Douglas Bentz, Professor
Professor Douglas Bentz is considered a master teacher of contemporary jazz dance, choreography, partnering, and yoga. Doug is a native of Pittsburgh and earned his BA in Dance from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. He was also a scholarship student at the School of American Ballet in New York City. See below for video clips of Doug's work.
Doug has danced professionally with:
- Ballet du Grand Theatre (Geneva, Switzerland) under the Artistic Direction of George Balanchine
- New Jersey Ballet
- Luigi Jazz Dance Company (NYC)
- American Dance Machine (NYC)
- Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre
- American Dance Ensemble (Pittsburgh)
- The Extension (Pittsburgh)
Locally in Pittsburgh, Doug has danced as a guest artist with:
- Dance Alloy Theatre
- Pittsburgh Opera
- Kevin Maloney Dance Theatre
- Mary Miller Dance Company
From 1981-1986, Doug founded and led a Pittsburgh-based contemporary dance company called The Extension with his future wife, Judith Leifer. Prior to this, he was also the Co-Artistic Director and lead male dancer for the American Dance Ensemble in Pittsburgh.
He has been a guest teacher with Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal in Canada, American College Dance Festivals (ACDFA), the Slippery Rock University Dance Department, the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School, the Pittsburgh Dance Alloy School, the Mercyhurst College Dance Department, the Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Arts, and the Houston Met Dance Company in Texas.
Doug’s work has been presented in Pittsburgh at Point Park University’s Pittsburgh Playhouse, the Byham Theatre, the Kelly-Strayhorn Theatre, Heinz Hall, City Theatre, the Eddy Theatre, seven Three Rivers Arts Festivals, and at Hartwood Acres.
Outside the Pittsburgh area his work has been presented on five American College Dance Festival Galas,at Mercyhurst College, Les Ballets Jazz Ecole de Danse in Canada, and the Houston Met Dance Company in Texas.
Choreographic commissions include:
- Physical Theatre Project (Pittsburgh)
- Selah Dance Company (Pittsburgh)
- Mercyhurst College Dance Department (Erie, Pa. )
- Houston Met Dance Company (Houston)
Doug’s choreography has become well known for dynamic movement phrasing, sophisticated attention to detail, and a strong sense of structure. His stylistic range extends from vibrant swing jazz through neo-classic ballet to intensely dramatic modern works. Several of his evening-length works feature original scores with live musical accompaniment, spoken text, and digital video projection.
His original evening-length work, The Jazz Nutcracker, was created in 1983 with a grant from the Pittsburgh Foundation. It was named “one of the top ten dance events of 2000” by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after being presented at the Playhouse accompanied by the 10-piece Benny Benack Swing Orchestra.
Doug’s original evening-length production of The Snow Queen was performed at the Playhouse in 2007 and 2008, and was the result of an exciting collaboration between Doug and Israeli composer Nisan Leibovich.
In April 2009, Doug premiered his 60th work: Transmigration of Souls. It was a riveting, dramatic work set to the haunting music of 2003 Pulitzer Prize winner John Adams.
See beautiful digital images of Doug’s choreography at www.dougbentz.com