Biographies

Janet Pilla return

Janet Pilla (dancer) received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theater from Syracuse University and her Master of Fine Arts in Dance from Temple University. She toured nationally and internationally as a soloist of Ann Vachon/Dance Conduit (a company dedicated to the preservation of the Jose Limon Style) for 12 years. She was featured in performances in Czechoslovakia as a soloist, and in England, Scotland and Taiwan as a company member of Terry Beck Troupe and Ed Groff/Jin Wen Yu Dancers.

She has performed with numerous Philadelphia choreographers and companies, including The Arden Theater, Group Motion, Dancetellers, SCRAP Performance Group and Trapezius. She was involved in the reconstruction, restaging and performance of Symphony for Strings, Mazurkas and Prima Very by Jose Limon and Day on Earth and Dawn in New York by Doris Humphrey.

Ms. Pilla worked with Dancefusion in the reconstruction of two Anna Sokolow pieces, Time + and Quarter Tones, as well as Women of Troy by Mary Anthony. She studied privately with Ernestine Stodelle on two early Doris Humphrey solos: Quasi Waltz and the Call/Breath of Fire.

In addition to teaching Limon repertory at numerous colleges and universities, Ms. Pilla has been an adjunct faculty member at Temple University and Drexel University and is currently on the adjunct faculty at Arcadia University where she directs and choreographs productions and teaches theater improvisation and dance.

In addition to dancing with Jeanne Ruddy Dance, Ms. Pilla dances with Melanie Stewart Dance Theater, Dancefusion, and Kun-Yang Lin.