MIRAH KELLC MORIARTY

**+ years of professional experience in the field of dance

E-mail: abn68m@r.postjobfree.com

Website: http://www.dancemonks.com

HIGHER EDUCATION

BA Individualized Studies with a focus in Dance Education, Goddard College Graduate (VT)

BFA Studies in Dance and Visual Arts, Oberlin College (OH)

European School for New Dance Development (SNDO) Semester Abroad, Amsterdam Holland

Formal training (12+ years) in Contemporary Dance and Performance with renowned

teachers including: Release Technique, Partnering Skills, Improvisation, Site-specific Performance,

Dance Theater, Skills in Composition, Somatics and bodywork, Gymnastics, and Traditional

Dances of Africa and the Carribbean with Master teachers. (*Please see the last page of resume

for a complete list of studies.)

DANCE COMPANIES

DANCE MONKS (NY/Mexico) Co-founding director (2000-present)

Jess Curtis/GRAVITY (San Francisco/Berlin) Guest Artist (2008)

PEARSON WIDRIG DANCE THEATER (NYC) Company Member (1996-2001) &

Guest Artist (2001-present)

David Dorfman Dance (NYC) Guest Performer (1993, 1996, 1998)

Meredith Monk (NYC) Invited Guest (1997)

Cradle to Grave Arts/ Working Ground, Multi-generational company (VT)

Company Member (1993-1997)

SELECTED TEACHING HISTORY

TEACHING RESIDENCIES AT UNIVERSITIES & DANCE CENTERS

Danza Tupac Teaching Residency. Lima, Peru (2012)

Universidad Veracruzana (University of Veracruz) Teaching Residency. Xalápa, Mexico (2012)

Espacio Abierto, Teaching Residency. Mexico City (2012)

X Espacio Teaching Residency. Mexico City (2012)

Dance Intensive. Playa del Carmen and Cancún, Mexico (2012)

Tumákát Espacio del Arte Teaching Residency. Merída, Mexico (2012)

Bard College Guest Artists, NY (2011)

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Connecticut College Teaching and Performance residency with PWDT (2011)

Universidad de las Americas Puebla (University of the Americas) Teaching Residency, Puebla,

Mexico (2010)

Goddard College Teaching & Performance Residency (2009)

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts Teaching Residency (2001 & 2009)

University of California at Berkeley Teaching Residency (2007)

ODC Commons San Francisco, Dance Faculty (2007-9)

Studio 303 Montreal, Teaching Residency (2004 & 2006)

Middlebury College Dance and Theater Department VT, Master Class (2005)

Stanford University Research Study Department CA, Teaching Artist (2004)

Middlebury College Summer Language Institute Featured Guest Artist (2004)

Universidad Ibero Americana (IberoAmericana University) Teaching Residency, Mexico City (2003)

University of Maryland, Teaching and Performance residency with PWDT (2001)

Jardin de las Esculturas (Sculpture Garden Performance Gala) Mexico, Master Class (2001)

Universidad Veracruzana (University of Veracruz) Teaching Residency. Xalapa, Mexico (2000)

Keene State College, Teaching and Performance Residency with PWDT (2000)

TEACHING RESIDENCIES AT FESTIVALS

Encuentro de Danza, Querétero, Mexico (2012)

Queen College Summer Dance Festival, NY (2011)

BODY & SOUND Festival Curator, San Fransisco (2010)

Midsummer Arts Festival, NY (2009 & 2010)

Festival de Nova Vitta Featured International Artist, Mexico City (2010)

Summer Dance, NY (2007 & 2008 & 2009 & 2010)

San Francisco Summer Dance Intensive, SF (2006)

CounterPULSE Contact Dance Festival, SF (2006)

TEACHING RESIDENCIES AT SCHOOLS & COMMUNITY OUTREACH PROGRAMS

The Vanaver Caravan Institute Year-long Teaching Position, NY (2011)

High Meadow School, NY (2011)

Marbletown Multi-Arts (MaMA), NY(2011)

Mountain Laurel School, NY (2011)

Berkeley Arts Magnet THE GREEN PROJECT, Co-Founder of Environmental Education through the

Arts program, CA (2010)

