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Kathy Hassinger
Artistic Director of Dance Currents Inc.

Kathy taught “Perspectives in World Dance” at Emerson College for eight years. She was head of the Dance Department at Newton Country Day School from 1990-2007.  Kathy has produced a number of full-length dance concerts, including: “Drawn In” (2015), “Charge the Air” (2013), “Three Modern Choreographers” at Triskelion Arts in New York (2005). Mrs. Hassinger received a NULA (Newton Universal Legendary Award) June 15, 2019, for “committing her life to excellence by impacting her community through the performing arts”.  

I have just finished an educational documentary titled, "To Feel the Earth and Touch the Sky (Living the Legacy of Modern Dance)” which includes a number of Boston dancers, teachers, and choreographers.  It is now streaming on the PBS app. My film editor and I along with our permissions specialist have been at this for about 15 years, and it is finally done. The film is 26 minutes and 46 seconds and uses a tree as the central image, placing the pioneers and prime movers in relation to the people who came before and after them. The main reason I did this was to show how this fragile but important movement has grown, but is in danger of becoming lost. Dance as intelligence and feeling, expressing that which cannot be said and highlighting the individual is a uniquely American story. The film shows dance as life, and natural movements as the material of dance. There are a number of famous Boston teachers, and choreographers in the film who trained, danced and knew some of the great Modern Dancers (Denishawn, Graham, Weidman, Sokolow, Cunningham, and Tharp). There is also footage of a number of famous dances. I think the film would be great for an introductory class in Modern Dance at colleges and universities, and some high schools, libraries and dance studios. We are at the distribution point and would love some consultation, advice or suggestions. Thank you so much, Kathy Hassinger

View Professional Choreography

In the Media:  Dance Teacher +, “Dance Herstories. Three Inspiring Women Share How They Are Using History to Expand the Dance Education Landscape”

Living in the 21 Century: Interview with Errol Forde on the film: hhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcbkvIAFBi8&list=PLmGnlquAi0Qg4pePbNob1AeVd6F8bFRe4Llttps://

Artistic Resume

To Feel the Earth and Touch the Sky; Living the Legacy of American Modern Dance:  Film by Kathy Hassinger.  Please see www.dancecurrentsinc.comfor details.  Screenings:  August 25-31, 2021 with Show and Tell productions, Flick Fair Film Festival, February 2, 2022, March 6-13th partnership with Newton Community Pride.  Currently streaming on PBS.  Also shown at Moving Forward in Place, a dance performance and film screening presented as part of the 10th Annual Linda Plaut Newton Festival of the Arts, June 13th, 2025 at the Scandinavian Cultural Center and June 14th,2025 at the Allen Center for the Arts, both in West Newton, MA.

  • The Source.  The Deep – Streams- Still/Moving. March 7 and 8, 2026 as part of Curtain Call, a performance curated by Margot Parsons, artistic director of DanceVisions and presented at the Boston University Dance Theater.  Music:  Beethoven, Six Bagatelles, Op. 126. Nos. 3,4, and 5 played live by Daniel Nerger.  Choreography – Kathy Hassinger.  Dancers:  Mitzi Eppley and Li-Ann Lim.

  • Still/Moving.  As part of “Moving Forward in Place,” a dance and film presentation for the 10th annual Linda Plaut Newton Festival of the Arts.  June 13, 2025 at the Scandinavian Cultural Center and June 14th, 2025 at the Allen Center for the Arts, both in West Newton, MA.  Music:  Beethoven, Six Bagatelles, Op. 126.  No. 2.  Played live by Simone Mead, Choreography – Kathy Hassinger.  Dancers:  Mitzi Eppley and Li-Ann Lim. 

  • Places on the Way.  Clearing, Open Space, The Lake, The Labyrinth, The Garden, and The Commons.  Music:  Liszt’s Consolations played live by Simone Mead.  Choreography:  Kathy Hassinger.  Dates of Performances and performers:  June 13 and 14th , 2025 as part of Moving Forward in Place (See above). With Mitzi Eppley, Christopher Herman and Li-Ann Lim, November 1 and 2nd, 2024 with Janelle Gilchrist Dance Troupe at Boston Center for the Arts (Mitzi Eppley, Christopher Herman and Victoria Cameron), and June 8th, 2024 at Dance For World Community, Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre, with Hannah Stone, Christopher Herman and Victoria Cameron).

