HEATHER HARPER (Founder/Artistic Director) (B.A. in Dance Production and Management, University of Nevada, Las Vegas) founded Harper Continuum Dance Theatre in 2008. Harper's choreographic interpretation, SURVIVING GENOCIDE in 2008, showcased her training in choreography and production. SURVIVING GENOCIDE, inspired by Immaculee' Ilibagiza's memoir of the Rwanda genocide, Left To Tell. The piece features eight dancers in a confined space exploring how they moved simultaneously as one. This signature piece has formed the foundational standard for Harper Continuum Dance Theatre - reaching beyond the stage while addressing societal issues and communicating through movement.

Her choreographic style encompasses varying stylistic design choices and technical elements throughout the creative process. Thus, making her work reach nontraditional dance audiences. Heather Harper is not afraid to take risks. Her work is innovative, unexpected, and passionate. She creates work allowing her dancers the creative freedom to bring themselves and their own experiences to the movement while creating a more raw experience for the audience. Her choreography is a fusion of movement styles while often being emotionally driven. She showcases her dancers' athleticism and diverse backgrounds while encouraging their growth through her work.

Debuting in 2010 at the High Museum of Art, Atlanta, Georgia, THE HIGH PROJECT featured one dancer and two abstract artists as visual and performing arts collide. The synergy between the dancer and artists made this experimental yet effective collaboration yield stunning original art. The dancer's costume absorbed paint as she engaged with the canvases breathing life into the fabric. Additional works produced in Atlanta include INTRINSIC AMUSEMENT, an environmental piece performed in water, which promoted a performance by Paul Taylor Dance Company at The Rialto Center for the Arts in 2011. In 2012 Harper created a second piece presented at Woodruff Park, a multi-use green space nestled amongst towering buildings in Downtown Atlanta. BOUND AND DETERMINED included Harper and two other dancers, who remained tied together during the performance, breaking through limitations; not settling for restricted movement.

Harper relocated to New York City in 2014, where she presented STAND BY ME during a charity event benefiting Fourth Arts Block and Heritage Radio. Once settled in New York City, Harper began transitioning Harper Continuum Dance Theatre to a registered 501(c)3. She began working as a guest artist in 2015 at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and continues today. She remains focused on returning her professional experiences to the classroom to engage students about dance as a business and art form.

Her collaborations with Las Vegas-based Red Desert Dance commenced in 2016 with COALESCE in New York City. Harper has continued these collaborative performances by presenting STRIKING FIGURES...A COLLECTION OF DANCES ABOUT WOMEN, PLAYING THE WILD CARD, and joining Red Desert Dance in Las Vegas, again presenting COALESCE

INTERMIX: A GREATEST WORKS COLLECTION celebrates some of the exciting repertoire of Harper Continuum Dance Theatre. This show is a compilation of previous productions while debuting two new choreographic works. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, INTERMIX remains unproduced. Harper Continuum Dance Theatre has presented several pieces virtually during the pandemic. GO!, performed initially at Ailey Citigroup Theater, joined other selected works during the TAKE UP SPACE virtual dance festival out of Chicago. TAKE UP SPACE celebrates female choreographers while giving them a platform to showcase their work. GO! honors women as the warriors they are, a call for action.

AS WE BREATHE, Harper's first dance film was created during the 2020 lockdown in New York City, expanding Harper Continuum Dance Theatre's virtual works to film. AS WE BREATHE premiered virtually out of Las Vegas, Nevada, in May 2021. This dance film is part of an upcoming series currently in development. Harper continues to diversify as she is now writing a book about the business of dance, and filming CONTINUUM, a Harper Continuum Dance Theatre documentary.