Highland Elementary School THE GREEN PROJECT, Invited back for another year due to its

success (2008-09)

Berkeley High School Teaching Residency, CA (2009)

Colegio Madrid (Madrid College) Guest Faculty, Mexico City (2004)

Academia Mexicana de la Danza (The Mexican Academy of Dance) Faculty, Mexico City(2003)

Centro de Movimiento (Movement Center) Founding co-director; educational outreach for

children with disabilities and senior citizens (2001-2002)

La Batuta Escuela de Musica (Batuta School of Music) Cuernavaca Mexico, (2000)

Memorial Auditorium, (1995)

Jornada Cultural CIE Sur Faculty, Mexico City (1993)

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SELECTED PERFORMANCE HISTORY

DANCE MONKS, Performer & Director with Co-founder, Rodrigo Esteva

FAEL Festival de Artés Escenicas, Lima Perú (2012)

MAMA Marbletown Multi-Arts, NY (2012)

UNISON Arts, NY (2011)

Centro Cultural Viniculart (Viniculart Culture Center) Tlayacapan, Mexico (2010)

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, Massachusetts (2010)

Berkeley Arts Magnet, CA (2010)

Green Music Network: The Cave Series, CA (2010)

KUNST STOFF arts, San Francisco (2010)

Festival de Nova Vitt (Nova Vitt Dance Festival), Mexico City (2010)

BODY & SOUND Festival, San Francisco (2010)

Universidad de las Americas Puebla (University of the Americas), Mexico (2010)

Midsummer Arts Festival, NY (2009 & 2010)

OPUS 40, NY (2009)

Goddard College, VT (2009)

Highland Elementary School, CA (2007 & 2009)

NOHSpace, San Francisco (2008)

CounterPULSE, San Francisco (2006)

Universidad IberoAmericana, Mexico City (2004)

Escuela Madrid, Mexico City (2003)

Teatro de la Danza (Theater of Dance), Mexico City (2003)

Universidad IBeroAmericana, Mexico City (2002)

Sala Miguel Covarruvias Universidad Nacional, Mexico City (2002)

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts Outside Moves Inside Festival (2001)

Casa de Cultura Coatepec, Mexico (2001)

La Casa de los Ancianos, Mexico (2001)

Festival Internacional de la Danza (International Dance Festival), Mexico City (2000)

Jardin de las Esculturas, Mexico (2000 & 2001)

La Batuta School of Music, Mexico (2000)

PEARSON/WIDRIG DANCE THEATER (NY) Company member

Connecticut College, CT A Curious Invasion (2011)

L/A Arts, ME HereAfter (2001)

Keene State College, NH HereAfter (2000)

Virginia Commonwealth University, VA HereAfter (2000)

Portland Museum of Art, ME A Curious Invasion (2000)

The Joyce Theater, NY HereAfter (2000)

The Judson Church, NYC Beginning to Begin (2000)

Kennedy Center Millennium Stage, DC Ordinary Festivals (2000)

Grace Street Theater HereAfter (2000)

Festival Internacional de Danza ContemporaNea Lima, Peru Ordinary Festivals (1999)

Bates Dance Festival A Curious Invasion (1999)

Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors Festival, NY Ordinary Festivals (1999)

Danspace Project at Saint Mark's Church, NY (1999)

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The Wagon Train Project, NE If Wishes Were Horses, Beggars Would Ride (1998)

WORKING GROUND DANCE-THEATER, Company member

The Waterfront Project, 10 hours of daily performance for 10 days on the waterfront, Guest

performer (1999)

The Bakery Project, A site-specific performance and visual installation with flour and wheat

growing in the floorboards (1998)

The Mill Project, 10 hours of daily performance for 10 days in an old mill building with oral history

recordings of mill workers (1994-5)

HISTORY OF WORKS

Gallery of works: http://www.dancemonks.com/DM/Gallery.html

MURU (2012) (Signifies Endless Dream in Japanese & Seed in Quechua)

Teatro Municipal, Lima Peru

A multi-media collaboration with Rodrigo Esteva at the Grand Re-inauguration of Teatro Munipal in

with video projections and live music by experimental violinist Pauchi Sasaki (Peru/Japan) and Dohee

Lee (Korea/SF).