  • “Rewilding”, July 24th, 2022.  As part of the Newton Festival of the Arts at The Allen House.  September 25, 2021. As part of Dance for World Community, Jose Mateo Ballet Theater, Cambridge, MA.  Choreography:  Kathy Hassinger.  Music:  Joy Yang and Amy Hassinger.  Dancers:  Alex Jimenez, Janelle Gilchrist, Avery Saulnier De Reyes, Odessa Rain Anderson.

  • “Sicut Cervus”, May 15, 2021.  Online event “From Lament to Praise and Back Again”, with the Kirby Laing Center of Theology, U.K.  Music arranged by Emily Hiemstra,  choreographed by Kathy Hassinger, dancers:  Whitney Cover, Kirstin Glaser, Alex Jimenez, Odessa Rain Anderson.  Videography:  Maximal Image, William Parsons.

  • “Still”, May 31, 2020.  Performed online as part of “Dancing in Stillness”, a presentation by Choreographers Collaborative.  Choreographer:  Kathy Hassinger.  Dancers:  Odessa Rain Anderson, Mitzi Epply, Kirsten Glaser and Samantha Govoni.

  • “For the Children”, the music is by Evard Grieg, six of his lyric pieces.   Performed June 11, 2019, 3pm at The Scandinavian Cultural Center, Newton, MA, and June 14, 8pm at Integrarte, Jamaica Plain with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra.  We also performed the entire piece as part of an award ceremony with the Boston Socio-Economic Committee at Brown Junior High School on June 15, 2018 and The Dance Complex as part of their festival of Us, You, We and Them, June 23rd, 2019.  We showed the first two sections December 9, 2018 in an open rehearsal at Integrarte in Jamaica Plain.  The piece was dedicated to those who are forced to leave their country and faced with the loss of their children.

  • “Santons”, performed March 9 and 11, 2018 with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston at Integrarte Dance Studio in Jamaica Plain, and The Scandinavian Cultural Center in Newton.  December 17, 2016 at The Dance Complex “Holiday Show”, and May 21, 2017 at Newton Highlands Congregational Church as part of The Newton Dance Concert/Newton Festival of the Arts.  Dance Currents Inc. co-produced the concert with Selmadanse.

  • “Weather Permitting”, performed May 22, 2016 as part of the Newton Dance Concert, Newton Festival of the Arts at Newton Highlands Congregational Church, 3pm. Dance Currents Inc. co-produced the concert with Selmadanse. 

  • “Crossing.”, Performed May 22, as part of Newton Dance Concert, Newton Festival of the Arts, May 17, 2016 also November 21-22, at The Dance Complex, as part of aMaSSiTT choreographer’s workshop. Dedicated to all those crossing to new lands under “The Night Wind”, the title of the music by Nikolai Metdner. Choreography by Kathy Hassinger. Dancers: Samantha Govoni, Jill Laquidara and Li-Ann Lim for November and Fhi Bado, Whitney Cover and Li-Ann Lim for May.

  • “Dream Catchers.” Premiere. May 17, 2015. Set to Faure’s Fantaisie, Pavane, and Aprés un Rêve, Newton Dance Concert presented by the Newton Festival of the Arts, Kathy Hassinger and Joanie Block as co-chairs. Held at Newton Highlands Congregational Church, Newton and including choreography by Joanie Block, SELMADANSE, Helena Froehlich, CreationDance and Sunanda Narayanan, Thillai Fine Arts Academy.

  • “Drawn In”, Premiere. January 31, 2015, Music: “Music for 18 musicians”, Steve Reich. Dance Currents, Inc. presents “Drawn In” with guest artists from DanceVisions, Inc. at Green Street Studios and with artists Robert Murrell and Dean Capper in a multimedia production of dance, poetry, music and live art. As a work in progress, “Next Steps”, a fundraiser for Green Street Studios, January 26, 2014.

