Gwen Hunter Ritchie

Performer, Teacher, Choreographer

4715 Wallingford Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
412-606-1161
gwenritchie@gmail.com

EDUCATION __________________________________________________________

1992 The University of South Florida, Bachelor of Arts in Dance,

cum laude

Professional Studies:
• Modern: Ron Brown, Neil Greenberg, Gerri Houlihan, Daniel
Lewis, Liz Lerman, Gary Lund, John Malashock, Lisa Race, Mark
Taylor, Bert Terbourgh, Lynne Wimmer.
• Ballet: Victoria Leigh, Rosanna Seravalli, Betti-Jane Sills, Jackie
Villamil, and Christine Wright.
• Improvisiation: Nina Martin, Dr. Timothy Wilson

1988-89 S.U.N.Y at Purchase, Dance Major

PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC POSITIONS __________________________

2003- present Laboratory Company Dance (LABCO), Artistic Director

Pittsburgh, PA.

• Select programming for all performances and educational

programs.
• Select guest choreographers for annual home season and touring.
• Choreograph approximately 20% of current repertory.
• Train company dancers and teach company classes in the
community.
• Hire and manage all other artistic staff.
• Perform a broad range of administrative tasks including: press
releases, marketing/promotional materials, grant writing, artistic
and organizational planning/evaluation.

2008-present Slippery Rock University Department of Dance, Instructor

(one quarter time), Slippery Rock , PA.
Level 3 Modern Technique.
1998-2003 Dance Alloy, Company Member and Lecture Demonstration
Coordinator Pittsburgh, PA.

• Performed in fifteen pieces of repertory in the U.S and abroad,

including works by: Mark Taylor, Sean Curran, Tere O’ Conner,
David Rousseve, Anita Rhatnam, and Sarah Skaggs.
• Performed and participated in several cross- cultural
collaborations.
• Taught company classes.
• Coordinated with schools to arrange lecture/demonstrations.

1997-99 The Kevin Wynn Collection, Freelance dancer New York, NY.

1995-97 Lower Left Dance, Company Member San Diego, CA.

1993-97 Malashock Dance and Company, Assistant to the Director and

Company Member San Diego, CA.

• Performed and toured nationally and in Eastern Europe.

• Conducted rehearsals in the absence of the Artistic Director.
• Taught company classes and educational outreach programs.

1992-93 Liz Lerman and the Dance Exchange, Associate Company

Member Washington DC

1992-93 Lesa McLaughlin and Dancers, Company Member,

Washington DC.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE ______________________________________________

2008-present Slippery Rock University Dance Department Slippery Rock,

PA- Part-time instructor for Level 3 Modern Dance

2003-2008 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH- Instructor for

Summer Dance Intensives. Modern Technique, Pilates, and
Yoga/Pilates

2003-2008 Slippery Rock University Slippery Rock, PA. Master Classes in

Modern Dance and Composition.

2005- 2007 Chatham College Pittsburgh, PA- Adjunct Faculty. Contemporary

Dance 1 & 2, Dance Performances, Improvisation and
Composition
2007 Southwest Ballet Carnegie, PA. Master class in Modern Dance

2005 James Madison University Virginia. Modern Dance Master Class

1993-97 & 2004 Malashock Dance & Company San Diego, CA. Instructor for
company classes and Summer Intensives. Modern Dance,
Repertory, and Partnering.

1999-2002 Dance Alloy Pittsburgh, PA. Instructor for Neighborhood Dance

Center and Alloy Summer Intensives. Modern technique,
Repertory, and Pilates.

2001 Youngstown State University Youngstown, OH. Pilates Master

Class.

1998 Dance Space New York, NY. Instructor for Modern Guest Artist
Series, Modern Technique.

1996 Lower Left Dance San Diego, CA . Instructor for Dance

Performance Workshop.

1993-97 San Diego Civic Youth Ballet San Diego, CA. Modern Dance
Technique for adults and children.

