Doug Varone and Dancers

2026 marks Doug Varone and Dancers’ 40th year of creating and touring work. On the concert stage, in opera, theater and on the screen, Varone’s kinetically thrilling dances make essential connections and mine the complexity of the human spirit.

Since its first performances at PS122 in 1986, the company has performed in more than 125 cities in 45 states across the U.S. and in Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America. Stages include The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, San Francisco Performances, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Toronto’s Harbourfront, Moscow’s Stanislavsky Theater, Buenos Aires’ Teatro San Martin, the Venice Biennale, Marble Hall in Tokyo, and the Bates, Jacob’s Pillow and American Dance Festivals. In opera and theater, the company regularly collaborates on the many Varone-directed or choreographed productions that have been produced around the country.

Doug Varone and Dancers are among the most sought-after ambassadors and educators in the field. For the past 20 years, the company’s annual summer intensive workshops at leading universities have attracted students and professionals from around the globe. The DEVICES Program, a mentoring initiative for emerging choreographers began its pilot year in 2014. This unique program mentors 10 artists over the course of several months in the creation and presentation of new works. Other educational initiatives include Virtual Varone, a program which creates virtual residencies around the globe and the Education/Performance Project which enfolds college dance students into the company’s repertory, directly sharing the stage with company dancers. The Project has been a cornerstone in the company’s teaching and mentorship programs, creating an important dialogue with young dancers about their artistry and the effect they can have in the world today.

Varone, his dancers and designers have been honored with 11 Bessie Awards. The Company’s creative output is as varied as Varone’s interests. Recent projects include: everything is fine, a full evening movement play based on the poems of Billy Collins, with a new score by David Van Tieghem; The Scrapbook, a digital journal of 10 films created and directed by Varone, set to iconic songs from the 1940s-50s and Somewhere, Varone’s acclaimed non-narrative version of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, and To My Arms/Restore set to Handel. The Company’s Summer Workshop will be held in New York City from June 8-19, 2026. To learn more about this program and other Company activities, visit dovadance.org.