  • “Braiding”, Premiere. May 31, June 1 and 2, 2013, Music: “Fantaisie” by Saint Saens. Green Street Studio, Across the Ages Dance. Also done for “Charge the Air” at Green Street Studio, 185 Green St., Cambridge, MA. May 12, 2013. 

  • Historical Modern Dance/One Hundred Years of Modern Dance

    • 100 Years of Modern Dance:  Excerpts.  Presented by Newton Community Pride as part of the Newton Festival of the Arts, July 24 at The Allen House, Newton, MA.  Rainbow Etude:  dancer Alex Jimenez, Limon Etude:  dancer Li-Ann Lim, Parsons Etude:  dancer:  Odessa Rain Anderson.

    • June 11, and 14, 2019.  Limon Etude by Carla Maxwell at The Scandinavian Cultural Center and Integrarte respectively.  Dancer: Li-Ann Lim with live music:  Gretchen at the Spinning Wheel sung by Maire Clement with accompaniment by Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra.

    • December, 2019.  Parsons Etude by David Parsons, at Holiday Hope, a fundraiser for a child undergoing cancer treatment.  Dancer:  Meredith Wells.  

    • November 16-17, 2017.  One Hundred Years of Modern Dance, (full program) at Green Street Studios, Cambridge, MA. with panel discussion of experts and famous Boston Choreographers.  Choreography by Isadora Duncan, Narcissus;  Ruth St. Denis, Incense; Ted Shawn, Mazurka and Tango; Charles Weidman, Three Brahms Waltzes; Anna Sokolow, The Pond, The Cage, The Pond; Donald McKayle, Rainbow Etude; Carla Maxwell, Limon Etude; David Parsons, Parsons Etude; and Robert Battle, Battle Etude.

    • May 13, 2017 A Selection of Historical Modern Dances, The Dance Heritage Festival as part of the Newton Festival of the Arts.  Newton Center Green. ( Choreography by Isadora Duncan, Ted Shawn, Charles Weidman, and David Parsons – please see #3).

    • September 28, 2013. One Hundred Years of Modern Dance ,The Dance Inn, Regent Theater, Underground, 7 Medford Street, Arlington Center, Lecture/Demonstration and workshops. Choreography by Isadora Duncan, Ruth St. Denis, Ted Shawn, Charles Weidman, Anna Sokolow, Donald McKayle, Carla Maxwell, David Parsons, and Robert Battle.

    • March 13, 2012 “Chaos or Connection, Living the Legacy of Modern Dance”, Green Street Studios, 185 Green Street, Cambridge, MA. A movie, “Living the Legacy of Modern Dance” by Dance Currents Inc., and other works:  “Narcissus” by Isadora Duncan,  “Battle Etude” by Robert Battle, “Limon Etude” by Carla Maxwell, as well as “Courting the Hippogryph (2004)  by Marcus Schulkind. Included a panel discussion on the future of Modern Dance, led Iris Fanger with panelists:  Margot Parsons, Marcus Schulkind, Lorry May, Rebecca Rice and Li-Ann Lim and Elizabeth Waterhouse.

    • January 9 and January 30, 2011 at Cambridge Family YMCA Theatre, 820 Massachusetts Avenue 02139. “One Hundred Years of Modern Dance,”Premiere. Choreography by Isadora Duncan, Narcissus;  Ruth St. Denis, Incense; Ted Shawn, Mazurka and Tango; Charles Weidman, Three Brahms Waltzes; Anna Sokolow, The Pond, The Cage, The Pond; Donald McKayle, Rainbow Etude; Carla Maxwell, Limon Etude; David Parsons, Parsons Etude.

    • December 8, 2006, Currents of Contemporary Dance, 41 Second St., Cambridge, MA 02141. Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center, A program of Ms. Hassinger’s work as well as work by Donald McKayle, David Parsons, and Anna Sokolow. 