1993-96 San Diego Junior Theatre San Diego, CA. Jazz Technique for
children.

1993-95 San Diego City Moves! San Diego, CA . Dance Instructor for 3-5
the graders in Public Elementary Schools.

1993 University of Las Vegas. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Master Class for Dance Department

PERFORMANCE _______________________________________________________

2008 Connect: 4
Breathe Yoga Anniversary Event- Pittsburgh, PA
La Femme en Flammes choreographed by Gwen Hunter Ritchie.

Second Saturdays
Pillow Project Event – The Space Upstairs, Pittsburgh, PA.
Under Lock and Key (excerpt) choreographed by Ursula Payne.

Black Box X
 Breathe Yoga Studio, Pittsburgh, PA
Under Lock and Key(excerpt) choreographed by Ursula Payne.

Slippery Rock University Lecture Demonstration

Performed by LABCO Dance , Slippery Rock, PA
Under Lock and Key choreographed by Ursula Payne.
S[even](excerpt) choreographed by Pavel Zustiak.

2007 Private Domain

LABCO Dance- New Hazlett Theatre

DecaDance
LABCO Dance- Union Project, Pittsburgh, PA
Woman’s Dance choreographed by Sarah Skaggs.
Pinching Rainbows (excerpt) choreographed by Gwen Hunter
Ritchie.
To the Teeth (excerpt) choreography by Kevin Wynn.
Judy Garland Part 3 (excerpt) choreography by Neil Greenberg.

Gallery Crawl
Katz Plaza, Pittsburgh, PA
Woman’s Dance choreographed by Sarah Skaggs

Connect 3:
Breathe Yoga Anniversary Event- Pittsburgh, PA
Woman’s Dance choreographed by Sarah Skaggs

2006 Ripe
LABCO Dance at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA.
Soul Carrier choreographed by Gwen Hunter Ritchie.
Steel- Eyed Susans choreographed by Donna Uchizono.
Woman’s Dance choreographed by Sarah Skaggs.

Body of Work
Solo/duet concert of Jennifer Keller, Kelly-Strayhorn Theater
Skin Deep co-choreographed by Jennifer Keller and Gwen Hunter
Ritchie.

2005 3 Rivers Arts Festival

LABCO Dance, Volkswagon Stage, Pittsburgh, PA.
Throne choreographed by Teena Custer.
Treading Rites choreographed by Gwen Hunter Ritchie.

Urban Wedding: Dance Loves Art, Art Loves Dance

LABCO Dance Fundraiser in collaboration with the Three Rivers
Arts Festival.
 Montage of previous work:
Difficult Bodies choreographed by Miguel Gutierrez.
Treading Rites choreographed by Gwen Hunter Ritchie.
To the Teeth choreographed by Kevin Wynn.
Drowning Not Waving choreographed by Gwen Hunter Ritchie.

2004 Precipice
LABCO Dance, Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA.
Difficult Bodies choreographed by Miguel Gutierrez.
To the Teeth choreographed by Kevin Wynn.
Deluge co-choreographed by Andre Koslowski and Gwen Hunter
Ritchie.

Uprising
LABCO Dance, Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre.
La Femme en Flammes choreographed by Gwen Hunter Ritchie.
Traenen choreographed by Andre Koslowski.
Up and… choreographed by Lisa Race.

2003 New Works

LABCO Dance
Skin Deep co-choreographed by Jennifer Keller and Gwen Hunter
Ritchie.

