Stephen Petronio was born in Newark, New Jersey, and received a B.A. from Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he began dancing in 1974. Initially inspired by the dancing of Rudolf Nureyev and Steve Paxton, Petronio was the first male dancer of the Trisha Brown Company (1979 to 1986). He founded Stephen Petronio Company in 1984 and has since received international acclaim for the development of his unique movement language and ground-breaking choreography. He has received a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship as well as awards from the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, New York Foundation for the Arts, an American Choreographer Award, and a New York Dance and Performance Award/Bessie. He has created over 30 works for his company as well as been commissioned by some of the worlds most prestigious ballet and modern companies: William Forsythe’s Frankfurt Ballet (1987), Tulsa Opera (1990), Deutsche Oper Berlin (1992), Lyon Opera Ballet (1994), Maggio Danza Florence (1996), and Sydney Dance Company (2003, full evening). His company works have been set on the Scottish Ballet, London Contemporary Dance Theater, Chamber Dance Company in Seattle, Skolen for Moderne Dans in Denmark, Norrdans in Sweden, Scottish Ballet, and X Factor Dance Company in Edinburgh, among others. In 2006, major repertory works were set on Ballet National de Marseille, Ballet Lorraine and London Contemporary Dance Theater. Additionally, new works were created for Norrdans and Washington Ballet. Mr. Petronio is currently working on a new creation for his company in collaboration with Fischerspooner, as well as a new work for the Scottish Ballet.

Work commissioned by Dance Works Rotterdam:
Lareigne, 12 January 2008 (program Rotterdam/ New York)