Gregg Lizenbery

Gregg Lizenbery is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading performing artists in contemporary dance and as a master educator in Laban Movement Analysis. After attending the University of Utah, he became a principal dancer with the original Utah Repertory Dance Theatre (1967-75), appearing in choreography by José Limón, Anna Sokolow, Donald McKayle, Paul Sanasardo, John Butler, Glen Tetley, Matt Mattox, Viola Farber, Ethel Winter, Doris Humphrey, and Jennifer Muller. In 1975 he co-founded the Bill Evans Dance Company and was co-Director and principal dancer until 1981.

As a master teacher, Lizenbery was part of the National Endowment for the Arts-in-Education Program from 1976 through 1982. He received Certification in Laban Movement Analysis (CMA) in 1982 and has been in demand nationwide for his unique and lively application of LMA to performing techniques. As a Guest Artist/Educator, he has taught at the José Limón Studio in New York and at numerous universities, including Harvard, Duke, University of California campuses, Arizona State, University of Illinois, Ohio State, Western Michigan University, Texas Women's University, Columbia College Dance Center, and Stanford University, and was in residence at the National Theater of Taiwan.

Choreographic works by Lizenbery have been performed by companies across the country.  His nineteen-year collaboration with Dr. Schaffer and Mr. Stern Dance Ensemble led to two evening-length concerts. Thunderous reviews for this company applaud the dance-theatre works for their witty and wry comments on society.

During his extensive performing career Lizenbery has also been Guest Artist with the Winnipeg Contemporary Dancers, Cliff Keuter’s NewDance, and Tandy Beal Dance Company, and he has appeared in the national broadcast of the PBS program VOICE/DANCE, with Bobby McFerrin.  His solo concert, MEN DANCING, is a retrospective of men in American dance, and it has toured nationally and internationally.  Dancing Men of the 20th Century, a video documentary based on the solo concert, was broadcast on PBS in July 2000, and is available for educational distribution.

Extensive research on the eight choreographers represented in his concert led to several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts to create an hour-long documentary on the life and works of Donald McKayle.  His craft and artistry have touched every venue for dance from television and film to Broadway and the concert stage.  Donald McKayle:  Heartbeats of a DanceMaker was broadcast nationally on PBS in February 2004, and is available for distribution through Dance Horizons.

Gregg Lizenbery was elected as a board member (2004-06) of the American College Dance Festival Association and presented the keynote address at the 2004 Utah Dance Educators Organization; he was elected Vice President of the Council of Dance Administrators (2006-2007) and President (2007-2010); he was designated the 1987 Visiting Scholar to Western Michigan University, and is a permanent member of the Distinguished Artists Forum for the California State University system.  The Hawai‘i State Dance Council recognized him with the 1999 Excellence in Performance Award.  He is currently a Professor, Director and Graduate Chair of the dance program, and Chair of the Department of Theatre and Dance at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.