Visiting Artist Series

The OFA Dance Program regularly engages professional dance artists and educators, both locally and beyond, to lead workshops, artist talks, and community conversations throughout the year. Artists sometimes also visit curricular courses and hold residencies through special initiatives in partnership with other departments, offices, and committees across the University.

Programming is inclusive of all abilities and levels of experience. All events are open to the public, unless indicated differently. All class participants must be at least 18 years of age or an undergraduate student.

Register for All Upcoming Events

Questions? Contact us at dance@fas.harvard.edu.

Guest Artist Residencies

Join the Office for the Arts, OFA Dance Program and Black Arts Collective for two overlapping artist residencies with The Era Footwork Collective, Chicago footwork dancers and interdisciplinary artists, and Stiggity Stackz, a Boston-based freestyle dancer and organizer!

These multi-faceted residencies will take place throughout the academic year and include movie nights, discussions, workshops, open rehearsals, dance battles and spontaneous happenings. Be part of an immersive exchange with the Era, culture bearers of Chicago footwork, for a deeper understanding of dance, creativity, storytelling, community and professional paths of artists and arts collectives. Step into the laboratory of a professional artist’s creative process by attending open rehearsals developing new work with Stackz and his collaborators. Both residencies will culminate in a student-driven dance party and battle at Arts Fest!

Full Itinerary and details of reach residency will be updated on the OFA's Guest Artist Residency page.

***Save the date of Friday, February 13, 6-9pm, for Infinite Possibilities featuring Stiggity Stackz and The Era Footwork Collective in a film screening, panel discussion, workshop and dance party.***

Sign up in the Interest Form to learn more and be part of these extraordinary artists’ residencies!

Accessibility

All spaces for programmed events are accessible for wheelchair and mobility devices. Additional accommodations may be provided. If you have questions about the accessibility provided or anticipate needing any accommodation to participate in any of the programs, please email dance@fas.harvard.edu. We welcome a conversation with you!

Fall 2025 Programming

Liz Lerman’s Critical Response Process (CRP) workshop led by Paloma McGregor

Thursday, September 18, 6-7:30pm
Horner Room, 6 James St, Cambridge, MA
Co-presented by OFA Dance & Theater Programs

Join an introductory workshop on Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process (CRP), a feedback system that helps you get fresh and useful feedback from peers, laypeople, and experts alike. CRP certified practitioner, choreographer, and dance Paloma McGregor will take us through the roles, principles, and steps of the Process. This workshop is pecifically geared towards Harvard undergraduate students in a creative process.

Intersections 2025 Workshops:
Traditions and Innovations in Indian Classical Dance

Friday-Saturday, September 27-28
Co-presented by The Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University and MITHAS, MIT Heritage Arts of South Asia Organization

The OFA Dance Program is partnering on Intersections 2025 a national conference convening artists, scholars, presenters and community leaders to explore innovation, preservation, and progress in the Indian classical dance art forms in the U.S. Workshops on Sunday, September 28, are hosted by OFA Dance Program at Harvard Dance Center are Free for Harvard undergraduate students.

Lighting Design for Dance with Andrea Sala

Thursday, October 9, 6-7:30pm
Virtual Zoom meeting

Join a virtual workshop on Lighting Design for Dance led by Andrea Sala, designer and choreographer and the OFA Dance Program’s Production Supervisor & Advisor for the Fall 2025 Student-Led Dance Group Residency. Learn basic concepts in theatrical lighting for dance, including the functions and qualities of light, how to use lighting to create a choreographic container, and so much more!

Fusion Dance Party with Somatic Partnering

Friday, October 10, 6-9pm
Harvard Dance Center, 66 Garden St., Cambridge, MA
In partnership with metaLab and Partnering Lab

Next in the Technologies of Relating series, join a Fusion dance party that will begin with an all-levels workshop on Somatic Partnering developed by Dr. Ilya Vidrin, Research Fellow at Metalab (at) Harvard and Director of the Partnering Lab. This session will evolve into open fusion dance party with live DJing by Omari Hayles. For all abilities and levels of experience. No previous dance experience necessary!

Dance for Joy and Social Justice with CONTRA-TIEMPO

Friday-Saturday, October 18-19
Gray's Hall in Harvard Yard and Harvard Dance Center
In partnership with The Harvard Foundation and EMR 177: Cuir/ Queer Latinidades: Film, Theatre, and Performance in the Americas

Join the artists of CONTRA-TIEMPO, a multilingual Los Angeles-based activist dance theater company, for two days of vibrant on-campus activities. Get to know the artists and awaken your power as an agent for social change; bring your noise-makers in a procession to Harvard Dance Center; witness an excerpt of original dance performed by the artists; be guided through Afro-Latin social dance forms rooted in radical joy, and learn ancestral technologies as tools for resilience. For all abilities and levels of experience. No prior dance knowledge required!

