Atlanta Ballet Announces 2020-21 Season and Names Claudia Schreier Choreographer in Residence

Atlanta Ballet has named Claudia Schreier as its Choreographer in Residence for a three-year term. Schreier’s world premiere for Atlanta Ballet, First Impulse, was named a “Standout Performance of 2019” by Pointe Magazine. Schreier, who choreographed her first piece while in high school, is Harvard-educated. Her work earned her a 2017 Virginia B. Toulmin Fellowship for Women Choreographers at New York University’s Center for Ballet and the Arts, which led to her first Atlanta Ballet commission.

The Actually-Good News You Might Have Missed in the Last Month

Claudia Schreier has been named resident choreographer at Atlanta Ballet, beginning with the 2020–21 season. In addition, Works & Process at the Guggenheim has granted $40,000 in commissioning funds for virtual projects from artists including Ms. Schreier.

Guggenheim's Works & Process Awards Virtual Commissions 

In an effort to support artists during the coronavirus shutdown, the Guggenheim's Works & Process series has awarded a number of virtual commissions to artists of various disciplines. The commissioned works will premiere on the Works & Process' Facebook platform, on Instagram, and its YouTube channel every Sunday and Monday at 7:30 PM. 

Claudia Schreier Named Choreographer in Residence at Atlanta Ballet

Atlanta Ballet is pleased to announce that it has named Claudia Schreier as the organization’s resident choreographer. “I was impressed by Claudia’s sense of musicality and structure in her first work for Atlanta Ballet – First Impulse,” says Nedvigin. “I was intrigued by the choices she made and the way she prepared for the creation, and I look forward to seeing her develop even further while working with our dancers. Getting to know them on a deeper level will allow her to expand her own creative boundaries. I am excited to go on this artistic journey together.”

Standout Performances of 2019:
​Atlanta Ballet in Claudia Schreier's "First Impulse"

"Schreier's movement feels like architecture in motion, making all kinds of steps, even bourrées, seem wondrous and new. Perhaps this is due to her ability to inject her own subtle subtext, and loads of historical research, into one of the most abstract of art forms. The result was more than just another successful debut for this emerging choreographer; First Impulse presupposed that the future of ballet is well and alive."

BBC News: The Black Ballet Pioneers

The BBC reflects on 50 years of Dance Theatre of Harlem, the first classical ballet company for black dancers. Featuring rehearsal footage of Schreier's ballet Passage.

Onstage This Week: NYCB's 2019-20 Season Opens, Claudia Schreier World Premiere at Atlanta Ballet, and More

Claudia Schreier World Premiere Highlights Atlanta Ballet Mixed Bill: Atlanta Ballet's 2019-20 season opens with a collection of emotionally-charged works September 20-22. The program includes the world premiere of Claudia Schreier's First Impulse. (Link includes video preview.)

Women's Wear Daily: Aspen's top places and happenings

Aspen Art Museum celebrates the big 4-0 with solo exhibits by Swiss artist John Armleder and Rashid Johnson, whose collaboration with choreographer Claudia Schreier for a specially commissioned video and sold-out performance is a first for the New York-based artist.

A vital voice of his generation: Rashid Johnson on "The Hikers"

"Both museum shows — at the Aspen Art Museum and the Museo Tamayo in Mexico City — will feature a seven-minute film Johnson recently made, 'The Hikers.' 'It is about two younger black men who are hiking, one ascending the mountain on a hike at Aspen and the other descending,' Johnson says.

'I collaborated with choreographer [Claudia Schreier]. We worked together to figure out a set of movements that borrow from ballet and from what I describe as ‘anxious movements.’ I was asking, ‘What are the movements like when a black man is walking past a police officer? Or when a black man is suffering from agoraphobia?’ 'The Hikers' represents a new stage in Johnson’s increasingly supple take on race — race as a function of emotion and inner life as much as politics and injustice."

 At the Palace of Versailles, a young and dynamic production of
​Dido and Aeneas by The Juilliard School (article in French)

"The students of the prestigious Juilliard School offer a modern version of Henry Purcell's baroque masterpiece under the direction of Mary Birnbaum and music of Avi Stein. The choreography by Claudia Schreier, interpreted by the singers themselves, offer refreshing moments contrasting with the baroque musical atmosphere."

