Amanda K. Miller will be giving an artist talk and movement workshop as part of the Dance 309S class, "Dancing States Of Mind," on Monday, September 11, 3:05pm-6:05pm. Location: Bivins Building, room 210.
Short Bio: Amanda K. Miller was the founder, Artistic Director, and choreographer of Pretty Ugly Dance Company from 1992 till 2009. Pretty Ugly toured internationally and won an array of awards and acclaim for unique artistic and social collaborations. From 1984 to 1992 she was a founding member, principal dancer and resident choreographer of Ballett Frankfurt under the direction of William Forsythe. 2009 she returned to her home NC and began instructing and choreographing at universities and institutions nationally and internationally. She continues to create, instruct, perform, choreograph, collaborate and work with expressive art projects that support dis-advantaged children and young adults. In 2017 she received her MFA from Hollins University.
http://amandakmiller.com/home.html
Longer Bio: Amanda K. Miller was born and raised in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. She received her professional training at the North Carolina School of the Arts/ UNCSA. She was the first Terry Sanford scholarship recipient. She continued her studies in New York with Melissa Hayden and other prominent teachers within the classical and modern dance world. She performed with the Chicago Lyrical Opera Ballet, Deutsche Oper Berlin, and with independent performances in NYC and Berlin. In Berlin,1989, she met William Forsythe, Ron Thornhill, and many artist of the West and East German underground theater and music movement.
In 1984, she joined Ballett Frankfurt under the direction of William Forsythe. She was a principal dancer and collaborator. In 1986 she became resident choreographer.
In 1992 Amanda Miller founded Pretty Ugly Dance Company, an international inter-disciplinary performing ensemble. 1997-2004, Ballett Freiburg/ Pretty Ugly existed- a unique collaboration with the civic theatre and city of Freiburg, Germany. In 2004-2009 Pretty Ugly relocated to Cologne, Germany prettyugly/tanzkoln.
In 2000 the improvisational dance group, Yummydance, was initiated and formed in Matsuyama, Japan. They collaborated with Ballett Freiburg/Pretty Ugly. Increasingly she trained others in her work process amanda science and choreographed for world renowned dance ensembles. In 2004 till 2008, she launched the aid organization "Art for Tibet", which supported Tibetans in exile in India.
Amanda Miller has won numerous awards. In 1993, she was awarded the Wexner Center Prize and created the production "Night by Itself". In 1994, the production received three prizes at the 'Rencontres Chorégraphiques International de Bagnolet'. In1997 she performed for the Whitney Museum Biennial and in 2002 Ballett Freiburg/PrettyUgly performed at the Venice Biennial. In 2004 for her work Four for Nothing received the leading Dutch accolade for choreography 'The Golden Swan'. A multi-media presentation of her Kunst der Fugue was exhibited at the J.S. Bach Museum in Eisenach, Germany. This exhibition existed for 10 years and the only dance presentation at the inauguration of the new museum.
In summer of 2009, she returned to her home North Carolina. She has been on the faculty for the American Dance Festival, artist in residence at Duke University, Palucca Hochshule, Germany, Hollins University, USC, UNCG, Mills College, and taught master classes at UNC-CH. In 2012 was nominated for the NC Fellowship Award. In 2012 and 2014 created new works for Alonzo King's Lines BFA program at Dominican University and worked with the LinesTraining Program. She created work for Netherlands Dance Theater 2012, Ballett amRhein /Dusseldorf 2013 and May 2015. In May 2013, The Liberated Accident, an evening of three movements was premiered in Atlanta and Houston, and in collaboration with Sue Schroeder and Core Perfromance Company "a world too wide “ was premiered in Houston and Atlanta.
In May 2012, she relocated to Birmingham, Alabama. In the Birmingham community, she has guided workshops at CDF, ARTPLAY/ASC, was an instructor with the 2014 and 2016 Alabama Dance Festival and presented The Homeless Garden at the New Works Concert with the dancers of Core Company Atlanta, GA. She has guided movement workshops within the therapeutic community and worked with occupational therapist and community out-reach programs.
She continues to work as a free-lance choreographer, opera director, instructor, performer, and creates inter-disciplinarian improvisational workshops. Increasingly she introduces others in her work process, amanda science, whether she choreographs for dance ensembles, universities, regional colleges, community institutions or workshops. Exclusivity does not exist in amanda science.
In 2017, she received her MFA in dance performance at Hollins University, Roanoke VA.