Friday, October 17:

1:30-3pm: Interactive community conversation at Gray’s Hall in Harvard Yard (for Harvard undergraduates only)
4:30pm: Procession to Harvard Dance Center from Harvard Yard
5-6:30pm: Artist presentation followed by a Community Sabor Session at Harvard Dance Center

Saturday, October 18:

2:30-4pm: Ancestral Technologies workshop at Harvard Dance Center
4:30-5:30pm: Rueda de Casino workshop at Harvard Dance Center

Previous Dance Visiting Artists

Spring 2025

Caleaf Sellers (Supreme Foundation workshop, film watching, and Q&A); Dr. Ilya Vidrin (Somatic Partnering workshop & jam, part of Technologies of Relating)); Liz Lerman & Paloma McGregor (Critical Response Process workshop); Caroline Shaw & Vanessa Goodman (workshop with Q&A); Jon Boogz (artist talk, Popping workshop, OFA ArtsBites, co-presented with TDM); Matthew Cost (Lighting Design for Dance workshop); Laura Sánchez (Intro to Flamenco workshop with Q&A); Alexis Beffer (Contemporary workshop with Q&A); Reynaldo González Fernández (Afro-Cuban Folkloric workshop)

Fall 2024

Stiggity Stackz (Curator collaborator of Infinite Possibilities: In the World), Toyin Sogunro (House workshop & panelist for Infinite Possibilities: In the World); Brui5er (panelist for Infinite Possibilities: In the World); Born (panelist for Infinite Possibilities: In the World); Aaron Myers '97 (OFA ArtsBites); Florian Lochner & Alice Klock/FLOCK (workshop with Q&A, part of Technologies of Relating); Jillian Davis/Complexions Contemporary Ballet (Nique workshop with Q&A); Andrea Sala (Lighting Design for Dance workshop); Kyle Marshall (workshop & artist talk);

Spring 2024

Kerry Thompson (Inclusive Movements in the Dance Studio workshop); Jack Ferver (Choreographic Syntax workshop); Latonya Style (Jamaica's Dancehall); Dr. Eva Macias (Sensual Movement); Dr. Shoniqua Roach (Sensual Movement)

Fall 2023

Stiggity Stackz (Curator collaborator of Infinite Possibilities: Back 2 Skool), HYA aka MonstaPop (Infinite Possibilities: Back 2 Skool workshop and panelist), The Wondertwins (Infinite Possibilities: Back 2 Skool panelist), Rashaad Hasani (Infinite Possibilities: Back 2 Skool panelist), Rascal Randi (Infinite Possibilities: Back 2 Skool panelist), Sekou McMiller (Afro Latin Jazz and Soul Experience workshop, talk, and panelist), Robin Gee (Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance film screening panelist), Jeffrey L. Page (Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance film screening facilitator), Anthony Burrell (Uprooted: The Journey of Jazz Dance film screening panelist), Carina del Valle Schorske (In coversation with Sekou McMiller), Connie Chin '79 (OFA ArtsBites), BODYTRAFFIC (repertory workshop)

Spring 2023

Stiggity Stackz (Infinite Possibilities), Shay Wornum (Infinite Possibilities), Lady Beast (Infinite Possibilities), Megatron (Infinite Possibilities), Chad Shabazz (Infinite Possibilities), Christine Cox (Lunchtime Talk), María Aliaga (Intro to Flamenco Workshop), Marja Lankinen (Yoga4Dancers Workshop), Madelyn Ho (Lunchtime Talk)

Fall 2022

Dr. Shriya Srinivasan (Biomechanics of Movement), Kerry Thompson Ed.M. ‘08 (Inclusive Movements), Tatiana Desardouin | Passion Fruit Dance Company (workshop and talk, co-presented with TDM); Amy O'Neal, (workshop and artist talk, co-presented with TDM), and Shamel Pitts (Gaga workshop, co-presented with TDM)

Spring 2022

Dr. Shriya Srinivasan (Biomechanics of Movement), Kerry Thompson Ed.M. ‘08 (Art of Inclusion workshop), Gerard & Kelly (film screening & artist talk, co-presented with TDM), Wideman Davis Dance (workshops, film screening, & artist talk, co-presented with TDM)

Fall 2021

Semester-long residency with Nailah Randall-Bellinger for creation of a new work commissioned by the Harvard University Committee on the Arts (HUCA).

