David Kieffer

Modern Dance

David Kieffer discovered dance while pursuing a degree in theater arts at the State University of New York at New Paltz. After graduation he devoted himself to his dance training.  He studied a wide variety of styles with a collection of exceptional teachers such as Igal Perry, Graciela Kozak, Lynn Barr, Yuriko, Joseph Albano, Milton Myers, Pascal Rioult and the Boston Ballet Academy of Dance.

David Kieffer has had an extensive and diverse career as a teacher, dancer and choreographer. He has taught dance for all ages at various studios throughout the tri-state area. He guest teaches in NYC and  has been on the faculty at CAP 21 as part of NYU's musical theatre program. David has taught master classes at various studios domestically and abroad and has worked as ballet master and choreographer for several companies in and around New York City. Throughout his career David has worked in many genres including ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop, tap and musical theatre. He has performed with both domestic and international companies, such as Pascal Rioult Dance Theatre, Peridance Ensemble, Bat-Dor Dance Company of Israel, The Israeli Opera, Noemi Lafrance, New Jersey Ballet and Ballet Theatre of Scranton. David has also appeared in the feature film "Center Stage".

David Kieffer returned to New York in 2004 and started his own dance company, David Kieffer Dance Theater. The company has performed at various venues including PMT Showcases, St. Marks Church, La Mama and Dance New Amsterdam. David has received critical acclaim for his dancing and choreography. Tim Martin of Dance Europe wrote that David's work "engaged the eye ...engaged the mind". While Roslyn Sulcas of the New York Times says "Mr. Kieffer has an extraordinary ability to move with pantherlike smoothness..."

Since 2007 David Kieffer has been the owner and director of The Dance Connection of Hillsborough NJ. The Dance Connection offers dance classes for children and adults in all styles.

Teaching Schedule: 

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Class Description:

      David Kieffer teaches an innovative and exiting dance class. In this demanding class students explore sudden changes in speed, level and dramatic intent. Mr. Kieffer combines fierce athletic movement with dramatic imagery. His class is about action and extremes and how to affect these extremes either abruptly or seamlessly. Extremes of speed, tension and emotional content are explored.  The student may be required to be low to the ground at one moment and an instant later high in the air or moving fast and then suddenly still.  Mr. Kieffer draws on his background in modern dance, ballet, theatre and martial arts to create movement that swings from wild to very contained, from very fast to very slow, or from hard to soft. His movement takes on a quality that's exotic, athletic, sometimes quirky and always vulnerable.