Chamber Dance Company Archive: David Parsons

American dancer, choreographer and company director

I want audiences to understand what I'm saying and at the same time offer them something for the imagination and personal interpretation. I think it's very important as an artist to touch people.

                           Dance Magazine 2000

Born Rockford, Illinois, October 29, 1959.

David Parsons was raised in Kansas City, Missouri. From 1978 to 1987, Parsons was a lead dancer with the Paul Taylor Company. Paul Taylor took advantage of Parsons’ unique athleticism and created many roles for him, including Last Look, Roses and Arden Court. Two years before leaving the Taylor Company, Parsons created the Parsons Dance Company, which maintains one of the most active and successful touring schedules of any modern dance company in the United States. Parsons emphasizes the joy of pure movement in his choreography, making him one of the most popular and accessible of the postmodern choreographers.

Watch a performance of David Parsons' work The Envelope at the Media Arcade in Vol. 24 of the Chamber Dance Company Archive (DVD UWDP 001 v.24).