1998-2003 Dance Alloy Repertory Performed:

Five Little Tragedies choreographed by Mark Taylor.
Nevertheless choreographed by Mark Taylor.
Bodice Ripper choreographed by Mark Taylor.
Dust choreographed by Anita Ratnam and Mark Taylor.
Devotion choreographed by Mark Taylor.
I Miss You choreographed by Tere O’ Connor.
Province choreographed by Mark Taylor.
Xanadu choreographed by Mark Taylor.
Swan Lake, Act II choreographed by Mark Taylor.
Roots/ Crossroutes choreographed by Mark Taylor.
Constant Climax choreographed by Mark Taylor.
The Nothing That is Not There and the Nothing That is
choreographed by Sean Curran.
Prestige choreographed by Mark Taylor.
Pope Joan choreographed by Mark Taylor.
Love Stories choreographed by David Rousseve.
Get Out of the House choreography by Sarah Skaggs.
Touring: University of Dayton, Cincinnati, Gettysburg, Frostburg
State University, Dickinson College, Indiana University of
Pennsylvania (IUP), Slippery Rock University, Longwood
Gardens, Philadelphia, Bucks County, PA, West Virginia
 Wesleyan, St. Thomas, USVI, Madras, Hyderabad, and New
Dehli, India.

1997-99 The Kevin Wynn Collection, NYC

Select choreography by Kevin Wynn
Performances at The Cunningham Studios and The Joyce Theater

1993-97 Malashock Dance and Company Repertory:

The Hunter choreographed by John Malashock.
Broad Waters choreographed by John Malashock.
Window Dressers choreographed by John Malashock.
L’Histoire du Soldat choreographed by John Malashock,
Tribes choreographed by John Malashock.
Where the Arrow Landed choreographed by John Malashock.
And Back Again choreographed by John Malashock.
Touring: Ford Ampitheatre, Los Angeles, Ca, University of
California Los Angeles, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth,
TX, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV, National Theatre of
Poland, Warsaw, Poland, Krakow, Poland, Sanok, Poland, Gdansk,
Poland, Bytom, Poland, Sibiu and Sofia, Romania, and Macedonia.

1995 & 1997 Lower Left Dance, San Diego, CA.

Available for Space Improvisational Dance Concert at Sushi
Performance Gallery, San Diego, CA.

1996 San Diego Opera, San Diego, CA.

Aida choreographed by John Malashock

1992-93 Liz Lerman and The Dance Exchange, Washington DC.

Que Sera choreography by Liz Lerman at ADF.
The Good Jew choreography by Liz Lerman, Jacob’s Pillow, MA.
Reenactments choreography by Liz Lerman , UC Davis, CA.
Still Crossings choreography by Liz Lerman, UC Davis, CA.

1992-93 Lesa McLaughlin & Dancers

Select choreography by Lesa McLaughlin
Dance Place, Washington DC.

CHOREOGRAPHY _____________________________________________________

2007 La Femme en Flammes

Solo re-worked with video artist, Lynne Wimmer
 Premiere: New Hazlett Theatre

2007 Untitled
Solo
Premiere: Black Box VIII, Breathe Yoga Studio

2006 Soul Carrier

Half-evening length group work with original music by Efrain
Amaya, set design by Susanna Amundarain, and video projection
by Prajna Parasher.
Premiere: Kelly- Strayhorn Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA

2005 Out of Body

Group work originally commissioned by JMU then performed by
LABCO Dance
Premiere: JMU Faculty Concert, Harrisonburg, VA

2004 Deluge
Duet with set design and water, co- choreographed with Andre
Koslowski
Premiere: Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre

Drowning Not Waving

Solo
Premiere: Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre

Falling Out
Duet created for LABCO Dance
Premiere: Kelly- Strayhorn Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA

2003 Skin Deep

Duet co-choreographed with Jennifer Keller with video projection.
Premiere: Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA

Treading Rites
Group work created for LABCO Dance
Premiere: Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre

2001 Garden
Improvisational based Trio co-choreographed with Elizabeth
Swallow and Michael Walsh.
Premiere: Byham Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA.

2001 The Viewing Room

Group work performed by University of Pittsburgh students.
 Premiere: Trees Hall, Pittsburgh, PA

1999 Twitch
Group work co-choreographed with Michael Walsh for students at
Rogers School for the Creative and Performing Arts.
Premiere: Hunt Armory, Pittsburgh, PA

1999 Inner State Teetering

Duet for solo dancer and classical bassist. Created in collaboration
with composer and bassist Weldon T. Anderson.
Premiere: Eddy Theater, Pittsburgh, PA.

