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BIOGRAPHY

Shura Baryshnikov (she/her/hers)  is a multimodal artist who works broadly as a dancer/actor/improviser, somatic movement educator, and a choreographer for projects across dance, theatre, and opera.  Shura has co-founded a number of dance projects, including the Contact Improvisation Research and Performance Ensemble Set Go with dancers Paul Singh, Sarah Konner, Aaron Brandes, and Bradley Teal Ellis, and the Rhode Island-based contemporary dance project Doppelgänger Dance Collective with dancer/choreographer Danielle Davidson. She has also collaborated on projects with dancemakers Victoria L. Awkward, Gabriel Forestieri, Heidi Henderson, Betsy Miller, Ali Kenner Brodsky, and Lorraine Chapman, among others.

Recent choreographic and directorial work includes projects with Boston Lyric Opera, Emmanuel Music, Khambatta Dance Company, Urbanity Dance, Trinity Repertory Company, and Motion State Arts. In the 2022 - 2023 season, Shura continues development on an evening length duet for dancer and musician titled Two with cellist and composer Adrienne Taylor. This first iteration of this work was presented at the Bates Dance Festival in July, 2022.

 

Appointed to a full-time faculty position in 2017, Shura serves as Head of Physical Theatre for the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs in Acting and Directing / Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies at Brown University and maintains an active international teaching practice at festivals and training institutions. Ultimately interested in applications of practice in pedagogy, process, and performance, she employs work in the Viewpoints Technique, Safety Release Technique, Action Theater, and Contact Improvisation to create deeply-sensitized, collaborative spaces.

She is a member of Actors' Equity Association and the American Guild of Musical Artists.

FACULTY POSITIONS AND COURSES TAUGHT

 

2011-present    BROWN UNIVERSITY, Head of Physical Theatre for the Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs for Actors and                             Directors; Assistant Professor of the Practice, Department of Theatre Arts & Performance Studies                     

                           Embodied Creative Practice - 1Y MFA Actors and Directors

                           Contemporary Dance Studio Project / Technique and Repertory - Undergraduate                            

                           Intermediate / Advanced Contemporary Dance Technique - Undergraduate 

                           The Viewpoints Technique - 1Y MFA Actors and Directors and Undergraduate (2 sections)                          

                           Tools for the Creation of Solo Performance - 2Y MFA Actors

                           Collaborative Devising and Ensemble Storytelling - 2Y MFA Actors and Directors

2020 -present   Director of Graduate Studies: Brown/Trinity Rep MFA Programs

2017                  NORTH KARELIA COLLEGE, Department of Dance; Outokumpu, Finland; Guest Instructor and                                                Choreographer; Contact Improvisation

2016                  CONNECTICUT COLLEGE; Adjunct Dance Faculty, Experimental Workshop: Introduction to                                                      Improvisation/Contact Improvisation (1 section)

2016                  KEENE STATE COLLEGE; Guest Choreographer

2014-present   MOSES BROWN SCHOOL; Dance Program Coordinator

2010-2015        FESTIVAL BALLET PROVIDENCE SCHOOL; Contemporary Dance Faculty

                         

                           Pre-Modern through Advanced Contemporary Dance Technique

                           2013-2015 Summer Intensive Program, Contemporary Dance Faculty

2015                  DEAN COLLEGE; Adjunct Dance Faculty, Intermediate Contemporary Technique (1 section)

2014                  SALVE REGINA UNIVERSITY; Guest Choreographer

2014-2015        MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY; Guest Instructor/Theatre; Viewpoints Technique

ONGOING          ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION SITES:

                          Moving Target/Green Street Studios, JMW High School for the Performing and Visual Arts,                                                   School@95/AS220, Trinity Rep Young Actors Summer Institute, Earthdance/Moving Arts Lab,                                              TheatreBridge|Brown University, Boston University Summer Theatre Institute, The Gamm Summer                                    Intensive, Sophia Academy, Lincoln School, OM Kids Yoga Studio, The Movement Exchange, Motion                                     Center, Catalyst Series and Deep Dance at The Dance Complex, Urbanity Dance, The Dragon's Egg.                                      Contact Meets Contemporary Festival, Paris CI Gathering, School for Contemporary Dance and Thought,                            Loyola Marymount University, Rhode Island College, Interlochen Arts Academy, Boston Conservatory at                              Berklee, The Field Center                            

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