Broadway World Review II: Schreier's "Stunningly Beautiful" Passage

"Claudia Schreier's Passage, which premiered in early May, marks both the 50th anniversary of DTH and the 400th of the arrival in America of the first slave ship. Except for the stunningly beautiful representation by two teams of three dancers each of a couple of dolphins that might have passed the ship during the journey, Schreier doesn't depict or literally dramatize the passage from Africa to North America. Rather, she finds movement for the dancers of DTH which reveals the spirited lives of the people. Often, during a sustained lift, a pair of dancers form a shape that then moves as a unit--a novel way of creating vocabulary for a historic dance form. Schreier's use of Jessie Montgomery's lively score resembled the way Balanchine used to "solve" Stravinsky with the choreography."

Broadway World Review I: ​Dance Theatre Of Harlem Sets Tone
​For The Future Of Ballet

"Schreier is at her absolute best as she mixes the classical — arabesque balanced on the head of a pin, jeté with enough momentum to power a small town — with the contemporary — a two-tiered waltz circle, a lift where a dancer literally swims across the stage. But what makes this piece a supernova is the performance from the male ensemble. Too often men in ballet are dismissed as built-in brawn, but in Schreier's choreography is a refreshing intimacy and vulnerability.

While ballet could spend another century beginning with Balanchine, the Dance Theatre of Harlem's latest commissions offer a different future, one where ballet is more daring and more perceptive than ever before."

 In Kennedy Center’s Ballet Across America, a women’s movement​

"There’s a provocative entwining of art and social consciousness here, particularly in the pieces by McIntyre and Schreier . . . Schreier’s sweeping 'Passage' deals less directly with its subject, the slave trade, with a focus on the resilience of the human spirit. This piece for a dozen dancers has a lot of moving parts, yet Schreier controls the flow firmly and sustains it . . . [at the end is] the sudden arrival of two powerful images: a man falling backward in a deliberately off-balance and impressively slow, melting arc, then being raised by the ensemble, appearing to fly toward a distant light in a breathtaking finish."

Dance Theatre of Harlem at the Kennedy Center's Ballet Across America

"It's a stunning ballet infused with vivid imagery . . .  Passage feels fresh, and it comes across, impressively, as both classical and yet abstract. Schreier is very cognizant of lines and shapes and space and possibilities. She skillfully utilizes stillness and swingingly fast footwork and tucks in surprises. The audience audibly gasped with wonder and spontaneously clapped when female dancers held aloft by males took huge arching dives as if swimming and coming up for air."

Dance Theatre of Harlem Kicks Off Ballet Across America
​with a New Ballet By Claudia Schreier

"DTH is a natural programming choice [for the Kennedy Center's Ballet Across America Festival]; so is bringing choreographer Claudia Schreier's new ballet for the company, Passage, which has an all-female creative team. The work premiered earlier this month in Norfolk, Virginia, and was originally commissioned by the 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution and the Virginia Arts Festival, which honored the 400th anniversary of the first Africans to English North America. The ballet celebrates the fortitude and endurance required to create a legacy while giving us a glimpse of the future for DTH, for women and for ballet itself."

Dance Theatre of Harlem premieres Claudia Schreier's Passage

Passage was commissioned by the Virginia Arts Festival and 2019 Commemoration, American Evolution. It is a signature event for Virginia’s reflection of historic events that transpired 400 years ago, including the arrival of the first Africans to British North America, the recruitment of large numbers of English women to the colony, and the establishment of the first democratic body in the colonies. The ballet is evocative of the struggle and determination necessary to work through those various firsts of 1619. It will be performed at The Kennedy Center in Washington in late May. “It is a way to acknowledge the resolve of the human spirit,” Schreier said.

Dance Theatre of Harlem Celebrates 50th Anniversary in Norfolk

“It’s a real honor to be able to take this moment and look back to see how we move forward,” Claudia recalls. The process of creating the work has been a special one for her, in part as a woman of color, and as someone who values the impact of Dance Theatre of Harlem on culture, and the dance world at large.

