Stephanie Martinez (dance)
www.stephaniemartinezchoreography.com

Professional Residencies

Stephanie is a 2015 recipient of the 3Arts Awards. She has created original works for Luna Negra Dance Theater, Dance Kaleidoscope, Thodos Dance Chicago, Same Planet/Different World, Ron De Jesus Dance, Elements Contemporary Ballet, Chicago Dance Crash, Visceral Dance Chicago, and The Joffrey Academy trainees. In 2010, she assisted Broadway legend Ann Reinking in setting the Fosse Trilogy on Thodos Dance Chicago, as well as Daniel Ezralow, choreographer of Broadway’s Spiderman: Turn off the Dark, in remounting his celebrated work, Pulse, for Company C Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco. In 2014, she received a “Winning Works: Choreographers of Color” award from The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. Forthcoming commissions include Ballet Hispanico, Sacramento Ballet, Eugene Ballet, and Dance St. Louis.

University Residencies

Stephanie’s choreography has been featured in college dance department galas across the country, including Columbia College, Northwestern University, Ball State University, Kent State University, Shenandoah University, Jacksonville University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Oakland University and University of Richmond.

Master Teacher

With over 20 years of teaching experience, Stephanie has served as Jazz program director of the Ruth Page School of Dance, as well as on faculty at Lou Conte Dance Studio, Gus Giordano Dance School, and The Joffrey Ballet of Chicago’s trainee program. After spending two years in New York City as head of the lower school dance department for the exclusive Spence School, Stephanie returned to Chicago, serving as guest master teacher for numerous world- renowned dance festivals and organizations, including Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, River North Dance Chicago, The Gus Giordano Jazz Dance World Congress, Thodos Dance Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Same Planet/Different World, Chicago Dance Crash, Elements Contemporary Ballet, and has traveled abroad to teach for Company C Contemporary Ballet in San Francisco and The Nanjing University in China. Stephanie has served as adjunct faculty at Northwestern University, Columbia College, Ball State University, and most recently completed a six-month residency at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA.

Performer

Stephanie has been a featured dancer on stage, film, and television. After a 17-year stint with River North Dance Chicago, for which she merited a Ruth Page Award for Outstanding Performance, Stephanie joined the Lyric Opera of Chicago as a principal dancer for its productions of Manon and The Merry Widow, followed by the Marriot Theater’s production of Swing, spent several seasons with Concert Dance Inc., performed with Luna Negra Dance Theater, Gus Giordano Jazz Dance, Ron de Jesus Dance, Same Planet/ Different World, appeared as a special guest performer for The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and was a featured dancer for Diana Ross’s appearance in the 2006 World Cup opening ceremonies.