Leah Stein

Bio:

Artistic director, choreographer, dancer and educator, Leah Stein founded the Leah Stein Dance Company (LSDC) in  2001. Built upon Stein's vision of creating dances for unusual sites, the company has performed at many sites in Philadelphia including the Iron Factory, Eastern State Penitentiary, Temple University, and Woodmere Art Museum. Since graduating from Wesleyan Univerity with a B.A. in Dance and Anthropology, she has received many commissions and awards for her original dance choreography, including many performances with Philadelphia Fringe and a grant from the Pew Center for Arts and Heritage for a yearlong movement and voice research project with composer Pauline Oliveros. In 2013, Stein was invited to re-stage battle hymns with music by David Lang at San Francisco's Kezar Pavillion. 

Philosophy:

LSDC has built upon Stein's vision of creating dances for unusual sites, presenting unique works for the stage, and developing collaborative relationships with diverse artists and communities. The company connects people from a wide spectrum of backgrounds, age groups, and communities through the creation of site-specific dance that enlivens a sense of place. LSDC integrates improvistational methods and invites audiences to be part of the performance space; this shared experience among performers and audience is at the heart of LSDC dances. The company actively investigates the interrelationships between body, sound, and site, and develops and maintains strong collaborations with musicians, singers, visual artists and local communities.