Podcast: Another View — The Radio Show

Another View Producer and Guest Host Lisa Godley talks with award-winning choreographer Claudia Schreier about Passage, the Dance Theatre of Harlem's new ballet for the 2019 commemoration American Evolution. (starts at 49:40)

5 Dance Performances to See in N.Y.C. This Weekend

American Ballet Theatre at the Joyce Theater: This group, directed by the former American Ballet Theatre soloist Sascha Radetsky, acts as a bridge between ballet training and a professional career. Proof of its success is evident in the main company: Three-quarters of its dancers started out at ABT Studio. For its Joyce season, the group presents existing and new choreography, including five New York premieres. Doing the choreographic honors are Stefanie Batten Bland, Gemma Bond, Ma Cong, Claudia Schreier and Ethan Stiefel.

​Podcast: Claudia Schreier on Ballet, Diversity and Mentorship

In this episode, choreographer Claudia Schreier discusses her path to ballet, how she thinks we can begin to address the lack of diversity in the art form, and her new work for American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, which can be seen at The Joyce April 25 & 27.

​What Dance Theatre of Harlem Means Today

As the historic Dance Theatre of Harlem embarks upon a year-long celebration in recognition of its 50th anniversary, Dance Magazine reflects upon the perseverance of the company, the legacy of its founder, Arthur Mitchell, and the lasting significance of this cultural institution. Featuring photos of rehearsal with Claudia Schreier in preparation for the upcoming world premiere of her new ballet in May 2019.

Review — Juilliard's Dido and Aeneas: Purcell’s Masterpiece is Brought to Vibrant Life

"Juilliard took the opportunity to mold this opera into what was a remarkably intimate production of English Chamber music [that] emphasized intense moments of passion and fierce pride." [...] The choreography by Claudia Schreier also shone at different junctures [and] illuminated a vocally rich cast and sensitive period-ensemble . . . “The Triumphing Dance” was another moment that showcased an impactful cast of singers . . . "Come away, fellow sailors” and “The Sailors’ Dance" were beautifully choreographed."

A New Opera Season: The Week in Classical Music

In [director Mary Birnbaum's] intriguingly updated production of Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” at the Juilliard School, [the] cast, dressed in modish, stylized costumes, embraced it and brought lots of youthful, ardent singing to the music, backed by the sensitive period-instrument Juilliard415 ensemble, with Avi Stein conducting.

For Better Jumps and Higher Legs, Turn to Newton’s Third Law: Merritt Moore and Claudia Schreier Explain The Relationship Between Ballet and Physics

The National Museum of Mathematics hosted its fourth Quadrivium, a salon focusing on the intersections of music and math last Saturday in New York City . . . Moore and Schreier offered a deep dive into the similarities they find between math, music and dance. And they note how their analytic and creative brains, rather than acting as opposing forces, work in harmony to make them better artists.

The Best Things To Do In NYC This Week: Quadrivium @ National Museum of Math

At MoMATH's Quadrivium, Harvard-trained mathematician and jazz saxophonist Marcus Miller hostsa discussion with dancers Merrit Moore, aka the Quantum Ballerina, and Claudia Schreier, who has choreographed more than 20 high-profile ballets. The trio will analyze the physics behind a dancer’s motions, examine how the corporeal arrangement of bodies creates unique geometric shapes, and explore the interconnected relationship between math, music, dance, and motion.

Our 8 Favorite Ballet TED Talks

In this TEDx video, ballet choreographer Claudia Schreier pulls back the veil on her creative process, and discusses the way that choreographic principals can apply to the infinite variations of human relationships.

Female Choreographers Take Center Stage at American Ballet Theatre

"To kick-start [ABT's Women’s Movement], five accomplished innovators—Michelle Dorrance, Stefanie Batten Bland, Lauren Lovette, Claudia Schreier, and Jessica Lang—have been commissioned to choreograph new work. [...] Schreier, whose parents brought her to her first ABT performance as a toddler, notes 'that it is important for the young people coming up behind us to see that the pool of talent isn’t as homogenous as it has been in the past.'"

