Studio Stories: Reminiscing on Twin Cities Dance with Gretchen Pick - Season 8, Episode 107

Gretchen Pick has a BA from Sarah Lawrence College, an MFA in
Dance from the University of Wisconsin, and is a certified Laban
Movement Analyst. She has been an active dancer, teacher and
choreographer in the Twin Cities since 1993. The companies and
choreographers she has danced for include 45 Chartreuse, Gomez
Dance Group, 10,000 Dances, Flying Sisters Theater, Dancing
People Company, Sarah Hauss and Megan Flood. She started dancing
as a teen-ager in the Youth Movement Company, directed by Stephen
Rueff, where she first experienced the model she tries to put
into place today – Young people are artists with something
important to say, and we are all enriched when they are given
opportunities to create work and venues in which to perform it!


Gretchen’s own choreography, along with that of collaborative
partner Sarah Gordon under the name of RIG, was showcased at
several Twin Cities venues as well as  he Show Off Gallery
in Bellingham, WA and the International Festival of Contemporary
Dance in Bytom, Poland. Her work has been commissioned by the
Walker Art Center, Winona State University and Carleton College.


Gretchen has taught dance and yoga to students of all ages at
various schools in the Twin Cities metro area, including the
University of Minnesota.


Gretchen came to Young Dance as an Artistic Director in 2000, and
has primarily focused her exploration, creation, and performance
of dance at Young Dance since 2005. She has spearheaded the
development of Young Dance’s All Abilities Dancing initiative,
which integrates individuals with and without disabilities across
all programs. She has created and performed integrated dance with
Gomez Dance Group, Croi Glan Dance Company, Angelique Lele,
Dwayne Scheunemann, and Young Dance’s All Abilties Dancing class.
Dancing with individuals with disabilities has transformed
Gretchen’s understanding and practice of dance. Gretchen is
currently the Executive Director of Young Dance and continues to
teach classes and create choreography for Young Dancers.