Stephen Petronio is an acclaimed American choreographer, dancer, and artistic director known for his innovative and boundary-pushing work in contemporary dance. As a graduate of Hampshire College, an early student of Steve Paxton, and the first male dancer in the Trisha Brown Dance Company, Petronio has made a significant impact on the dance world through his unique artistic vision and his commitment to pushing the limits of movement and expression.

In 1984, Petronio founded the Stephen Petronio Company, committed to touring and performing throughout the world. The Company quickly gained recognition for its bold and visually striking performances. Petronio’s choreography challenged traditional notions of movement and explored themes of sexuality, gender, and identity.

Over the years, Petronio has collaborated with some of today’s most innovative visual artists, designers, and composers, including Cindy Sherman, Anish Kapoor, Robert Longo, Stephen Hannock, Teresita Fernandez, Janine Antoni, Lou Reed, Laurie Anderson, Nico Muhly, Rufus Wainwright, Jozef Van Wissem and Jim Jarmusch, Ryan Lott/Son Lux, Monstah Black, David Linton, Narciso Rodriguez, Tara Subkoff/Imitation of Christ, Patricia Field/Iris Bohnner, Leigh Bowery, Ghost, and Michelle Rhee, as well as choreographers Anna Halprin, Michael Clark, and Johnnie Cruise Mercer.

Petronio has also created dances for other companies around the world, including the Frankfurt Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, Sydney Dance Company, and the Deutsche Oper Berlin. He has received numerous awards including a New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie), an American Choreographers Award, a Foundation for Contemporary Performance Art Award, a Doris Duke Artist Award, and a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Petronio’s memoir, Confessions of a Motion Addict, is available on Amazon.com. His latest limited-edition book, In Absentia, features entries from his journals written in quarantine at the Petronio Residency Center paired with never-before-seen studio photos by Sarah Silver and Grant Friedman.

Stephen Petronio’s contributions to the field of contemporary dance have had a lasting impact on the art form. His fearless exploration of movement, his commitment to collaboration, and his relentless pursuit of innovation have solidified his place as one of the most influential choreographers of his generation.