Doug Varone and Dancers, also known as DOVA, brings to life the creative vision of choreographer and director Doug Varone and his collaborators. Our work dives into the stories of human nature, sparking conversations with audiences and creative communities around the world. These connections fuel everything we do—from our artistic work to our rich educational programs – all of which reflect our commitment to creating space for diversity and belonging.
Founded in 1986, Doug Varone and Dancers has been bringing the power, beauty, and humanity of dance to audiences everywhere. We believe dance is more than movement—it’s a way to connect, to inspire, and to open hearts. This guiding philosophy has allowed us to grow, endure, and earn a reputation as one of the most respected and adventurous dance companies today. Across decades, we’ve created a rich legacy that spans dance, theater, opera, and film—an expansive body of work that continues to evolve.
The Company has been honored with 11 Bessie Awards and has shared our work in more than 125 cities across 45 U.S. states, as well as in Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America. From the Kennedy Center and Lincoln Center to London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Moscow’s Stanislavsky Theatre, Buenos Aires’ Teatro San Martin, and the Venice Biennale, our performances have reached stages large and small, touching audiences worldwide. In theatre and opera, we collaborate regularly on productions directed or choreographed by Doug Varone, bringing our movement vocabulary into powerful storytelling across art forms.
At our core, Doug Varone and Dancers is about connection—between dancers and audiences, students and teachers, artists and communities. Our residency programs create hands-on experiences that go beyond the studio, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds, whether seasoned dancers or first-time viewers. Each year, our intensive workshops at leading universities welcome students and professionals from across the country, while our DEVICES choreographic mentorship program cultivates the next generation of artists and dance-makers, ensuring that the art we love continues to grow, inspire, and resonate.
Award-winning choreographer and director, Doug Varone works in dance, theater, opera, film, and fashion. He is a passionate educator and articulate advocate for dance. By any measure, his work is extraordinary for its emotional range, kinetic breadth and the many arenas in which he works. His New York City-based Doug Varone and Dancers has been commissioned and presented to critical acclaim by leading international venues for close to three decades.
In the concert dance world, Varone has created a body of works globally. Commissions include the Paul Taylor American Modern Dance Company, Limón Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Rambert Dance Company (London), Martha Graham Dance Company, Dancemakers (Canada), Batsheva Dance Company (Israel), Bern Ballet (Switzerland), and An Creative (Japan), among others. In addition, his dances have been staged on more than 100 college and university programs around the country.
In opera, Doug Varone is in demand as both a director and choreographer. Among his four productions at The Metropolitan Opera are Salome with its Dance of the Seven Veils, the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy, Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps, designed by David Hockney, and Hector Berloiz’s Les Troyens. He has staged multiple premieres and new productions for Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Washington Opera, New York City Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera, among others. His numerous theater credits include choreography for Broadway, Off-Broadway, and regional theaters across the country. His choreography for the musical Murder Ballad at Manhattan Theater Club earned him a Lortel Award nomination. Film credits include choreography for the Patrick Swayze film One Last Dance. In 2008, Varone’s The Bottomland, set in the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky, was the subject of the PBS Dance in America: Wolf Trap’s Face of America. Recent projects include directing and choreographing MASTERVOICES production of Dido and Aeneas at NY’s City Center, starring Tony Award winners Kelli O’Hara and Victoria Clark, and staging Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize winning oratorio Anthracite Fields for the Westminster Choir and the Bang on a Can All-Stars.
The Company’s creative output is as varied as Varone’s interests. Recent projects include: everything is fine, a full evening movement play based on the poems of Billy Collins, with a new score by David Van Tieghem; The Scrapbook, a digital journal of 10 films created and directed by Varone, set to iconic songs from the 1940s-50’s, and Somewhere, Varone’s acclaimed non-narrative version of Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, and To My Arms/Restore set to the music of G.F Handel.
