Stephen Petronio
Choreographer
“The most appealing thing about Stephen Petronio’s choreography has always been its raw New York energy. Almost more than any other US choreographer whose work we regularly see over here, Petronio taps into the mania of the downtown New York scene.”
The Times, London
Stephen Petronio (Artistic Director/Choreographer), was born in Newark, New Jersey, and received a B.A. from HampshireCollege in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he began dancing in 1974. Initially inspired by the dancing of Rudolf Nureyev and Steve Paxton, Petronio become the first male dancer of the Trisha Brown Company, (1979 to 1986). He founded Stephen Petronio Company in 1984 and has since received international acclaim for the development of his unique movement language and ground-breaking choreography.
Petronio has collaborated with visual artists Cindy Sherman, Anish Kapoor, Donald Baechler, Stephen Hannock, Justin Terzi, Charles Atlas, Tal Yarden and Trisha Fox; composers Rufus Wainwright, Laurie Anderson, Lou Reed, Michael Nyman, James Lavelle, Wire, Diamanda Galás, Sheila Chandra, Lenny Pickett, Radiohead, and on numerous works with David Linton; fashion designers Rachel Roy, Tara Subkoff/Imitation of Christ, Leigh Bowery, Manolo, Paul Compitus and Tanya Sarne/Ghost; and long time collaborator and Resident Lighting Designer Ken Tabachnick.
Petronio has been awarded choreography fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts from 1985 to 1988, and company grants from the NEA and the New York State Council on the Arts since 1988. He is also the recipient of numerous awards including a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, awards from the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, a New York Foundation for the Arts award, the first American Choreographer Award in 1987, and a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie) in 1986. He has created over 30 works for his company as well as been commissioned by some of the worlds most prestigious ballet and modern companies including: William Forsythe’s Frankfurt Ballet (1987), Tulsa Opera (1990), Deutsche Oper Berlin (1992), Lyon Opera Ballet (1994), the Maggio Danza Florence (1996), Ricochet Dance Company of London (1998, 2001, 2005), Axis Dance Company (2002), CanDoCo in London (2003), Sydney Dance Company (2003, full evening), and Norrdans in Sweden (2005).
His Company works have been set on Scottish Ballet (2003), Charleroi Danses (1993), Norrdans (2004), London Contemporary Dance Company (2001), Chamber Dance Company (2001), X Factor Dance Company (2005), and Tasdance (1994, 1983) among others.
In 2006, Petronio major repertory works were set on Ballet National de Marseille, Ballet Lorraine and two works for London Contemporary Dance Company. Additionally, new works were created for Norrdans and Washington Ballet.
Petronio has worked with Scottish Ballet on the acclaimed Ride the Beast, set to the music of Radiohead. The production was premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival and exerpts are featuring in the Company's Autumn and Summer tours.