Ben Howard began his formal dance training at age 11 under the direction of Boris Chepelev and Janna Kirova, and in 2011 he enrolled at the Florida State University School of Dance. Howard studied site-specific performance with Zach Morris, Tom Pearson, and Jennine Willett of Third Rail Projects. He has worked with numerous notable dance pedagogues and choreographers including Anjali Austin, Tyrone Brooks, Suzanne Farrell, Tim Glenn, Gerri Houlihan, David Howard, Sheila Humphreys, Alex Ketley, Carla Maxwell, Rick McCullough, Anthony Morgan, Roxane d’Orleans Juste, Dan Wagoner, Gwen Welliver, and Jawole Zollar. Howard was a Principal company member with The Tallahassee Ballet (2016–2020) and was a performer for Celebrity Cruise Line. Throughout his career, Howard has performed across 12 countries and three continents.
Drawing on a background of site-specific dance collaboration, elaborate murder mystery role-play dinner parties, architecture, and immersive art, Howard’s choreographic work questions the boundaries of traditional theatrical venues and seeks to find and create compelling locations in which to exist. Howard’s recent projects have focused on interdisciplinary performance, which culminated in the collaborative premiere of The Picture of Dorian Gray: Basil, The Artist at Texas A&M. The work involved the disciplines of fine art, dance theatre, and opera and was presented alongside composer/pianist Daniel Smith (Assistant Professor at Florida State University) and baritone Dr. Mark Diamond (Assistant Professor of Voice at Baylor University). Howard is currently in process on a new dance film with Daniel Smith and is expanding his interdisciplinary practice to include miniature hand-crafted environments.
Education
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance (2013), Florida State University.
Master of Fine Arts in Dance (2020), Florida State University.
Teaching Areas:
Contemporary Dance Technique
Introduction to the Dance Profession
Select Scholarly & Creative Works:
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Basil, The Artist, Choreographer/Dancer/Painter, Dance Opera, Texas A&M, College Station, TX, 2023
Sandbox Dreams, Choreographer/Performer, Interdisciplinary Collaborative Installation, Contemporary Art Music Project’s international new music festival CAMPGround23, Tampa, FL, 2023
The Unspoken, Director/Performer, Immersive Dance Theatre, MFA Thesis, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 2020
Research Areas:
Immersive Performance, Dance Theatre, Site-Specific Dance, Acting, Persona, Costuming, Theatrical Production, Crafting, and Set Construction