1998 Pinching Rainbows

Quintet created on LABCO Dance
Premiere: Eddy Theatre

1997 Witnessing
Quartet created originally on Lower Left Dance then performed
with Malashock Dance and Company.
Premiere: Sushi Performance Gallery, San Diego, CA.

1997 Symptomatic
Duet co-choreographed with Tammy Dunsizer
Premiere: Sushi Preformance Gallery, San Diego, CA.

1996 Hypnopompia
Solo created in collaboration with composer Jandro Kirkish.
Premiere: Lyceum Theatre, San Diego, CA.

1992 Passion, Pulse, and Power

Septet created for BA Senior Project
Premiere: Theatre 2, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

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COMMISSIONS ________________________________________________________

2007 Pittsburgh Opera Theatre and Gateway to the Arts Pittsburgh,

PA. Phantasmagorilla (Children’s Opera)
Pittsburgh’s Children’s Museum

2005 James Madison University Harrisonburg, VA.

Out of Body (group work)
JMU Faculty Concert
2004 Cleveland State University Cleveland, OH
La Femme en Flammes (solo with poet, Gina Tabasso))
CSU Summerdance Concert, Drinko Hall

2001 University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh, PA

The Viewing Room (group work)
Student and Faculty Concert, Trees Hall

1998 LABCO Dance

Pinching Rainbows
Quintet created on LABCO Dance
4 C’s Concert at the Eddy Theatre. Pittsburgh, PA.

CERTIFICATIONS AND SCHOLARSHIPS ________________________________

2000 Core Dynamics, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Pilates Certification in Mat and Apparatus

2000 University of South Florida

Distinguished Alumna Dean’s Award for Excellence in Artistic
Leadership

1999 Pittsburgh Magazine

Harry Schwalb Excellence in the Arts

1997 San Diego’s Union Tribune- “Noisemaker’s of 1996”

Listed as one of San Diego’s top five artists by dance critic Anne
Marie Welsh.

1997 American Council on Exercise (ACE)

Personal Trainer Certification

1992 American Dance Festival

Scholarship to Summer American Dance Festival

1992 National Dance Association

Outstanding Dance Major Award

1992 University Of South Florida

BRAVO! Scholarship

1989 S.U.N.Y. at Purchase

 Nancy Jo Abeles Scholarship

GRANTS RECEIVED ___________________________________________________

2003-2008 Heinz Endowments Small Arts Initiative

Project support for LABCO Dance Seasons:
Uprising, Precipice, Unraveling, Ripe, Private Domain, and
Holding Passage.

2003-2008 Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

Operational support for LABCO Dance.

2007 The Princes Grace Foundation

Project support for commissioned choreographer Pavel Zustiak for
LABCO’s Season Private Domain.

2004 & 2007 AW Mellon Educational and Charitable Fund

Project Support for LABCO Dance Seasons:
Precipice and Private Domain

2003, 2006 & 2007 Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation

Special Project Support for LABCO Dance’s Black Box Initiative
and Community Outreach

2003 & 2005 Mellon Financial Corporation- Audience Development Fund

Special funding for LABCO Dance’s marketing efforts.

2005 The Grable Foundation

Special funding for LABCO’s Creatvity Through Movement
Outreach Program in the Woodland Hills School District.

2004 Sprout Fund

Project Support for LABCO Dance’s Black Box Initiative

2004 Ames Grant/ProArts

Special Funding for Strategic Planning and Board Development of
LABCO Dance.

1999 Pittsburgh Dance Council, Choreographers’ Continuum Grant

Project support for Out of State Teetering production.

1996 City Moves! Dance Foundation, Independent Choreographers

Grant. Project Support for Hypnopompia production.
*References available upon request