Meet the 26/27 Dance Series Choreographers
Dance is constantly reinventing itself, and these choreographers are helping lead the way. Through bold experimentation, fearless performance, and deeply personal storytelling, they expand our understanding of what dance can be and do. Their work asks audiences not just to watch, but to feel, reflect, and imagine new possibilities for movement, connection, and expression.
Get to know the artists bringing these visionary works to the Power Center this season:
Shamel Pitts
Shamel Pitts is a multidisciplinary artist, choreographer, dancer, and director whose work blends movement, visual art, and storytelling to explore identity, memory, and transformation. Trained in the Gaga movement language and a former member of the Batsheva Dance Company for seven years, Pitts is the founder and artistic director of TRIBE. His internationally acclaimed works—including BLACK HOLE and the ongoing RED Series—combine dance, sound, ritual, and immersive design to create visionary explorations of Black embodiment, self-expression, and human connection.
Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber
Bobbi and Or are director-choreographers whose collaborative work spans dance, opera, theater, and film. Both are alumni of the Batsheva Dance Company and founding members of the American Modern Opera Company. In 2026, they were appointed resident choreographers of Vancouver’s Ballet BC. Smith and Schraiber — partners both inside and outside the studio — have choreographed works for dance companies such as the Paris Opera Ballet, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, the National Ballet of Canada, the Martha Graham Dance Company, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Batsheva Ensemble, Theater Basel, Ballet BC, and L.A. Dance Project, among others.
Lucinda Childs
Lucinda Childs is one of the most influential figures in contemporary dance. A founding member of Judson Dance Theater in the 1960s, she helped redefine dance through her groundbreaking minimalist approach, characterized by precise movement, structured repetition, and a striking interplay between music and choreography. Over a career spanning more than six decades, Childs has created landmark works for dance, opera, and theater, including her celebrated collaboration with Philip Glass for Einstein on the Beach. Recently profiled by The New York Times and appointed resident choreographer of Gibney, Childs continues to shape the field with new creations that affirm her enduring artistic vision and influence.
This season, UMS offers a rare opportunity to experience two of her new works, Fri-Sat Apr 2-3.
Join Us This Season
From intimate explorations of identity and memory to large-scale celebrations of music, movement, and collaboration, these performances showcase the extraordinary range of dance in our 2026/27 season.
Love great music, theater, and dance?
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