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George Staib

George Staib is a Professor of Practice in the Emory University Department of Theater and Dance and is the artistic director of staibdance, a dance company dedicated to the intersections of movement, community, and culture. Staib began his dance training at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA, in conjunction with the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, then went on to earn an MFA in dance and choreography from Temple University. Further movement research led him to Israel, Sweden, and Italy to deepen his understanding of Gaga and release technique as well as the unbridled physicality of movement pioneers such as Iris Enez, Yasmeen Godder, and Noa Wortheim. Currently, his movement interests reside in blurring the line between process and performance, and he is interested in the notion of spontaneity as it relates to established material vs. improvised ideas. As a choreographer, Staib’s primary vehicle for dance-making is through staibdance, now in its 15th year. Staib’s work is often founded upon autobiographical stories, while being dedicated to unearthing their relatability among diverse populations.

Staib’s work has been commissioned across the US and abroad and has been awarded funding from The New England Foundation for the Arts, The Doris Duke Charitable Trust, the Latham Foundation, the Vail Family Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. In 2021, staibdance curated and produced the first-ever Atlanta Multicultural Dance Festival, created a summer intensive in Sorrento, Italy, now in its 11th year, and hosted a 10-part podcast series that features culturally based artists from across the country, now in its second season. That same year, staibdance was selected as one of five dance companies in the South to be awarded funding and participation within the Momentum Program, founded by South Arts. In the coming months, staibdance will be touring their latest work “fence” as well as begin work on a new piece, titled ARARAT, set to premiere in 2023. staibdance.com

Classes: Root Theory: Discoveries Beyond Technique & Repertory and Performance
Photo by Daley Kappenman