrical productions. We are excited to introduce them to you in today's feature.
We are also thrilled to share that Applications for the 2022 Princess Grace Awards are available until February 15. Learn more about the application process here.
Claudia Schreier
Choreography, 2018
Lauded as mixing neoclassical technique with a contemporary vocabulary, Claudia has choreographed over 40 works, which have been commissioned by American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, Juilliard Opera, New York Choreographic Institute, among others. She is currently the Choreographer in Residence at Atlanta Ballet, and her first piece for the organization was named a Standout Performance of 2019 by Pointe Magazine. Catch Claudia at Boston Ballet’s female-led program, ChoreograpHER, March 3-12, 2022.
Zoe Scofield
Choreography, 2011
A 2015 Guggenheim Fellow, Zoe creates performances involving photography and video installation. Since 2005, she has collaborated with Juniper Shuey and is the co-Artistic Director of Zoe / Juniper Dance Company. Her work has been presented at Jacob’s Pillow, Institute of Contemporary Art Boston, Columbia College Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and New York Philharmonic, among others. Additionally, Zoe runs FORM/S, a creative workshop for artists in the visual and performing arts to teach.
Robyn Mineko Williams
Choreography 2013
The Kennedy Center, Harris Theater for Music and Dance, Jacob’s Pillow, American Dance Festival, The Joyce Theater, and the MCA Chicago. These are just some of the places Robyn has presented her work. Before her career as a choreographer, Robyn spent 17-years as a dancer at Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and River North Dance Company. She is currently the founder and director of Robyn Mineko Williams and Artists. Keep an eye out for Robyn’s choreography in the upcoming film Where You Stay, commissioned by Seattle Dance Collective.
Dormeshia
Dance, 1994
Hailed by the New York Times as the “queen of tap,” Dormeshia has been a tap dancer since the age of three and made her Broadway debut at age 12 in Black and Blue. She has appeared in numerous productions both on- and off-Broadway. You can even spot her on U.S. Postage Stamps in the Forever collection showcasing tap dance! Her choreography credits include the music video Rock My World, And Still You Must Swing, as well as pieces for the Sophisticated Ladies, Apollo Club Harlem, and Michelle Dorrance’s The Blues Project.
Penny Saunders
Choreography, 2016
Now an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The University of Utah School of Dance, Penny launched her career in choreography upon winning the International Commissioning Project in 2011. She then began creating pieces for BalletX, Cincinnati Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Whim W’Him, among others. In the coming months, Penny has residences in California, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, as well as collaborations with Art Emotion/Ballet West, Nashville Ballet, Diablo Ballet, Eugene Ballet, Dayton Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Dance Aspen, and Ballet Idaho.
Interested in learning more about all of our Award Winners?
Visit us at www.pgfusa.org/award-winners
The Princess Grace Foundation-USA is dedicated to upholding the legacy of Her Serene Highness Princess Grace of Monaco, (neé Grace Kelly) and elevating extraordinary emerging artists in theater, dance and film through career-advancing grants. Through annual unrestricted support, the Princess Grace Awards program recognizes creative generators (animators, theater directors, designers, playwrights, choreographers, filmmakers, etc.) and performance-based creatives (actors, dancers, etc.).
Cover image of Dormeshia provided by Sabrina Santiago for The New York Times
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