Company History

Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater (SPDT), since its founding in New York City in 1979, has continued to engage populations worldwide through its performance works and community inclusive programs. SPDT’s interdisciplinary vision weaves movement, spoken text, song, and visual imagery to provoke and comment on the personal and political. Artistic Co-Directors Suzanne Costello and Stuart Pimsler and their company of compelling artists continue to garner critical acclaim for their “theater for the heart & mind.” SPDT’s current and past company artists have been distinguished for their artistic excellence garnering seven McKnight Fellowships and five Minnesota SAGE Awards for Dance.

Based in Minneapolis since 2000, SPDT has toured to Europe, Israel, Taiwan, Russia, Canada, Bermuda, China, and Mexico, including presentations at the Beijing Modern Dance Festival, International Tanzmesse, Dusseldorf, the Bermuda Ministry of Culture and the National Center for the Arts, UNAM and American Embassy in Mexico City. In the U.S. SPDT has appeared in more than 35 states at such venues as the The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the National Civil Rights Museum, Jacob’s Pillow, the American Dance Festival, and New York Live Arts.    

In Minneapolis, SPDT has been commissioned and presented twice by the Guthrie Theater for the premieres of The Ends of Love (2007) and Tales from the Book of Longing (2009). The company has also toured extensively throughout Minnesota with major support from the Minnesota State Arts Board through the Legacy Amendment’s Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. SPDT’s newest work, Matinee, was commissioned by the Wharton Center, Michigan State University, had its world premiere at the Woman’s Club, Minneapolis in February, 2017  and continues to tour nationally.

SPDT has been a national leader in Arts & Education programs and at the forefront of the Arts & Health field since introducing its signature program, Caring for the Caregiver℠ in 1992. Additional SPDT programs include Meaning in Movement℠ for stroke survivors and their care partners, and Transforming the Doctor-Patient Relationship℠ for physicians and medical students. SPDT’s Community Connections programs are significant components of the company’s mission and have been cited as a “National Model” by The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and recognized for “Best Practices” by the National Endowment for the Arts.