ABOUT
Gianna is a self proclaimed “late bloomer” in the dance field. At age 16, she began formal dance training and fell in love with choreography, creating, and improvising.
Hi my name is Gianna Burright. I am from a small town in Southern California, Ojai, land of the Chumash peoples. I grew up with a mother as an educator and a father as an artist. Arts and education have always been a part of my life, both equally have shaped me into the person that I am today and the career that I have built. I am an introvert, learnt extrovert (thanks dad). When ever I speak in public or perform in front of an audience my hands shake. Besides dancing and creating, traveling is what makes me feel most alive.
I am shy upon first meeting but I am intently listening. I grew up playing competitive soccer and horseback riding, I love being in nature, and I am obsessed with my puppy Luna who has a plethora nicknames that drive my loved ones crazy. I lived in London and fell in love with the city which makes it hard for me to commit to live in any other city. I had a transatlantic relationship, and though it didn’t work, it was one hell of an adventure. I have a hard time keeping both my feet on the ground, metaphorically but physically I basically never jump. I cry at pretty much everything even when I watch a stranger win something on TV, seeing them so happy brings tears to my eyes.
I miss my grandmothers deeply. I sometimes question if I am on the right path and feel very alone in my journey. I love anything that reminds me of childhood and I crave performances that shake me to my core.
BIO
Gianna Burright (She/Her) is a Choreographer, Dancer, and Educator, who explores the juxtaposition and nuances of emotional extremes: happiness and sadness, grief and euphoria, rage and mindfulness, nightmares and dreams. A self proclaimed late bloomer, she has a 2024 Baryshnikov Arts Center Fall Artist Residency, is a 2024 Hubbard Street Dance Chicago summer program Create choreographer, 2023 Carmel Dance Festival Choreography Fellow, 2022 Jacob's Pillow Choreography Fellow and 2022 Dance Gallery Festival Choreographer in Residence. Gianna has presented choreographic work in fifteen countries including at iconic venues such as Jacob’s Pillow, The Bonnie Byrd Theater, The Place, Turner Contemporary Gallery, Waterloo East Theatre, STEPS, Opendoors North America, the International Edinburgh Fringe Festival, LA Theatre Center, and LA Dance Project. She has been mentored by some of the most acclaimed figures in the world of dance including Lillian Barbeito, Peter Chu, Alex Ketley, Dianne McIntyre and Risa Steinberg.
Gianna is an educator who works with dancers and movers of all ages and abilities. She aims to create artistic understanding through sensory experiences, articulation & vocabulary (verbally and physically), awareness, pleasure, joy, sadness, happiness, connection, touch, listening and partnering. Gianna holds a BFA in Dance from UCSB and an MFA in Choreography from Trinity Laban Conservatory of Music and Dance.
PRESS
The beginning of Gianna Burright’s As if everything was perfect was magical. A lovely woman, Natalie Allen, slowly entered dressed in a gorgeous blue gown with a floor length black lace jacket and pushing two long handled industrial brooms. The juxtaposition of the two was surreal and her control of the brooms and how she made them dance was amazing.
-The LA Dance Chronicle, Jeff Slayton
“…beautifully, moving WIP; the concepts were well-fleshed out…”
“…wowed the audience with her piece soLOW.”
“…multifaceted and technically driven composition (not to mention stunning lighting) and personalized accounts through an intimate VoiceOver soundtrack…”
“…you were left not with a sense of bewilderment, but of having had an experience, full and complete. Remarkable.”
— The Place, Jenny Gilbert
“…the alchemy onstage is engrossing.”
“…soLOW was a clever title for a piece that inhabited a world of lingering loneliness, quietude, tenderness, and self-reflection. The solo felt more like a duet between Burright and a leather cushioned chair which Burright skillfully manipulated through movement-play and exploration. The work offered a glimpse into a personal world that was beautiful and subtle.”
“Burright’s turn it on, turn it off is a focused, modern solo of body-slapping, sounded breath and sinuous movement. She grimaces; trying out faces with her hands, as the soundtrack croons a tinny love song…”
“…the performers roll a piano onto the stage and carefully set it up…clear phrasing and intention using theme, repetition, and focus to guide the audience’s attention to various parts of the stage and experience. Their movements are technically challenging, and yet somehow appear relaxed and relatable – a clear departure from the more traditional proscenium style of performance…Also notable is a clear ending as the pianist impressively continues to play even as the dancers roll the piano off the stage.
“The music’s upbeat rhythmic drive and Gianna Burright’s exquisite choreography will keep your heart pumping throughout.”