Advanced Contemporary with Stewart/Owen Dance
Saturdays, 12:00–1:30 PM
Henry LaBrun Studio at the Wortham Center
Instructors: Gavin Stewart and Vanessa Owen
Led by Stewart/Owen co-directors Vanessa Owen and Gavin Stewart, this signature company class begins with full body conditioning followed by a series of technical modern exercises, and culminates in either phrase creation or Stewart/Owen repertory. Dancers are encouraged to modify for their own bodies and spaces! We recommend this class to experienced dancers who are looking for a fast-paced contemporary class that pushes their physical and mental boundaries.
September Session — Sept. 7, Sept. 14, Sept. 21, Sept. 28 (four weeks) = $64
October Session — Oct. 5, Oct. 12, Oct. 19, Oct. 26 (four weeks) = $64
November Session — Nov. 2, Nov. 9, Nov. 16, Nov. 23 (four weeks) = $64
December Session — Dec. 7, Dec. 14, Sec. 21 (three weeks) = $48
Total Fall Package = $240
Drop-in fee at class check-in with card = $18
About the instructors: Gavin Stewart and Vanessa Owen, a husband and wife duo, are the co-founders of Western North Carolina-based Stewart/Owen Dance. Their bespoke repertoire includes an exciting collection of contemporary choreography that’s as “intimate and intricate” (Washington Post) as it is “humorous, elegant, and wild” (Seattle Dances).
Stewart and Owen’s award-winning choreography has been presented by festivals and companies across the U.S., and their careers have taken them across the globe on fifteen U.S. State Department tours to teach, perform and choreograph contemporary dance with Washington D.C.-based Company E.
In 2017 they made North Carolina their home base where they work to cultivate the craft of storytelling through movement. Working with regional dance artists, writers, musicians, and storytellers, these cross-genre collaborators cultivate the craft of storytelling through movement — even choreographing music videos for Moses Sumney, Sylvan Esso, and Ben Phantom.
The Company won the Audience Choice Award and a commission for new work from NYC’s Dance Gallery Festival (2019), was voted “Artists Who Most Pushed the Boundaries with the Human Body” by Asheville Fringe Festival (2020), a North Carolina Regional Artist Project Grant (2020), two North Carolina Artist Support Grants (2021, 2024), a North Carolina Grassroots Arts Program Grant (2023), the inaugural North Carolina Choreography Fellowship from Trillium Arts (2023), and a commission from American Dance Festival (2024 premier). Throughout the pandemic, they focused on producing COVID-conscious dance experiences for live audiences, including sold-out drive-up performances at the Asheville Outlet Mall, and guided walk-along dance exhibits presented by the Wortham Center for the Performing Arts.
