David Parsons

David Parsons has enjoyed a remarkable career as a director, choreographer, performer, master teacher, and producer. Raised in Kansas City, Mr. Parsons made it to New York at the age of 17 when he received a scholarship to The Ailey School. Following his studies, he became an understudy with the Paul Taylor Dance Company and then joined the company as a principal dancer, where he stayed for eight years. During the summers, he toured with MOMIX, appeared with Mikhail Baryshnikov and Mark Morris in the first White Oak tour, and launched his choreographic career by setting work on the Taylor Company and on the National Ballet of Canada, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Batsheva Dance Company, and the Paris Opera Ballet.

After leaving the Taylor company, Mr. Parsons was a guest artist with New York City Ballet for four years before his artistic prowess led him to undertake such diverse projects as choreographing Aida at Arena di Verona and producing and co-choreographing María de Buenos Aires at the Skirball Center, as well as creating the choreography for Fool’s Fire, a 1992 film directed by Julie Taymor. Perhaps one of his most thrilling assignments was choreographing and directing the dance elements for Times Square 2000, the 24-hour festivities in Times Square celebrating the Millennium. Since then, Mr. Parsons has participated in many projects, including choreographing A Knight’s Tale, a musical theater work directed by John Caird. Staged at Tokyo’s iconic Imperial Theatre in summer 2018, the work featured Japanese pop stars.

In addition to the more than 75 works that he has created for Parsons Dance, Mr. Parsons has received commissions from such companies as American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the American Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, the Spoleto Festival, and Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam. His most recent commission was A Play For Love for the Kansas City Ballet in May 2019.   

Heralded by The New York Times as “one of the great movers of modern dance,” Mr. Parsons has received many accolades throughout his career, including three Choreography Fellowship Grants from the National Endowment of the Arts, the American Choreography Award, the Dance Magazine Award, a Howard Gilman Fellowship, and the Dance Masters of America Annual Award. In May 2018, he received the Capezio Award, one of the most prestigious awards in dance.