Watch a short film about about ABT's Women's Movement

Is There Such A Thing As Ballet That Doesn’t Hurt Women?

"Schreier works hard to create a safe environment for her dancers during rehearsals and attentively determines when discomfort crosses 'the line from a welcome challenge to a damaging experience.' She also considers it part of her work to expand audiences’ ideas of what ballet can and should look like. 'I had a very twisted view of what beauty was because I didn’t see anyone who looked like me in my world,' Schreier — one of few women of color in a notably white field — told me earlier this year. But she believes 'the way we think about the use of the body professionally is changing because of the conversations we’re having culturally, socially, politically.'"

Juilliard Opera Presents Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas

A highlight of the upcoming Juilliard Opera season is Henry Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas, featuring Juilliard singers and period-instrument ensemble Juilliard415, conducted by Avi Stein, directed by Mary Birnbaum and choreographed by Claudia Schreier. The premiere takes place in February 2019 in Juilliard’s Willson Theater, with a European tour in June to London, Athens and Versailles.

Live Vail Festival Forum: Damian Woetzel and Claudia Schreier

Live from the Vail Dance Festival, podcast Conversations on Dance talks about Damian’s beginnings at the festival and how he developed its mission, and about Claudia's roots in the Vail Dance Festival as a young intern that grew into a burgeoning career as a choreographer noticed by major companies and critics alike. 
​(Episode recorded August 5, 2018.)

Claudia Schreier Named Recipient of 2018 Princess Grace Award

The Princess Grace Foundation-USA (PGF-USA) has announced that Claudia Schreier is a winner of the 2018 Princess Grace Award for Choreography. The Award will be presented at the annual Princess Grace Awards Gala and continue the legacy of Princess Grace (Kelly) of Monaco, who helped emerging artists pursue their artistic goals during Her lifetime. 

NEFA's National Dance Project Announces Annual Awards

Dance Theatre of Harlem has been awarded a 2018 National Dance Project grant in support of a New Work by Claudia Schreier for the Company's 2019/2020 Season.

​Ballet Hispánico Comes to Vail Dance Festival in August 2018​

Ballet Hispánico, the nation's premier Latino dance organization, brings its bold and eclectic brand of contemporary dance to the Vail Dance Festival for the first time . . . Their debut includes a new work by ballet choreographer Claudia Schreier for the NOW: Premieres program.

​Press Release: ABT Women’s Movement

The ABT Women’s Movement is a multi-year initiative to support the creation, exploration and staging of new works by female choreographers for American Ballet Theatre and the ABT Studio Company . . . The ABT Studio Company will premiere a new work by choreographer Claudia Schreier for its 2018-2019 season performances.

American Ballet Theatre Announces Female Choreographer Initiative
May 2018

"American Ballet Theatre announced a multiyear initiative on Wednesday that will support the creation and the staging of new works by female choreographers . . . Looking ahead to the 2018-19 season, new work will be made by Claudia Schreier, for the Studio Company."

ABT Is Getting Serious About Female Choreographers
May 2018

Claudia Schreier has been commissioned to choreograph on the ABT Studio Company next season. 

TEDxColumbiaUniversity: "Thinking On Your Feet"
Spring 2018

TEDx talk presented at Columbia University on the broader applications of the principles of choreography. Talk will be released online at TED.com in June 2018. Features dance on film performed by Stephanie Williams and Calvin Royal III of American Ballet Theatre.

Claudia Schreier: Ballet Beyond the Mold
​April 2018

The nontraditional choreographer is expanding our ideas of what classical ballet can be.

Sixth Position (Documentary Short Film)
​April 2018

In the weeks leading up to the debut of Claudia Schreier's company at The Joyce Theater's 2017 Ballet Festival in New York City, a documentary team followed the choreographer and Virginia B. Toulmin Fellow to capture her process. Watch Claudia bring her vision to the stage and share her thoughts on the need for equity and inclusion in her profession. Film produced by Big Pup Films and supported by the Toulmin Foundation.