  • “The Haiku Project,” Premiere. March 16 and 17, 2012, Music: “Toward the Sea” by Toru Takemitsu, The Julie Ince Thompson Theatre, at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA., as a fundraiser for the Great Earthquake of Japan, also for Dance for World Community, June, 2012. 

  • “Eleusian Fields and Fates”, Premiere. Music: Haydn String Quartet in G major. In Myths, Memories and Shadows of Morning, The Dance Complex, March 27, 28th, 2010. Ceres and Persephone, a section of “Eleusian Fields and Fates”, January 23 and 24 at the Dance Complex as part of On Common Ground, a Shared Choreographer’s Concert. Also. April 29, 30, 2011 as part of “Flowering Vine”, at The Dance Complex.

  • “Winding Road” Premiere. April 29, 30, 2011. Music by Ian and Sylvia, as part of “Flowering Vine”, at The Dance Complex, April 29, 30, 2011. Music, Ian and Sylvia.

  • “Dayspring,” Premiere, March 4t, 2008,  New re-choreographed version (March 9 and 11, 2018 with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Newton).  Music: “Dayspring” by Dr. Delvyn Case, composer. Also performed March 28t, 2009 at Eastern Nazarene College as part of their Musica Eclectica Series. Also, March 27 and 28, 2010 at The Dance Complex as part of Myths, Memories and Shadows of Morning. 

  • “The Sea” (2008) Premiere. Inspired by a poem of Barbara Kennard’s, “Into the Blue”. Dance Currents on Sunday Afternoon, Brookline Tai Chi, 8/17/08. Music by Rachmaninoff, “Vocalize.” Also as part of Musica Eclectica, Eastern Nazarene College, March 28, 2009, and The Haiku Project, The Dance Complex, March 16 and 17, 2012. 

  • “The Songbird and the Soldiers” (2008). Premiere. December 18 & 19, 2008 Music: Harmonica compositions by Richard Hunter for The Holiday Show at the Dance Complex, December 2007. Also March 28t, 2009, Eastern Nazarene College, part of the Musica Eclectica Series. Dance for World Community, June, 2009. Tuesday’s at Noon. May 6, 2008 as part of Dance Month in Cambridge, the lunchtime series at the Dance Complex, sponsored by Coldwell Bankers.

  • “Ressourcement “( 2007), Premiere. Music: Bach’s Cello Concerto in D. March 23, 2007 at Eliot Church, Newton. Also at Green Street Studios, July 26, 2007 for Dance Currents announcement of incorporation. It was performed again at Musica Eclectica, Eastern Nazarene College, March 4, 2008, the lunchtime series at the Dance Complex, sponsored by Coldwell Bankers. Three sections of the dance, Sarabande, Gavotte, and Gigue wereperformed October 12, 2007, for Arts Central, Central Square Business Association. The final section, “Welcome Joy”, was performed on October 28, 2007 for Mixed Space in Lowell, Ma. All of the piece was performed for A Mother’s Day Concert, May 13, 2012, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brookline, MA. and for” Angels Afoot” December 9, 2012, at Green Street Studios. Our last performance of Ressourcement was for Spring Celestials, a concert of dance and music with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, March 13, 2014, at First Church Cambridge, and March 16, 2014 at Newton City Hall. Gavotte and Sarabande revised and performed at 100 Years of Modern Dance:  Excerpts.  Presented by Newton Community Pride as part of the Newton Festival of the Arts.  Gavotte:  Janelle Gilchrist and Sarabande:  Avery Saulnier De Reyes.

  •  “Waylaid”, (2006) Premiere. January 27 and 28. Music: “Ode to a Butterfly” by Nickel Creek, at The Dance Complex, a Shared Choreographers Concert, Bodies in Motion. Also performed at Currents of Contemporary Masters, December 8, 2006, at Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center and as part of “Myths, Memories and Shadows of Morning”, April, 2011, at The Dance Complex, The Julie Ince Thompson Theatre, 536 Mass Ave., Cambridge, MA.

