Stephen Pier


Member, NASD Board of Directors
Reelected September 2023, term ends September 2026

Stephen Pier is Professor and Director of Dance at The Hartt School, University of Hartford, a position he has held since 2009. He also served as Artistic Director of the Juilliard School’s Mentoring Program from 2007–2010 and as Director of Visions and Voices: Altria/ABT Women’s Choreography Project at American Ballet Theatre from 2008–2011. He has also served as a consultant for the International Association of Blacks in Dance, New Dialect, Ballet Hartford, and numerous schools, companies and dance enterprises.

Professor Pier has performed throughout the world with the Royal Danish Ballet, the Hamburg Ballet, the José Limón Company and as a guest artist. His repertoire spans a vast range including the works of Petipa, Bournonville, Balanchine, Cranko, Kylian, Limón, Neumeier and creating roles with some of the most influential choreographers of the day. Critically acclaimed as a performer, he went on to become internationally respected as a teacher and coach. He taught for the Royal Danish Ballet’s company and school while serving as ballet master from 1990–1996. He served on the full-time faculty of the Juilliard School, Alvin Ailey School, Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance, Regional Dance America, and the New York International Ballet Competition. He is a guest master teacher at many notable companies in Europe, America and Asia.

In 2004, Professor Pier founded PierGroupDance to explore and collaborate with dancers and artists in various art forms. He has created over 75 works for the concert stage, opera, theater, and film. His work has been presented by The Hamburg Ballet (Germany); Royal Danish Ballet, Theatre, and Opera; Bat-Dor (Israel); The New National Theatre (Japan); the Juilliard Dance Ensemble; The Di Capo Opera Company (NYC); and the Dance on Film Festival at Lincoln Center.

Professor Pier was first elected to the Board of Directors in 2020. He serves NASD as a visiting evaluator.

Professor Pier’s training in dance includes the Juilliard School and José Limón Company.

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Updated October 2023