Cynthia Pepper has been active in multiple aspects of the performing arts world for several decades. She began her career early and performed internationally with the Utah based Virginia Tanner Children’s Dance Theatre at the White House for President Richard Nixon, with Bella Lewitzky Dance Company at the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, Loretta Livingston & Dancers as an original company member, with The Utah Opera Company as a slave in “Aida” and Donald Byrd Dance.
After graduating from both California Institute of the Arts and San Francisco State University, Cynthia created several dance outreach programs which are still thriving throughout the Bay Area.
Cynthia’s choreography has been commissioned by HBO, Japan Television, Hilton Hotels, Sesame Street (with shared Emmy Awards), Redken International, Academy of Art, Marin Shakespeare Company, The Sundance Channel, Nickelodeon, American Express, The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and many more organizations.
Cynthia worked as the Outreach Director/Supervisor for The Marin Ballet, Marin Dance Theatre and San Francisco Ballet’s Dance-In-Schools and Communities (DISC) Program developing curriculum, writing grants, creating innovative art events and producing free school programs and performances for audiences of all ages.
Her award-winning 85-minute short dance film collection created with her non-profit CPepperDance entitled: Films That Dance™ has been purchased by several museums and libraries including the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York.
Cynthia has cast and choreographed for television programs, industrials, internet campaigns, films of all genres, fashion shows, live events, world premieres, 13 Equity plays, and multiple theatre, opera and circus companies. She often collaborates with her production partner, Melinda Darlington-Bach with their Bay Area based production company xanaduentertainmentllc.com.
As a professional development teaching artist, Cynthia has worked with teachers and educators at UCLA, Young Audiences, (CDEA) California Dance Educators Association, (NDEO) National Dance Educators Organization, University of California Berkeley, Cyprus College, Stanford University, Marin County Office of Education (MCOE), Tanner Dance and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts).
Cynthia’s affiliation with Berkeley, Marin, Oakland, and San Francisco Ballet Schools has given her the opportunity to share new methods on how to bring the joy of innovative dance and artistic collaboration into their studios and performances.
She is a traveling dance teaching artist with Young Audiences of Northern California, Young Imaginations, Ruth Mankin Arts, Lincoln School (a one room Marin County schoolhouse), Star Academy and many California arts presenting organizations serving all levels of learning from ages 3 to 83.
Cynthia’s short films Pixie & Dust and Polka Dott are traveling the international film festival circuit.
Stay tuned for more magic…
