about me

Born in Portland, Oregon, and raised in Denver, Colorado, Gillian grew up with their gaze raised toward the sky. It’s this sense of lofted inquiry that guides their artistic practice as a dancer and choreographer, as well as their writing as poet, arts educator, and researcher. Performed on stages across Berkshire County, as well as in Los Angeles, Denver, and Paris, Gillian’s choreographic work merges a love for language and for movement. 

Gillian trained with Denver contemporary dance company Wonderbound, Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, Whyteberg, Gibney Dance Company, Kade Pyle of Ballez, and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. They graduated Summa Cum Laude from Loyola Marymount University with a Dual Degree in Dance and English. 

Two of their dance research papers were selected by the William H. Hannon Library for publication, and two of their dance-inspired literary criticism papers were published by the literary criticism journal Criterion. Gillian created a poetry installation for the Thomas P. Kelly Art Gallery and performed spoken word at open mic nights. Their poetry has been published by multiple literary magazines, including The Lindenwood Review, In Parenthese Magazine, Stone of Madness Press, Kissing Dynamite Press, Pomona Valley Review, and The Lavender Review.  Their first book The Water Between Us received the Charlotte Mew Prize and was published by Headmistress Press in 2021.

Drawn to the communal embodied experience, Gillian is a certified yoga and Pilates mat instructor and has taught dance, yoga, and Pilates in studios and community spaces. After moving to Western Massachusetts to work for Jacob’s Pillow, Gillian became a Teaching Artist Fellow as part of the Massachusetts Cultural Council Creative Youth Development program. Gillian then began the first comprehensive marketing strategy at local dance organization Berkshire Pulse and advanced to become their Youth Performing Arts Program Manager and member of their Artist Faculty.

Gillian now works as a copywriter, editor, and consultant for multiple clients in the creative sector and is pursuing their MFA in Choreography. In their free time, Gillian loves to write poetry, drink Earl Grey tea, and take photos of sunsets.