  • “Oasis” (2006), Premiere. October 7 and 8, Music: Sonata #32, Opus 111 Beethoven. Performed for Bridging the Gulf, a concert of dance and music to raise funds for the victims of Katrina through Turkey Creek Community Initiatives organized by Lizz Cannon, Kathy Hassinger and Margo Morado, October 7, 2006 at the Somerville Theater. Also performed at Currents of Contemporary Masters, December 8, 2006, at Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center. 

  • “Clash” (2005). Premiere. Music: “Piano Variations” by Aaron Copland. Performed for “Three Modern Choreographers at Triskelion Arts” Triskelion Arts, Brooklyn NY, July 16, 2005. Also on July 26, 2007 at Green Street Studios in celebration of incorporation, Musica Eclectica Series sponsored by Eastern Nazarene College, March 4, 2008 and at Currents of Contemporary Masters, December 8, 2006, at Cambridge Multicultural Arts Center. 

  • “Skylight” (2004). Premiere. Music: Concerto #7 in D major, Corelli, February 6 and 7, 2003 as part of a Shared Choreographers’ Concert, Moving ToWords. November 5-6 2004 as part of Dances to the Music of Archangelo Correlli, The Dance Complex, Julie Ince Thompson Theatre and also April 10, 2005 at Newton Country Day. 

  • “Emergence” (2004) Premiere. November 5-6, 2004 to music of Corelli’s concerto #8 in G minor as part of Dances to the Music of Archangelo Correlli, The Dance Complex, Julie Ince Thompson Theatre.  Emergence was performed on March 6th at Casa Nia as part of a Tsunami benefit for Oxfam and also at Newton Country Day School, April 10 2005. The next three performances were A Mother’s Day Concert, May 13, 2012, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brookline, MA. ”Angels Afoot”, December 9, 2012 at Green Street Studios and Spring Celestials, a concert of dance and music with Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston, March 13, 2014 at First Church Cambridge, and March 16, 2014 at Newton City Hall. 

  • “Pulse“ (2004) Premiere. Music: “The Follia”, by Corelli. November 5-6, 2004 to music of Corelli’s “Follia” as part of Dances to the Music of Archangelo Correlli, The Dance Complex, Julie Ince Thompson Theatre. Performed for “Three Modern Choreographers at Triskelion Arts” Triskelion Arts, Brooklyn NY, July 16, 2005. Also for Charge the Air”. At Green Street Studio, Cambridge, MA. May, 2013. 

  • “Penumbra”(2003) Premiere. January 24 and 25, Music: Bohuslav Martinu’, as part of A Shared Choreographer’ Concert, “Unfolding Portraits. “ 

  • “Women Waiting”. (2001) Premiere, Music: Louis Prima. As part of A Shared Choreographer’s Concert at The Dance Complex and “A Collection of Dances”, September, 2002 at Green Street Studios. 

  • “Pointe Vierge.” (1999). Premiere. To music of Louise Farrenc and Nadia Boulanger for a Shared Choreographer’s Concert at The Dance Complex, The Federal Reserve Bank of Boston’s Spring Midday Performance Series March 2, 2000. (See other performance on next page).  

  • “A Collection of Dances”, September, 2002 at Green Street Studios. Reworked and renamed “Dawn” , March 2013 for The Haiku Project , A Mother’s Day Concert, May 13, 2012, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brookline, MA and ”Angels Afoot”, December 9th, 2012 at Green Street Studios. “Dawn” was also performed for Spring Celestials, March 13, 2014 at First Church Cambridge, and March 16, 2014 at Newton City Hall, a concert of dance and music with Dance Currents Inc. and Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston. 

  • “Argonauta”(1999). Premiere to Vivaldi’s “Spring” in April, as part of a Shared Choreographer’s Concert, The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA.  02139

Education 

  • Boston College: MAT in History awarded December, 1994. 

  • Goddard College: Masters of Arts (Dance) awarded August 1986. 

  • Skidmore College: BA in History/Philosophy awarded June 1969. 

Professional Dance or Theater Companies (performer/choreographer) 

  • Artistic Director of Dance Currents, Inc. (1999-2007 the group was called the Kathy Hassinger Dance Company). incorporated in November, 2008, and received a 501c3 status in February, 2009. 