FAEL Festival de Artes Escenicas, Lima Peru (2012) Invited back to close this international festival, due

to its' success in February

EMBERS (2011)

Beltane Festival, NY

A commissioned contemporary work for internationally traveled folk company, The Vanaver Caravan,

focusing on high impact partnering and integrating acrobatics into quality performance.

HANG RHAPSODY (2009)

GMN The Cave Series Site-specific performance, CA

Directed by Laura Inserra

A choreography for eight dancers, including Melecio Estrella (from Joe Goode Performance Group)

and Christine Bonansea (of La Alternativa Kathleen Hermesdorf), this piece was performed in a man

made cave overlooking theGolden Gate bridge with ten musicians playing the new instrument, hang.

ROAD TO REMEMBRANCE (2009)

Goddard College, VT

A visual installation and solo performance whereby the entire gallery, both the walls and ceilings, were

covered in sheets of paper to create the sense of a large paper nomad tent. Words from the written

thesis Body as Home: Sensing my way back to the Roots were typed in a line throughout the gallery and

the solo was performed with a sound score by Pauchi Sasaki.

GREEN: Community Portraits (2008)

Premiered at Highland Elementary School, CA (2008)

A multi-media environmental performance project created with a multigenerational public collecting

their personal stories in nature and oral history of how the land has changed over the years. The

project culminated in a Green tour whereby all props were brought via bike trailer, costumes were

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made of recycled materials and there was a tree planting ceremony for the entire school.

Other Green Projects:

Rain Dances Three-month long Green Project at Highland Elementary School CA (2009) with live

music by Laura Inserra (Italy)

Wild Child & Other Tales of the Tall Trees Three month-long Green Project Performance Berkeley Arts

Magnet, CA (2010) with live music by Laura Inserra (Italy) and TBird Flame

MontaNa Que Habla (Talking Mountain) (2008)

San Francisco

A site-specific performance ritual created in the home of musician Laura Inserra with renowned

experimental violinist Pauchi Sasaki (Peru/Japan) and flautist Claudia Cuentas.

ORIGINS (2008)

Premiered at NOHSpace, San Francisco Artist Residency Grant

Examines cultural ancestry and the possibility of reconciliation with one’s familiar identity inspired by

ancient legends from the Maori Tribe, old China and the Aztecs of Mexico. Live music by Laura Inserra,

Pauchi Sasaki and Claudia Cuentas.

GREEN: A Force of Nature (2007)

Premiered at CounterPULSE, San Francisco

“Highly gymnastic yet homespun dancing, which conjures a wistfulness consistent with

their name.”- SAN FRANCISCO Weekly

A multi-media performance created with five dancers and video projections of site-specific dances

created on rock giants overlooking Muir Beach and live music by Laura Inserra (Italy).

Midsummer Arts Festival, NY 2009

Goddard College, VT 2009

Centro Cultural Viniculart Mexico 2010

Festival de Nova Vitt, Mexico City 2010

Midsummer Arts Festival, NY 2010

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health, MA 2010

Postcards of Mexico (2007)

Premiered at CounterPULSE, SAN FRANCISCO

“Weaving traditional music, ancient Spanish texts and Mexican legends with

contemporary dance, Postcards of Mexico calls to mind the color-strewn landscape of

Mexico in a breath-catching collage of past and present.” - SAN FRANCISCO Weekly

Projected photographs by Sebastian Belaustegui, author of Guardianes del Tiempo.

UNISON, NY 2010

Tierra Imaginaria (Imagined Land) (2004)

Commissioned and premiered by Universidad IberoAmericana, Mexico City

A site-specific performance commission created for the outdoor stairs and main entrance of the

university including 10 performers, twenty buckets of water in large circles of color from hundreds of

collected local flowers.

Lulabai (2003)

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Premiered at the Competencia Internacional de Danza Contemporanea

(International Competition of Contemporary Dance), Mexico City

A trio by two adults, one child and a white horse this piece is a dreamscape of children’s illustrations

that come to life through contemporary dance and Mexican paper mache costumes.

