Artistic Director / Choreographer / Filmmaker / Educator
Alexx Shilling is fully committed to the infinite investigation of movement and its potential to uncover alternative narratives and allow us to remember. An interdisciplinary performance maker, her original choreography and experimental films have been presented nationally and internationally, through residencies at the Millay Colony, PAM and Ebenbökhaus / Jewish Museum in Munich, and with generous support from institutions including Dance Films Association, Asylum Arts, Yiddishkayt, Center for Cultural Innovation, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, CHIME (with mentor Bob Een) and most recently the California Arts Council both as Artistic Director of alexx makes dances and ann and alexx make dances (2004-2010).
Shilling’s most recent works concern themselves with postmemory, body histories, durational performance, public engagement, and the inevitable influence of pop icons and popular dance culture on her own body. Her works take form in multiple media, most recently as a film and a chapbook after live performances were cancelled due to the Covid-19 shut-downs. Having benefited from being part of communities of independent artists, Shilling has prioritized creating platforms for other artists’ practices to flourish. Shilling co-founded and co-curated the popular solo performance series Hi, Solo at Pieter and is a member of the Los Angeles-based practice-as-research initiative practice makes practice. During her twelve years in New York, she co-founded/co-curated the Body Blend series at Dixon Place with Sara Juli, founded and directed Radiant Pilates Studio and The Radiant Movement, an experimental movement laboratory in Long Island City. She holds an M.F.A. in dance from UCLA’s Department of World Arts & Culture/Dance and a Bachelor’s degree in dance from Skidmore College.
As a performer, Shilling danced in the works of Victoria Marks from 2010-2020, and with many independent choreographers in New York and Los Angeles including Ros Warby, Laurel Jenkins, Richard Rivera/PHYSUAL, Alan Danielson, Ariane Anthony, Nickels Sunshine, Kevin Williamson, Sarah Leddy, Lynn Neuman, Alison D’Amato, Rebecca Pappas and Kristen Smiarowski. She continues to create original work with longtime collaborators Mimi Yin, Janusz Jaworski, Alberto Denis, Alethea Pace, Richard Rivera and Latin alternative folk band Cuñao.
A dedicated educator, Shilling has been on faculty at Cal State Long Beach, UCLA, Loyola Marymount University and The Wooden Floor. She teaches and holds certifications in Open Source Forms, Pilates, Yoga and Reiki.
