Studio Stories: Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance with Raymond Terrill - Season 14, Episode 155

Ray Terrill | Dance Group has been performing in and around the
Twin Cities since Ray relocated in 1994.
Originally from the Pacific Northwest, he has extensive
experience as performer, choreographer, teacher, presenter and
arts program administrator.

He started his professional modern dance career as a member of
Martha Graham-based Repertory Dancers Northwest in Seattle
Washington until relocating to Portland Oregon to work with the
Mary Wigman-based modern dance company Oregon Dance Consort. In
Portland, he eventually became co-artistic director of the
company where he choreographed numerous original works, taught
extensively and produced the contemporary dance season
Pulse/
Impulse for five consecutive years. He also served as guest
artist with many well known regional dance companies and
choreographed original dances for regional producing
organizations.

While in Portland, Ray collaborated with other dance
professionals to found the statewide Dance Coalition of Oregon, a
dance service organization, for which he served as Executive
Director from 1991-1994.

After relocating to the Twin Cities, Ray spent five seasons as a
member of the Christopher Watson Dance Company while establishing
the Ray Terrill Dance Group.

Proficient in classical modern dance technique he has evolved a
choreographic aesthetic described by critics as uniquely
spiritual and lyrical on one hand while irreverent and quirky on
the other. Aesthetically, Ray is inspired by wide-ranging music
styles and is attracted to exploring provocative subject matter
and complex emotion. He works hard to mine his material to expose
the universal human experience. His more recent work has
incorporated video, animation, and text as a backdrop to extend
his choreographic ideas.

In the Twin Cities, Ray has served as Board President for the
Christopher Watson Dance Company, board member for Off-Leash
Area, and advisor to the Walker Art Center’s Tour Guide Council.
Ray is also the sole producer of the annual Dances at the Lake
Festival, a free open to the public performance, presented at the
Lake Harriet Rose Garden in Minneapolis.

Recently retired from his day job, Ray enjoyed a parallel career
in the role of executive producer/management consultant to
develop media-rich interactive communications and distance
learning solutions for top 100 global
corporations.

Numerous government, foundation and corporate arts funding
agencies have generously supported his choreography over the
years and his dances have been presented in many venues including
Seattle's On the Boards, Portland Center for the Performing Arts,
Portland Art Museum, International Firehouse Cultural
Center,
Artquake, Festival of Physical Comedy, Walker Art Center, Weisman
Art Museum, Lakeville Performing Arts, Art on the Edge, and
Dances at the Lake Festivals. Over the years, Ray has taken
advantage of the Fringe Festival performing circuit and has
presented his dances at many including Minnesota, Chicago,
Providence, Tucson, Salt Lake City and Denver.