Katarzyna (Kate) Skarpetowska

Katarzyna Skarpetowska started dancing at age 13 in her native city of Warsaw, Poland. Two years later, she was cast in a first ever Polish musical entitled METRO. Directed and choreographed by Janusz Jozefowicz with music by Janusz Stoklosa, the show was an instant hit at the Dramatic Theater in Warsaw. On April 16th, 1992, the show had its Broadway premiere at The Minskoff Theater where now 15 year old Kate was the youngest cast member. After the show closed, Kate enrolled in the NYC High School of Performing Arts graduating in 1995 and then went on to study at the prestigious Juilliard School under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy. After graduating with a BFA in Dance she immediately joined Parsons Dance where from 1999 until 2006 she performed lead roles in the company's repertory including the iconic CAUGHT. From 2006 until 2008, Kate was a guest member of The Battleworks Dance Company founded by her former colleague at Parsons Dance and the present artistic director of The Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Robert Battle. In 2007, she was one of two featured dancers during the Glimmerglass Opera Festival and in 2008 she toured Italy with WHY BE EXTRAORDINARY IF YOU CAN BE YOURSELF, a show by Daniel Ezralow. In 2009, she co-designed and co-directed Romeo and Juliet for The Gunter Theater in Greenville, SC. From 2007 until 2014 she worked for The Lar Lubovitch Dance Company performing at many reputable venues such as New York City's City Center, Washington DC's Kennedy Center and Moscow's Bolshoi Theater. Over the years, Kate also appeared as a guest artist with The Buglisi Dance Theater. She has had the privilege of working as a repetiteur and assistant choreographer to Lar Lubovitch, David Parsons and Robert Battle, setting works on Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham Dance Company, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet Austin, Grand Rapids Ballet, Repertory Dance Theatre, Bruce Wood Dance, Introdans, Company C, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble, Oldenburgisches Staatstheater, Beijing Dance Academy, Point Park University, Adelphi University, SUNY Purchase, University of California at Irvine, The Juilliard School, and Booker T. Washington Performing Arts High School. In 2016, she worked as an assistant choreographer to Lar Lubovitch in making of his latest full-length ballet "The Bronze Horseman" on the Mikhailovsky Theater's ballet company in Saint Petersburg, Russia. Her own choreography has been performed by Richmond Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, BalletX, Smuin Ballet, Rochester City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater II, Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, Parsons Dance, Buglisi Dance Theater, Hubbard Street 2, Dallas Black Dance Theatre: Encore!, Houston METdance, Big Muddy Dance Company, Repertory Dance Theatre, Owen/Cox Dance Group, Bruce Wood Dance, Rosin Box Project, MoralesDance, Periapsis Music and Dance, The Juilliard School, Ailey/Fordham, Marymount Manhattan College, Point Park University, George Mason University, Ohio University, Kansas University and New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble. In 2021, Kate was chosen as one of the choreographers for National Choreographers Initiative directed by Molly Lynch. In 2018, she choreographed a Saint Louis Opera Theatre production of Orfeo, in collaboration with director Ron Daniels and maestro Pierre Vallet. In recognition for her choreographic efforts, she was named Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" in 2016 and was nominated for a NY Dance and Performance Award, The Bessie​, in the emerging choreographer category in 2017. She is a BalletX's 2019 Choreographic Fellowship awardee. Skarpetowska is also a freelance teacher holding workshops throughout the world. She has been on the faculty of the American Dance Festival, American Ballet Theater summer program, School of American Ballet, Boston Conservatory summer program, Key West Modern Dance, Greenville Fine Arts Center, NJDTE, Peridance, Washington Ballet @THEARC, and most recently at UC Irvine. She resides in New York City.