David Parsons

David Parson is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Parsons Dance Company.

David Parsons is a recipient of the 2000 Dance Magazine Award, as well as the 2001 American Choreography Award, for his work as a co-producer of AEROS, a production featuring the Romanian Gymnastic Federation that was featured on the Bravo Channel. He has enjoyed a remarkable career as a performer, choreographer, teacher, director and producer of dance. Mr. Parsons was born in Chicago and raised in Kansas City. From 1978-1987, he was a leading dancer with the Paul Taylor Dance Company, where Mr. Taylor created many roles for him in works such as Arden Court, Last Look and Roses. In 1987, Mr. Parsons founded the Company that bears his name with lighting designer, Howell Binkley.

As Artistic Director, Mr. Parsons has created over 70 works on The Parsons Dance Company, having received commissions over the years from the American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Paul Taylor Dance Company, the American Dance Festival, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Spoleto Festival, and Het Muziektheater in Amsterdam. His work has been seen on Paris Opera Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, Nederlands Danse Theatre, English National Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Company, and BatSheva Dance Company of Israel, among many others.

Mr. Parsons choreographed and directed the dance elements for Times Square 2000, the 24-hour festivities in Times Square celebrating the turn of the Millennium, which was watched by billions of people all over the globe. He created Shining Star for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater that premiered in November 2004 and recently participated in the NYC 2012 Olympics bid, as his signature piece, Caught, was performed for the IOC’s evaluation commission in 2005.