David J. Popalisky

DAVID POPALISKY directs the Dance Program at Santa Clara University where he teaches Dance History, Modern Dance technique Choreography and Performance and Culture. He has a MFA in Choreography from Mills College and an MA in Theatre Arts/Dance Emphasis from San Jose State University. Former artistic director of DaaPo, based in New York City, David has choreographed, performed and taught throughout the United States including performing with the Vanaver Caravan, Bauer Dance Ensemble and Richard Haisma and dancers. He choreographed and performed for the Belize International Dance Festival in 1998 and in 1999 returned to set a work on the Belize Junior National Dance Company. He has performed with Tandy Beal throughout California in Outside Blake's Window and other productions including a concert with Bobby McFerrin and her crazy version of the Nutcracker in 2003. With the Throne Dance Theatre he toured Korea and Japan in 1983 and performed in concert with the Dave Brubeck quartet.

In the past year in addition to working on Barred from Life he presented "Busted Bunker" in the Vision Series at Cowell Theatre in San Francisco and "Enter Softly, Cross Quickly" in San Francisco and San Jose. In Spring 2003 he was commissioned to create "Flames of Prayer" for the Western Ballet Company.

David has taught dance in Italy and Korea and has worked as a Master Dance teacher the Bay Area California Arts Project. David is married with two sons, aged nine and seventeen, which inspired "Dads Don't Dance," three summers of workshop for dads exploring issues of fatherhood through dance. David presented a paper on his work with fatherhood and dance at the American Culture Association and Popular Culture Association convention in New Orleans, April 2003.

More information about David's Additional Choreographic/Performance Projects

"I knew I needed to hear the exonerated men’s stories firsthand, but more importantly, to sense their presence as men, most of whom are about my age, who had survived a special kind of hell."

- DAVID J. POPALISKY