Doug Varone, Artistic Director | [email protected]
Patty Bryan, General Manager | [email protected]
Lynn Wichern, Financial Officer
Ryan Yamauchi, Rehearsal Director, Workshop Coordinator | [email protected]
Maddy Elliott, Company Manager | [email protected]
Brad Beakes, Staging and Licensing | [email protected]
Courtney Barth, Costume Manager, Workshop Coordinator | [email protected]
Jordan Ryder, Digital Marketing and Website Coordinator
Booking | [email protected]
Press and General Information | [email protected]
Richard Caples, Sharon Kirschner, Gabrielle Koelbel, Jeanne Murphy, Mylene Ramos Seidl, Doug Varone, Carol Walker
Nancy Coenen (1986-1996), Bonnie Wong (1986-1996), Mary Govern (1986-1993), Christine Philion (1986-1989), Leslee Lewis (1986-1989), Tina Goldstein (1986-1989), Alyce Bochette (1986-1988), Jim Campbell (1986-1987), Tim Hadel (1986-1988), Cal Grogan (1987-1988), Andrew Boynton (1987-1988), Larry Hahn (1988-2003, 2007, 2018), Matthew Cazier (1988-1995), Gabriel Masson (1989-1994).
Gwen Welliver (1990-2000), Nancy Bannon (1992-2000), Eddie Taketa (1994-2014, 2018), David Neumann (1995-1998), Adriane Fang (1996-2007, 2018, 2025), Merceditas Mañago (1996-2001), Eric Handman (1998-1999), Keith Johnson (1999-2001), Daniel Charon (1999-2010, 2018).
Faye Driscoll (2000-2002), Jessica Swanson (2000), Frances Craig (2000), Cria Merchant (2000-2001), Ashley Gilbert (2000-2002), Natalie Desch (2001-2012, 2018), John Beasant III (2001-2007), Nina Watt (2002-2004, 2018), Stephanie Liapis (2002-2007), Catherine Miller (2002-2006), Kayvon Pourazar (2003-2005), Michael Sean Marye (2005), Peggy Baker (2005-2007), Ryan Corriston (2005-2011, 2018), Belinda McGuire (2006-2007), Erin Owen (2006-2014), Netta Yerushalmy (2007-2012), Julia Burrer (2007-2014), Alex Springer (2008-2017, 2022).
Hollis Bartlett (2011-2024), Colin Stilwell (2011-2013), Hsaio-Jou Tang (2012-2019), Xan Burley (2012-2017), Brandon Welch (2013-2015), Lawrence Cassella (2013), Casey Loomis (2014-2016), Jake Bone (2015-2025), Aya Wilson (2015-2022, 2024), Whitney Dufrene (2016-2021), Brad Beakes (2017-2025), DeQuan Lewis (2019-2021), Daeyana Moss (2021-2024), Quaba Ernest (2021-2022), Thryn Saxson (2022-2024), Marc Anthony Gutierrez (2023-2024).
Photos by Erin Baiano, Stephanie Berger, Tom Brazil, Dale Dong, Lois Greenfield, Grant Halverson, Bill Hebert, Greg Kessler, Phil Knott, Matt McGrath, Beatriz Schuller, Stephen Suchman, Richard Termine
Videos by Alex Springer
Website Design by Tiba Vieira
Courtney Barth (she/they) is a New York-based dancer originally from Las Vegas, NV. She began her professional dance training with Inspire Dance Company, under the guidance of Robert Contreras, and received additional training at Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts.
They received their BFA in Dance at SUNY Purchase where they performed works by Kyle Abraham, Martha Graham, and James Gregg. While in school they studied abroad at London Contemporary Dance School where they performed Crystal Pite’s ‘Polaris’ at Sadlers Wells. Since graduation she has worked with Shannon Gillen at NYC fashion week, Kensaku Shinohara at the Queens Museum, and is currently a company member with Hannah Garner’s 2nd Best Dance Company. They joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2017 and also act as Costume Manager and Workshop Coordinator for the company.
Joniece “JoJo” Boykins (she/her) is an African American native of Inglewood, California. She received her BFA in dance from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase College. During her time at Purchase, she performed the works of Doug Varone, Peter Chu, Kevin Wynn, Jonathan Reidel, Alexandra Beller, and Nejla Yatkin. Alongside her studies, she has attended professional programs such as Springboard Danse Montreal, Hubbard Street, Alvin Ailey, and Ron K. Brown/EVIDENCE’s summer workshop. She has performed in works by Donald McKayle, Rennie Harris, Christopher Huggins, Tommie Waheed, Lula Washington, and Tamica Washington-Miller. JoJo joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2021.
