Stephanie Saland was born in Brooklyn, and entered The School of American Ballet at age 15.
Three years later she was invited by George Balanchine to join the New York City Ballet and in a
21year career with City Ballet, she was showcased in leading roles under Balanchine's direction, as well
as principal roles in Jerome Robbins' repertoire. Guest performances included Nureyev and Friends , Giselle
with Alexander Gudonov and numerous Live From Lincoln Center and Dance in America films. Before moving to
Seattle in the fall of 1993, she taught movement for student actors at Playwrights' Horizons and helped
develop a body-awareness class for actors with theater teacher Caymichael Patten.
Since finishing her performance career, Ms.Saland has been a freelance instructor traveling to teach in NY,
San Francisco, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen, Madrid and Mallorca.
Some of her strongest influences were from teachers such as Stanley Williams, Maggie Black and Tina Bernal.
She was equally inspired and informed through other non-ballet sources including Gyrotonics, Pilates, Zeena Romett
floor barre and years of a variety of modalities including cranial-sacral, physical therapy, network chiropractic, soma and Aston Patterning.
Ms.Saland offers a class that is synthesis of information of these systems.
The goal is first to center dancers to place the body in space in a way that is aligned, and then to
sequence exercises in a progression that will assist in forging and distilling ways to enrich movement and body awareness.
The class clearly embraces the musicality and specificity that is the hallmark of the work of Balanchine and Stanley Williams.
"...As a dancer, Stephanie Saland inhabited each role bringing to it a glowing life with every step, every gesture. To
watch her was to understand what artistry is. As a teacher she is as unparalleled as she was in her dancing. Dance
becomes understandable when touched by Stephanie. It also becomes magic."
—Elizabeth Kaye, Contributing Arts Editor, LA & NY Times
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