92nd Street Y Names Juilliard's Taryn Kaschock Russell New Director Of The Harkness Dance Center

The 92nd Street Y-the world-class cultural and community center that has been connecting people around the globe through the arts, entertainment, and conversation for 145 years-today announced that Taryn Kaschock Russell is taking the helm as the new director of the world-renowned Harkness Dance Center.

Ms. Kaschock Russell assumes her new role leading the entire Harkness team after serving as Juilliard Dance Division's Acting Artistic Director, where she programmed several main stage performances. Over the past two decades, she has worked as a dance educator with Abraham in Motion, the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Ballet Hispanico, Ballet BC, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater following a 12-year performance career.

As the Director of The Harkness Dance Center, Ms. Kaschock Russell will focus on shaping 92Y's dance programming and education for the next generation of dancers and audiences, reimaging the world of dance at 92Y. Invested in the belief that access to dance should be universal and inclusive, she is committed to further diversifying Harkness' programming, artists, and patrons. She will oversee Dance Education Laboratory (DEL), the nationally recognized professional development program for artists and educators. This year DEL celebrates its 25th anniversary. She will begin her new role on Monday, September 9, 2019.

"After an extensive nationwide search, we are thrilled to announce that Taryn Kaschock Russell will shape the 92nd Street Y's dance programs and dance education for a new generation of dancers," said 92Y Deputy Executive Director Alyse Myers. "The Harkness Dance Center is where legends like Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey and Merce Cunningham pushed boundaries and evolved the art form, where modern-day pioneers continue to create and debut dance's most exciting works, and where tomorrow's stars are incubating today. We look forward to seeing how Ms. Kaschock Russell will expand our footprint further forward."

"As a dance educator and director, I seek to inspire individuals to reach their full potential and I am honored to continue my work to expand access to dance and the arts at one of the most esteemed and innovative dance centers in the world," said Taryn Kaschock Russell, incoming Director of The Harkness Dance Center. "I'm committed to building on Harkness' legacy as an inclusive arts institution to share the transformative power of dance with individuals of all ages and backgrounds."

"Harkness Dance Center has played an integral role in shaping modern dance today through rigorous dance education and forward-thinking repertoires. I am confident Ms. Kaschock Russell will further advance our work as an incubator for world-class dance education, performance, and emerging artists," said Jody Gottfried Arnhold, founder of Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) at 92Y.

Today's news comes just months after 92Y board member and dance educator Jody Gottfried Arnhold and her husband, John Arnhold, committed $5 million toward an exciting and ambitious plan to physically transform The Harkness Dance Center,creating a new flexible studio space which will greatly expand the footprint of historic Buttenwieser Hall.

At Juilliard, Ms. Kaschock Russell served on the artistic leadership team for the past three years as Associate Director in the 2016-17 and 2018-19 academic years, and as the Acting Artistic Director in 2017-18. She programmed the main stage performances at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater with four new creations during the fall and a triple bill in the spring which included Martha Graham'sRite of Spring and Bill T. Jones' D-Man in the Waters. Between 2008 and 2013, she directed Hubbard Street 2 where she was responsible for programming and staffing the HSDC summer intensives and curating HSDC's National Choreographic Competition.

As a performer, Ms. Kaschock Russell traveled extensively over her 12-year career with both Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and the Joffrey Ballet, performing works by George Balanchine, John Cranko, Agnes De Mille, Martha Graham, Lar Lubovitch, Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin, and William Forsythe. As a creator, she has composed a number of site-specific installations, most notably in collaborative partnership with the Art Institute of Chicago, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

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