Spring 2021

A series of four virtual artist-led conversations around artistry, identity, and advoacy that included: Nailah Randall-Bellinger, Joh Camara, Sunanda Narayanan, Laura Rodriguez, Tarikh Campbell, Jean Robens Georges, Jeffrey L. Page, Amirah Sackett, Lonnie Stanton, Yury Yanowksy, Peter Chu, Chanel DaSilva, and Shamel Pitts.

Fall 2020

Kerry Thompson Ed.M. ‘08 (Disability Inclusion), Kinetic Light (Interdisciplinary Arts and Disability), AXIS Dance Company (Physically-Integrated Contemporary)

Spring 2020

Kerry Thompson Ed.M. ‘08 (Salsa-ASL)

Fall 2019

MADBOOTS DANCE (Contemporary), Bennyroyce Royon (Contemporary), Amirah Sackett (Hip Hop), The Wondertwins (Hip Hop)

Spring 2019

Nejla Yatkin (Contemporary), Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company (Christina Robson) (Contemporary), Belinda McGuire (Contemporary)

Fall 2018

Chanel DaSilva and Zack Winokur (musical theater/creative process), Ayodele Casel (Tap), Heidi Latsky Dance (Physically-Integrated Contemporary), Carlos Lopez (Ballet)

Spring 2018

Ronald K. Brown (Contemporary), Peter Chu (Contemporary), Chanel DaSilva (Contemporary), Shamel Pitts (Contemporary/Gaga)

Fall 2017

Ayodele Casel (Tap), Seane Corn (Yoga), Francesca Harper (Improvisation), Antoine Hunter (Afro Cuban Modern with ASL).

Spring 2017

Peter Chu (Contemporary), Andrea Miller (Contemporary), Tina Fehlandt (Modern/Contemporary), Okwui Okpokwasili (Embodied Practice), Joe Turner Lin (Movement and Film), Jill Johnson & Christopher Roman (Movement Lab)

Fall 2016

Sidra Bell (Contemporary), Carmen Beuchat (Modern), Annie-B Parson and Paul Lazar (Theater & Dance), Álvaro Restrepo (Contemporary dance/philosophy), Shantala Shivalingappa (Kuchipudi Classical Indian/Contemporary)

Spring 2016

Karole Armitage (Performance Workshop Intensive), Carlos López (Master Class), and Peter DiMuro (Master Class).

Fall 2015

Joh Camara (West African), Mikko Nissinen (Ballet), Dwana Smallwood (Contemporary), Risa Steinberg (Limón/Modern), Ebony Williams (Hip Hop)

Spring 2015

Brian Brooks (Contemporary), Ronald K. Brown (Contemporary), Reggie Wilson (Contemporary)

Fall 2014

Michelle Dorrance, Francesca Harper (Contemporary), Jill Johnson (Forsythe), Mikko Nissinen (Ballet), Pilobolus (Contemporary), Sydney Skybetter (Digitial Storytelling)

Spring 2014

Shaun Amyot (Ballet), Mikko Nissinen (Ballet), Dwight Rhoden (Contemporary)

Fall 2013

Kyle Abraham (Contemporary), Aszure Barton (Contemporary), Peter Chu (Contemporary), Ariel Freedman (Gaga), Francesca Harper (Contemporary)

Spring 2013

Ronald K. Brown (Contemporary), Patrick Corbin (Contemporary), Francesca Harper (Contemporary), Pontus Lidberg (Contemporary), Andrea Miller (Contemporary), Jon Morris, Rika Okamoto, Josh Rhodes (Contemporary)

Fall 2012

Reid Bartelme (Contemporary), Ariel Freedman (Gaga), John Jasperse (Contemporary), Andrea Miller (Contemporary), Mikko Nissinen, Desmond Richardson (Contemporary), Chet Walker (Fosse)

Spring 2012

Patrick Corbin (Contemporary), Jorma Elo (Ballet), David Hallberg (Ballet), Jill Johnson & Christopher Roman (Contact Improv), Ohad Naharin (Gaga), Pauline Oliveros (Contemporary), Dwight Rhoden & Desmond Richardson (Contemporary), Christopher Roman (Contemporary)

Fall 2011

Danielle Agami (Gaga), Ronald K. Brown (Contemporary), William Forsythe (Forsythe), Margie Gillis (Contemporary), Jill Johnson (Improv), Jill Johnson & Michael Palmer (Poetry & Dance), Andrea Miller (Contemporary), Mikko Nissinen (Ballet), Josh Rhodes (Contemporary), Sheron Wray (Contemporary)

Visiting Artist Series