JoAnna Mendl Shaw

JoAnna Mendl Shaw JoAnna Mendl Shaw is a choreographer and teacher whose work stretches the boundaries of traditional dance. Establishing her early dance career in NYC, Shaw went on to complete an MFA at The University of Utah, teach, tour and... [more]

JoAnna Mendl Shaw JoAnna Mendl Shaw is a choreographer and teacher whose work stretches the boundaries of traditional dance. Establishing her early dance career in NYC, Shaw went on to complete an MFA at The University of Utah, teach, tour and perform with the Seattle based Bill Evans Dance Company, teach on the faculty at Cornish Institute and direct her own Seattle company, Danceworks Northwest. She moved back to NYC in 1991, taught on the faculty at NYU/Tisch, Princeton University and Montclair State. Her completion of a certification in Laban Movement Analysis lead to extensive teaching and choreographing for athletes. Shaw has choreographed for ice dancers, in line skaters, gymnasts and equestrians, created five choreographic commissions for Ice Theatre of New York and has consulted on choreography for Olympic skaters David Liu and Surya Bonaly. Shaw taught choreography intensives for the Swiss Gymnastics Federation and served as chief consultant on the creation of the official STV choreographic training In 1998 Shaw began investigating the merger of dance and equestrian artistry and in 1999 formed The Equus Projects, a company of NYC based dancers who work in collaboration with high-level equestrians throughout the country to create performance works for dancers, horses and equestrians. Merging the worlds of arts and athletics, The Equus Projects has produced full evening performance works for arts and equine venues, performed with live orchestras and trained with internationally recognized equestrians. Shaw currently teaches Composition on the faculty at The Juilliard School and teaches Improvisation, Composition and Choreography in the Ailey/Fordham BFA program. [show less]