  • Dance Visions, under the direction of Margot Parsons. 1981-1999. (performer and choreographer) 

  • Boston Liturgical Dance Ensemble, under the direction of Rev. Robert Ver Eecke S.J. 1980-1989. (performer). 

  • Publick Theater, summer shows. 1984-1986. (performer) 

  • Dorothy Hershkowitz and Company 1980-1982. (performer) 

  • Village Dance Arts Theater under the direction of Toni Carrion. 1970-1975 (performer and choreographer) 

  • Washington Dancers in Repertory under the direction of Ethel Butler, former Graham dancer. 1971/1972. (performer). 

Publications 

  • “Boston Dance Alliance Newsletter” November, 1998. Dance in Boston Schools. Volume 8 #6, Building Bridges: Science, Funding and Dance. 

  • “Network Journal of Education”, 1995, volume 6. Book Review on Art, Mind, and Education by Howard Gardner and David Perkins. 

Teaching Experience (Most recent first)

  • Ballet for Seniors, December, 2025- present.  Cooper Center for Active Living, Newton, MA

  • The History of Ballet to 1914.  Bridgewater State University.  Fall, 2021.

  • Modern Dance and Pre-Ballet at The West Suburban YMCA, Newton, MA.  Spring, 2018-   Winter of 2019.

  • Workshop for Integrarte Dance Studio on “The Early Moderns”,  March 4 and 11, 2017.

  • Instructor at Emerson College for Perspectives in World Dance (2008-2016) and Ballet (December 2012- June 2013/substitute for Shawn Mahoney). 

  • Ballet Teacher, Jose Mateo Ballet Theater, September 21, 2010 –May, 2011 

  • Dance Teacher for the DARTS program, sponsored by the Boston Symphony, July 5-10, 2009 

  • Cambridge Dance in the Schools, Fletcher Maynard, Cambridge Public School, March 2009. 

  • Choreographer for Salve Regina Dance Company, Dance Extensions. September, 2008-February, 2008. 

  • Taught Workshops in Early Modern Dance at The Dance Complex, Cambridge, MA, March-April 2010,

  • Deborah Mason Studio, Cambridge, Ma.July, 2008, and The Ballet Space, Framingham, Ma. August, 2008. 

  • Teacher and teaching assistant for Boston Ballet’s City Dance Program. September, 2007 – May,2008. 

  • Head of Dance Department, Ballet, Modern Dance, History and Choreography instructor, Newton Country Day School, Newton, MA. 02458. September 1990 to June, 2007. (Choreographed numerous musicals). 

  • Dance teacher and choreographer with City Mission Society at the Hurley School and the Mackey School in Boston 1986- 1993. 

  • Children’s dance and exercise teacher at the Sporer Studio, Cambridge 1988-1990

  • Choreographer and dance teacher for Watertown Children’s theater, 1986-1990. (Choreographed numerous musicals). 

  • Dance teacher at Buckingham, Browne and Nichols School, 1981-1985. (Choreographed numerous musicals).

  • Dance teacher (children’s classes, Modern, and Ballet) Newton Arts Center 1978-1983. 

Grants / Awards Received / Appointments

  • Received a Terrific Teacher Award from the Calesea Foundation for encouraging self-esteem in students. (1993) Successfully completed a project to bolster self-esteem with the $500 award. 

  • Received a MCC grant for $500 to rent a floor from Boston Danee Alliance for a performance at Newton City Hall, March, 2014. 

  • Received a $742 professional development grant from Emerson College for the making of a movie,  “Living the Legacy of Modern Dance.”  2014.

  • Received a grant of $750 from Newton Festival of the Arts to produce a Newton Dance Concert, May, 2016 with Joanie Block of SelmaDanse.

  • Received a NULA award from the Boston Socio Economic Committee for Master in Community Entertainment.

  • Newton Cultural Council serving my 3rd term.  I served two years with Linda Plaut and am serving now with Ruth Ann Fuller.

References Available on Request