Watch This New Documentary Following Emerging Choreographer Claudia Schreier's Path to the Big Stage (Hint: It Involves Wendy Whelan)
​April 2018

Last summer Claudia Schreier & Company made its debut at The Joyce Theater as part of the 2017 Joyce Ballet Festival. This is a huge deal for any young choreographer, made all the more poignant for Schreier in an age where conversations around gender and race in ballet are omnipresent. Yesterday, Schreier announced the release of a short documentary titled Sixth Position, which follows her preparations for the festival. Luckily, the whole documentary is available online, free of charge. Artfully made with beautiful rehearsal shots and muted colors, Sixth Position gives Schreier a new platform on which to share her creative process and her thoughts on the importance of inclusion and equality in choreography. Another highlight? If last summer's release of Restless Creature only whetted your appetite for seeing Wendy Whelan onscreen, you can catch more of her here; Schreier made a new work on Whelan which premiered at the 2017 festival.

Vail Dance Fest to Celebrate Its 30th Anniversary
February 2018

New commissions, from Justin Peck, Lauren Lovette, Michelle Dorrance, Lil Buck, Claudia Schreier, Silas Riener and Rashaun Mitchell, as well as a choreographic debut by the New York City Ballet principal Tiler Peck, are among the highlights of this year’s Vail International Dance Festival . . . Ms. Schreier’s piece, created for Ballet Hispánico, will have a commissioned score by Gabriela Lena Frank, and be performed by the string quartet Brooklyn Rider.

Claudia Schreier is Charting New Paths in her Career and Choreography
​November 2017

Schreier’s aspirational attitude and powerful work ethic have shaped her unorthodox career path, which has engendered equally original work. She employs the language of classical ballet technique, but her choreographic voice has a unique dialect.

Joffrey Ballet Announces Winners of 2018 'Winning Works'
​Choreographic Competition
​October 2017

Claudia Schreier has been named a winner of the 8th annual Joffrey Ballet Winning Works competition and will present a world premiere at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in March 2018. "These wonderful artists have demonstrated exceptional talent, and we're so pleased they will have an opportunity to work with the members of our Studio Company and Academy trainees to create original material," said [Artistic Director Ashley] Wheater.

Claudia Schreier Choreography, Inc. Named Inaugural Recipient of
​Dance/NYC Dance Advancement Fund Grant
October 2017

The purpose of the Fund, made possible by the generous support of the Ford Foundation, is to address the inequitable distribution of resources in the dance field by supporting dance makers and companies with budgets of less than $1 million.

Claudia Schreier, Choreographer on the Rise 
​August 2017

"Conversations on Dance" podcast hosts Rebecca King Ferraro and Michael Sean Breeden interview Claudia Schreier about significant influences and experiences that have contributed to her career as a choreographer – including her recent world premiere for the 2017 Vail Dance Festival NOW: Premieres program.

​Vail Dance Festival Focuses on Women Choreographers 
​August 2017

"'It is an evolution,' Woetzel said. 'These women are here, they are powerful and need to be heard for the art form.'" The Denver Post features Claudia Schreier ahead of her world premiere for the Vail Dance Festival NOW: Premieres program celebrating women choreographers.

 Vail Dance Festival Showcases Female Choreographers 
​August 2017

"Far from novel, Schreier, an esteemed choreographic voice and 2008 Harvard University graduate, has choreographed on dancers of New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Dance Theatre of Harlem, amongst countless other companies and organizations."

Claudia Schreier & Company at The Joyce Theater
​July 2017

"Ms. Schreier assembled a simply gorgeous troupe of dancers and also summoned a choir, a pianist, a clarinet virtuoso, and a string quartet to make the performance one of the most impressive and satisfying in many a Gotham moon . . . The packed house went wild for the dancers . . . the entire audience stood up and literally screamed at the top of their lungs. Such delirium, and so well-deserved."

