Stephen Harding

Stephen Harding started dancing at age seven in San Francisco. Later he was trained as an actor, attending the Regional Occupational Program at the Old Globe Theater in San Diego, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Pasadena, and then UCLA as a full scholarship theater major.

While at UCLA he trained in ballet at The Stanley Holden Ballet Center and in jazz at the Dupree Dance Academy. He studied jazz with four of Luigi's disciples: Hama and Ben Lokey in Los Angeles and later Ronnie DeMarco and Rick Atwell in New York City.

Combining his training as an actor with his jazz technique, Stephen has created a class that teaches what he likes to call "Method" dance.

Although Stephen spent seven years dancing professionally in New York CIty and abroad, and is a member of AEA, SAG, AFTRA, and AGVA, he was drawn to teaching at an early age.

In 1987 he began his teaching career at The David Howard Dance Center. Later he would hold faculty positions at Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Ballet Arts at City Center and Djoniba Drum and Dance Center.

In 1991 Stephen moved to New Dance Group where he refined the idea of combining character work with ballet based jazz technique. He spent 18 years at the NDG teaching numerous generations of talented jazz, modern, and classical ballet dancers as well as actors, singers and models. He continues to develop future generations of artists through his open classes at The Manhattan Movement and Arts Center.

Click here to check out video of Stephen Harding's work