Penny Saunders
Originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, Saunders graduated from the Harid Conservatory, and began her professional career with The American Repertory Ballet under the direction of Septime Webre. She went on to dance with Ballet Arizona, MOMIX, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and Hubbard Street Dance Chicago.
In 2011, Saunders won the International Commissioning Project which launched her choreographic career, creating pieces for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Cincinnati Ballet, Whim W'Him, Oklahoma City Ballet, BalletX, Sacramento Ballet, The Royal New Zealand Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Diabolo Ballet, Dayton Ballet, among others.
Saunders is honored to be the Resident Choreographer at The Grand Rapids Ballet where she has created many new works including her first full length work, The Happy Prince and Other Wilde Tales. This year she is excited to be creating a range of new dance films and projects with Whim W'Him, BalletX, Ballet Idaho, Seattle Dance Collective, Grand Rapids Ballet, California Ballet, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, and Pacific Northwest Ballet.
She is a remarkably fresh mind, with talents for suspense and surrealism."
- Alastair Macaulay, The New York Times