Gesel Mason

Artist-in-Residence

301-405-0763
1937 Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center
gmason@mason-rhynes.org
www.mason-rhynes.org

 

Education/Training:

University of Utah, BFA in Modern Dance and Teacher's Certification in Secondary Education: Major - Modern Dance, Minor - Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL)

Areas of Specialization/Interest:

Technique, Choreography, Repertory, Community Engagement and Outreach

Professional Affiliations:

Current: Co-founder and Artistic Director, Mason/Rhynes Productions; Artistic Director, Gesel Mason Performance Projects; Company Member, Ralph Lemon /Cross Performance Group; Rehearsal Director, Guest Performer, Guest Faculty, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Former: Guest Performer - Ririe/Woodbury Dance Company, Repertory Dance Theatre of Utah; Visiting Artist - Columbia College, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Virginia Commonwealth University; Director/Dance Instructor, Apple Valley High School; Adjudicator, American College Dance Festival Association.

Representative Productions:

For Gesel Mason Performance Projects: Women, Sex, and Desire: Sometimes You Feel Like a Ho, Sometimes You Don’t,  NO BOUNDARIES: Dancing the Visions of Contemporary Black Choreographers featuring Bebe Miller, Donald McKayle David Rousseve, Reggie Wilson, Andrea Woods, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Whose Body Is This?: Scars and Healing, A Declaration of (In)Dependence: The Story of Sally Hemings. Venues: 651 Arts, Aronoff Center for the Arts, Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, Dance Place, Joyce SoHo, Links Hall, Painted Bride, University of Virginia. Festivals: DanceAfrica, Black Arts Movement Festival, International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference, International Contemporary Dance Conference and Performance Festival in Poland.

Honors and Awards: Pola Nirenska Memorial Award for Contemporary Achievement in Dance, University of Utah Distinguished Alumni Award, New England Foundation for the Arts Touring Grant, National Performance Network Creation Fund, Maryland State Arts Council Individual Artist Award, Metro DC Dance Awards for Outstanding Individual Performance and Outstanding Overall Production – Small Venue, John F. Kennedy Center Millennium Stage Local Dance Commissioning Project, NEA Heritage Grant, Dance/USA National College Choreography Initiative, selected Emerging Choreographer for Bates Summer Dance Festival.