Joyce Theater Ballet Festival Showcases Contemporary Choreographers

The Joyce Theater’s Ballet Festival has a noble and worthy aim: to give a new generation of choreographers a chance. Performances include Claudia Schreier & Company — with Wendy Whelan, Jared Angle, Unity Phelan and Cameron Dieck. Pictured: Elinor Hitt and Da’Von Doane in Claudia Schreier’s “Vigil.” The choreographer’s company will perform at the Joyce Theater’s Ballet Festival.Credit. Credit: Nir Arieli

A Slew of Debuts at The Joyce Ballet Festival

Independent choreographer Claudia Schreier wrapped up her fellowship at New York University's Center for Ballet and the Arts in May 2016—perfect timing for the next steps in her career. Schreier will present six pieces performed by members of New York City Ballet and Dance Theatre of Harlem, plus other dancers.

Ballet's Geometry, Torqued: A choreographer's career taking shape
May/June 2017

"The trick is to find a sense of freedom in the art, she says, and not fight against its impossible ideals. This trajectory seems to have defined her idea of choreography’s essential joy." Harvard Magazine profiles '08 alumna Claudia Schreier for their May/June Issue.

MM.LaFleur Taps the New York City Ballet for Its Dreamy Summer Campaign Video
April 2017

Three dancers–Georgina Pazcoguin, Unity Phelan, and Alexa Maxwell choreographed by Claudia Schreier–play women at work who suddenly break out into dance wearing the '60s sportswear-inspired collection dubbed "The Light Fantastic."

Through the Eyes of a Choreographer with Claudia Schreier
March 2017

Emmy Award-winning journalist Carol Jenkins interviews Claudia on her work, background, and the topic of women of color in classical dance. Black America is an in-depth conversation that profiles Black activists, academics, business leaders, sports figures, elected officials, artists and writers to gauge the Black experience in a time of both turbulence and breakthroughs.

Review: A First Look at Elegance, Romance and Intrigue at the Vail Dance Festival
August 2016

"In 'Solitaire,' the first work for the festival by the up-and-coming choreographer Claudia Schreier, three men manipulated Unity Phelan into positions on the line between dramatic and circuslike. (Members of the Vail audience applauded each one.) A culminating duet segment for Ms. Phelan and her City Ballet colleague Zachary Catazaro revealed deeper promise, catching some of the sinister beauty in an Alfred Schnittke score." --Brian Seibert, The New York Times

10 Minutes With Claudia Schreier
August 2016

The emerging choreographer is making waves.

Spotlight: Ballet choreographer Claudia Schreier is riding the momentum
August 2016

Recognizing Schreier’s ability to create a physical manifestation of music appears to be a common theme among her fans and collaborators. 

Meet Two Young Choreographers Breaking Ballet’s Glass Ceiling
May 2016

"In 2014, [Schreier] won the Breaking Glass Project‘s competition for female choreographers, then put together a full-evening program of her work performed by dancers from NYCB, American Ballet Theatre, Dance Theatre of Harlem and the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. Last month, she won the Virginia B. Toulmin Fellowship at New York University’s Center for Ballet and Arts. And this summer, she’ll be featured in the NOW: Premieres program at Vail, sharing the stage with the likes of Lil Buck, Jodi Melnick, Matthew Neenan and Rashaun Mitchell + Silas Reiner.
​
It may seem like a swift rise out of nowhere for a 20-something who’s been doing the freelance hustle since graduating from Harvard in 2008. But it’s unsurprising: Audiences are drawn to the way she infuses a neoclassical base with gooey contemporary vocabulary and a driving musicality."

Claudia Schreier Named Center for Ballet and the Arts' Second Annual Virginia B. Toulmin Fellow
April 2016

"'Virginia Toulmin was passionately devoted to both the performing arts and the advancement of women,' said Jennifer Homans, director and founder of CBA. 'This fellowship has created an important opportunity for women in the world of ballet.' Schreier has earned early praise for her distinctive choreographic voice, mixing neoclassical technique with an inventive contemporary vocabulary."

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Schreier: Music as Muse / NOW: Premieres at the Vail International Dance Festival
August 2016

"NOW: Premieres unveils more than just new works by renowned artists. It is a fertile ground, where molecules of creativity combine to form a hybrid of rare movement, form and music...Schreier  weaves her classical ballet upbringing with modern and contemporary styles that come naturally to her."