Hannah Baumgarten, Founding Co-Artistic Director

Hannah grew up between Santa Cruz, California, and Jerusalem, Israel where she began her dance training. Hannah received a B.F.A. from the Juilliard School in 1993 under the mentorship of Benjamin Harkarvy after attending the University of Utah Ballet Department under Conrad Ludlow, Bene Arnold and Janek Schergen. While at Juilliard, Hannah danced lead roles in the works of Master Choreographers such as Graham, Limon, Taylor, Sokolow, Harkarvy and Nikolais and had her choreography presented at Alice Tully Hall, the Peter J. Sharp theater and other venues in Lincoln Center. Hannah danced with Utah Ballet, Michael Uthoff DanceTheatre, Labyrinth Dance Theatre, William Adair and Dancers, Karen Peterson & Dancers, Momentum Dance Company, Giovanni Luquini & Dancers and Ballet Flamenco La Rosa. 

She is a Florida Choreographic Fellow; her work has been presented internationally on three continents and in 15 US states; Baumgarten collaborates with a team of artists including first and foremost Co-Director Diego Salterini, but also Bruce F. Brown (scenic designer), Haydee and Maria Morales (costume designers), Davidson Jaconello (composer), Federico Bonacossa (composer), Aleksander Djuric (composer) as well as choreographers including Fernando Duarte (Portugal) Emiliano Candiago (Italy) and others. She has taught extensively throughout the US and abroad at institutions including Teatro Colon, Argentina, Mostra Dança, Brazil, Joffrey Ballet School of New York, Mercyhurst University, Cincinnati Conservatory and Interlochen Center for the Arts.  

She founded Dance NOW! Miami with Salterini in 2000, and with DNM has toured the US, Mexico, Central, South America and Europe. Through the company’s programs Baumgarten has been involved in the reconstruction/restaging of major works from choreographers including Isadora Duncan, José Limón, Gerald Arpino, Doris Humphrey, Edward Stierle, Tandy Beal, Michael Uthoff, Carolyn Dorfman, Daniel Lewis, Colleen Farnum and others.

Hannah was Director of Dance at Dillard Center for the Arts in Ft. Lauderdale for 10 years and on faculty at Miami Arts Charter for 8 years and currently adjunct at New World School of the Arts. Baumgarten is certified in Pilates through Core Dynamics and served as a grant panelist for State of Florida and Miami-Dade County. Baumgarten taught at the Interlochen Summer Camp for 15 years and the Joffrey Ballet School NY Summer Program since 2012 serving as master teacher and recruiter Nationally and Internationally.