Lulabai Community Project: 2004

Created in collaboration with children of Escuela Madrid in Mexico City and incorporates projections

of young students drawings and sound recordings of their humorous and whimsical visions of the

world.

The Butterfly House (2002)

Premiered at Universidad IBeroAmericana (Ibero American University), Mexico City

A commissioned work of site-specific dance vignettes created in a forest, by a tree in full bloom and a

field of flowers on the university’s campus.

Colores (2002)

Premiered at Sala Miguel Covarruvias UNAM (The National University of Mexico), Mexico City

This commissioned piece was choreographed for 20 pre-professional dancers of Yollin Jolitzli School of

Dance.

Colores, Performance at Colegio Madrid Mexico City 2002

Land of Anaka (2000)

Premiered at Festival Internacional de Danza Xalapa (International Festival of

Dance) (Mexico)

A duet created in partnership with the land, rivers and river rocks of the mountainous, lush region of

Bosque de Niebla (The Fog Forest) of Coatepec.

Land of Anaka, featured showing: 2000 at Jardin de las Esculturas (The

Sculpture Garden), Mexico

Land of Anaka, community outreach showing: 2001 at Casa de los Ancianos,

Mexico

Looking for Home (2000)

Premiered at La Batuta School of Music, Mexico

This duet explores finding one’s place, cultural difference, borders and the longing for home.

Looking for Home, featured showing: 2001 at Jardin de las Esculturas, Mexico

Looking for Home, Site-specific performance version: 2001 throughout the

palace of Casa de Cultura Coatepec, Mexico

Looking for Home: Crossing Borders (2000)

Premiered at Flynn Center for the Performing Arts Outside Moves Inside Festival

The second chapter to Looking for Home, this “virtual” love duet sends dance messages across the

US/Mexican border with a live performance by Mirah on stage in the US and video projections of

dances by Rodrigo Esteva recorded in Mexico.

El Otro Lado/ The Other Side (of the border) (2000)

Premiered at Middlebury College Summer Language Institute

The sound for this duet includes interviews recorded by the artists in both Mexico and in the United

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States of personal stories and imagined visions of “the other side of the border.” The interviews are all

in Spanish.

Flight (1997)

Premiered at Oberlin College (OH)

A site-specific performance installation in a star observation tower, presented under the full Harvest

moon. The audience walked up six flights upstairs and arrived in a space covered in two feet of wheat

berries with large detailed wings hung on the walls made of typed paper, the yellowed skins of onion

and garlic. Performed with live classical tabla music by Jason Ranjit Parmar, internationally known

musician.

On Crutches (1996)

Premiered at The European Dance Development Center, Amsterdam Holland.

A solo created on crutches after a foot injury.

Dried Flowers in a Specific Order (1996)

Presented as an On Stage Series at Flynn Center for the Performing Arts (VT)

An unspoken duet of memories of loss and support performed with Lida Winfield and assisted by

Hannah Dennison, founder of Cradle to Grave Arts.

FORMAL TRAINING

GYMNASTICS

Intensive all around training in Gymnastics & Ballet (1985-1992)

Member of the National U.S. Junior Olympic Gymnastics Team (1990)

East Coast All-Around Champion (1989)

CONTEMPORARY DANCE & PERFORMANCE:

Extensive studies in Release Technique, Partnering Skills, Improvisation, Site-specific Performance,

Dance Theater, Composition & Choreography

Sara Pearson and Patrik Widrig (NY), Founding Directors of Pearson/Widrig Dance

Theater Company (1995-2001)

David Dorfman and Lisa Race (NY), Founders of Dorfman Dance (1993 & 1995-1997)

Simone Forti: Improvisation in Site-Specific Performance (1998)

Nancy Stark Smith: Contact Improvisation (1997)

Andrew Harwood: Contact Improvisation (1997)

Katie Duck: Improvisation (Amsterdam)(1996)

Pauline DeGroot: Improvisation as a Ritual Art (Amsterdam) (1996)

Hannah Dennison (VT), Founder of Cradle to Grave Arts (1993-97)

DANCE EDUCATION

Teaching Dancers with Disabilities, Axis Dance Company (Oakland) (2008)

