Modern & Ballet
Vanessa Van Wormer is a choreographer, dancer, and instructor. Her diverse career includes dancing for the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Bill Evans Dance Company, James Hansen Assemblage/Dance, Ballet Spokane and The Spokane Opera. She has toured nationally and internationally to venues including Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, The American Dance Guild Festival, the Royal Academy of Music in London, The American School in Switzerland, and with numerous regional festivals. Van Wormer’s choreography has been regularly featured internationally in Ticino in Danza, Lugano Switzerland, and at the American School in Switzerland. Nationally her work has been commissioned for Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra Pop's series, Eastman School of Music, Memorial Art Gallery, Yards Collaborative, and for festivals including REVERBdance in NYC and Boston, Take Root Festival at Green Space NYC, Core Project Chicago, Pasadena Dance Festival, DUMBO Dance Festival, Ballet Spokane, Dance New Amsterdam, and Movement Research, among others. Van Wormer regularly collaborates with live musicians and multi-media artists, including the Andrew Alden Ensemble, Jeff Tyzik of the RPO, Stephen Kennedy, Director of Music and Organist at Christ Church Rochester and Instructor at the Eastman School of Music, Costume designer Emma Scholl, and Heather Jefferies of Nylon Theatre, UK.
Van Wormer has taught at Nazareth College, and comes to SMC Dance to teach ballet & modern fall semester 2016 directly from SUNY Brockport where she was Visiting Assistant Professor of Dance. While at Brockport, Van Wormer implemented and served as Artistic Director of Chamber Ballet Brockport, a multidisciplinary performance ensemble.
Originally from Spokane WA, Van Wormer received her MFA in Dance Choreography and Performance from The College at Brockport, State University of New York, and completed graduate work at Roehampton University in the UK. She earned her BA in Theatre and Minor in Dance from Belhaven University. Van Wormer is an ABT® certified Teacher, who has successfully completed the ABT® Teaching Training Intensive in Pre- Primary through Level 5 of the ABT® National Training Curriculum.