Madison “Maddy” Elliott is a dancer, choreographer and Countertechnique Teacher based in NYC. She attended high school at the UNCSA and received her BFA in Dance at SUNY Purchase College. Madison has worked with companies such as ZviDance, MJ Willis Project, DanceLabNYC, TU Dance and more. She has taught at Gibney Dance, Taylor Dance West, Peridance, Steps on Broadway, SUNY Purchase College and is an Adjunct Professor at Adelphi University. In 2020, Madison founded and is now the Director of Headlights Theater, an immersive performing arts organization, in her home town of Sioux Falls, SD. Madison joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2024.
A Chicago native, Claude “CJ” Johnson is a dancer, choreographer, and movement director based in Brooklyn NY. After completing his studies at The Chicago Academy for the Arts and SUNY Purchase College, where he was awarded the Adopt-A-Dancer Scholarship, CJ has had the opportunity to perform works by Merce Cunningham, Trisha Brown, Twyla Tharp, Mark Morris, Aszure Barton, Johannes Weiland, Kevin Wynn, Princess Madoki, and many more. He was also a full-time company dancer with A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham from 2017 to 2022, during which he became a 2021 Princess Grace nominee. Cj is currently a guest dancer for companies and choreographers such as Trisha Brown Dance Company, NVA & Guess, Doug Varone and Dancers, Rashaun and Silas, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, and many others. He has also participated in his own choreographic residencies through the Baryshnikov Arts Center, The Joyce Theater, Motive Brooklyn, Cuny Dance Initiative, and many more. As a performer, choreographer, and Black queer artist, CJ dances to translate the human experience for audiences, recognizing dance as the most powerful catalyst for self-expression and social change. In any artistic space, he believes his responsibility is to expand the knowledge and perspective of his community’s vast experiences.
Will Noling (they/them) is a performer and educator born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. They graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Purchase, having spent a term on exchange at London Contemporary Dance School. In addition to performing with Doug Varone and Dancers, they are a founding collaborator with Hannah Garner’s 2nd Best Dance Company. Will is also a collaborator with Megan Williams Dance Projects, and previously served as Artistic Associate with Gibney Dance Company. Additional performance credits include works by Raja Feather Kelly, Chuck Wilt, and Crystal Pite.
Nicholas Ruscica is a New York based dance artist originally from Toronto, Canada. He is a President’s Merit Scholar (Calarts, BFA) as well as a trained unarmed actor combatant. After graduation, Nicholas joined the Limón Dance Company, where he performed as a soloist from 2020 to 2024. His artistic collaborations include work with Aszure Barton, VIM VIGOR, Kayla Farrish, and Raúl Taméz. In addition to his performance career, Nicholas is dedicated to teaching and sharing dance practice. He has led workshops and assisted in lecture demonstrations at institutions including Princeton University, the University of Minnesota, the Limón Institute, the National Ballet School of Canada, and Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre. Nicholas is currently on faculty at Ballet Hispánico and the Limón Institute. He began working with Doug Varone and Dancers in 2025.
Kanon Sugino (she/her) is a Japanese American dance artist born and raised in New York. After graduating from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School, she graduated summa cum laude from Purchase College, SUNY. She has performed in works choreographed by Bill T. Jones, Norbert De La Cruz lll, Peter Chu, Darrell Grand Moultrie, MICHIYAYA, Jie-Hung Connie Shiau, Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham, and more. Soon after graduating, she joined Nimbus Dance as a company dancer, and is now working with MICHIYAYA Dance and Doug Varone and Dancers. In recent years, Kanon was named the Jadin Wong Fellow with Asian American Arts Alliance as well as an honored artist with the Clive Barnes Foundation. Kanon began working with Doug Varone and Dancers in 2024.
Ryan Yamauchi was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and began his dance training at the Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts. He later moved to New York and received his BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase. Ryan has had the pleasure of dancing with 2nd Best Dance Company, Keerati Jinakunwiphat, NVA & Guests, Loni Landon Dance Projects and Sidra Bell Dance New York (Apprentice). He has also performed as a guest dancer with Gibney Dance Company, Santa Fe Opera, and Santa Barbara Dance Theater. As a choreographer, Ryan has been commissioned to create work for students at The Juilliard School, SUNY Purchase, and San Jose State University. Ryan began working with Doug Varone and Dancers in 2015.