Dance Education for Professional Dancers and Dance as a Transformative Art in

Underserved Communities, Pearson/Widrig (1997-2000)

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Multi-generational Dance Education and Creative Process, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange

(DC) (1995 & 1998)

Dance Education for Seniors and Underserved Children with Kimberly Boyd (1998)

Teaching a Multi-generational Public with Hannah Dennison, Founder of

Cradle to Grave Arts (1993-1997)

Dance Education for Children (2000-present)

BODY STUDIES

Traditional Japanese Shiatsu and Chinese Medicine with Rodrigo Esteva, author of

Imaginación en Movimiento (2000-present)

Body-Mind Centering with Glena Batson (1995), Vincent Cacalano in

Amsterdam (1996), Hannah Dennison, students of Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen

(1993-97)

Anatomy for Dancers with Rebecca Dietzel, foremost assistant of Irene Dowd/

author of Taking Root to Fly (1995-96)

Alexander Technique with Peter Payne (1995-96)

Neuro Muscular Training with Deborah Vogel (1997)

Authentic Movement and Dance Meditation (1997-present)

YOGA & MEDITATION

Nationally certified Yoga teacher by the National Kundalini Research Insitute (1996-2009)

Year long Yoga Teacher Training at Yoga Mandala, Berkeley (2008) with additional training in

Asthanga, Hatha and Anusara Yoga (2008-10)

Hatha Yoga, Prana Yoga, Chanting and Meditation with Saraswathi Devi at Yogalayam Ashram

(2005-10)

AFRICAN DANCE

Afro-Caribbean dance with Master teacher Pat Hall (1993 & 2012)

Afro-Haitian dance with Porsha Jefferson (2009) and Djenane St-Juste (2009-2010)

Afro- Cuban with Jose Borrosco (2008-09)

West African dance with Sidiki Syllae (1998-2000)

Afro-Cuban dance with Master teacher Richard Gonzalez (1992-98 & 2012)

Afro-Haitian dance with Yanique Hume (1992-98)

COSTUME DESIGN & CONSTRUCTION

Costume designer for DANCE MONKS (2000-present)

Costume assistant designer for PEARSONWIDRIG Dance Theater (NY)

Hampshire College Costume Shop costume design assistant (1999)

Oberlin College Opera House costume design assistant (1997-1998)

Life-long studies with Beth Kellc, designer and seamstress

BUSINESS FOR ARTISTS

Jury Selected Artist for The Art of Business Training with studies in Grant Writing, Law for

Artists, Budgets, Web design, Graphics, and more by The East Bay Foundation for the Arts,

Oakland (2009)

Graphic Designer for DANCE MONKS (2000-present) and Bay Area Green

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Tours (2010)

SUMMER PROGRAMS

Bates Dance Festival (1995 & 1996 & 1997)

Bennington July Program (1994)

Governor’s Institute of the Arts (1993)

Colorado Dance Festival (1998)

SELECTED PUBLIC SPEAKING, RADIO & TV

Universidad de las Americas (University of the Americas) Lecture on Environmental Education in

the Arts, Puebla Mexico (2010)

University of California at Berkeley, Lecture and Demonstration of select works (2007)

KPFA Radio Berkeley, Featured program on DANCE MONKS (2009)

Interview on regional TV, Xalapa Mexico (2000)

Live interview regional radio program, Xalapa Mexico (2000)

SELECTED AWARDS & GRANTS

Canadian Council for the Arts (2006)

Zellerbach Family Foundation Grant (2007)

The Open Circle Foundation Grant (2007, 2009, 2010)

East Bay Foundation for the Arts (2008, 2009)

NOHSpace juried Artist-in-Residency Space Grant (2008)

Selected Artist East Bay Foundation for the Arts (2009)

PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES*

Sara Pearson, Director of Pearson/Widrig Dance Theater Company, NYC.

Tel. 212. 433. 0651

abn68m@r.postjobfree.com

Baco Ohama, Professor at Goddard College and Visual Artist, Vancouver Canada.

abn68m@r.postjobfree.com

Saraswathi Devi, Founding Director of Yogalayam, Berkeley CA.

Tel. 510. 655. 3664

abn68m@r.postjobfree.com

* More available upon request.

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