Improvisation and preparation collide in the perfectly unrepeatable art of live performance.
Ensemble Dance
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Learn more about 
the Artists of Ensemble Dance

Find out more about our 
Artistic Director, Pilar Castro Kiltz

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Previous Performances by Ensemble Dance


NYU Tisch School of the Arts Past/Forward Annual Alumni Concert
Pilar Castro Kiltz was invited to be one of seven choreographers specially selected to  present work at this showcase of professional choreographers who are alumni of NYU Tisch Dance.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
NYU Tisch School of the Arts
111 2nd Avenue, New York, NY

Dixon Place presents "...And Then It Wasn't"

(A new Play-In-Progress)
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Dixon Place
161A Chrystie Street, New York, NY
Written, Directed and Choreographed by Pilar Castro Kiltz


Dixon Place Presents Story Weavers (excerpt), a new play with music and movement
Written, Directed and Choreographed by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Friday, March 21, 2014
Dixon Place
161A Chrystie Street, New York, NY

The Field Emerging Artists' Residency Showcase
Friday, January 24, 2014
Abrons Art Center, Experimental Theater
466 Grand Street, New York, NY

Heritage with the Choral Composer/Conductor Collective
Thursday, November 21
Church of the Transfiguration
1 East 29th Street (between 5th and Madison Avenues)

Saturday, November 23
Duffy Performance Space at Mark Morris Dance Center
3 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn

DANCENOW Joe's Pub Festival Challenge 2013
October 12, 2013
Koyunbaba
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Guitar performance by Anna Mnich
Music by Carlo Domeniconi; Arr. Anna Mnich

The Outlet Dance Project at Grounds for Sculpture
October 5, 2013
Dance, Caged Birds. Sing.
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Vocals by Phoenix Gonzalez

TedMed Live Conference, hosted by the  Brooklyn Free Clinic, NYC
April 20, 2013
The Brighter Layer (for three)
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music by Nick DiBerardino

DanceNOW Raw Studio 2013, NYC
April 6, 2013
The Brighter Layer 
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music by Nick DiBerardino

Dixon Place presents The Women of Bone by Ensemble Dance, NYC
February 26, 2013
A work-in-progress performance
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music coordinated by Theo Popov
Lighting Design by Amanda Bestor-Siegal
Costumes by Gina Castro

National Choreography Month Grand Finale Performance, NYC
February 9, 2013
Across the Strait
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music by Mozart, performed by Kelly McDonald

WAXworks at Triskelion Arts Center, NYC
May 20, 2012
Descension
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music by Or Matias

Fertile Ground Series at Greenspace, NYC
April 29, 2012
Tachyon, excerpt
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music by Nick DiBerardino

Dixon Place Presents Wayside by Ensemble Dance, NYC
April 17, 2012
A work-in-progress performance
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music by Dan Jeffries
Excerpts of Poetry by Paul Muldoon
Lighting Design by Amith Chandrashaker

CoolNY 2012 Dance Festival, NYC
January/February 2012
First Wayside, a work-in-progress excerpt of Wayside
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music by Dan Jeffries
Excerpts of Poetry by Paul Muldoon

Dumbo Dance Festival, NYC
September 25, 2011
glass ceiling
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music by Max Mamon

FAB! Festival, NYC
September 24, 2011
 Dust
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz

Ensemble Dance Choreography Showing
July 22, 2011
Studio 5B at the Ailey Citigroup Theatre, the Joan Weill Center for Dance, NYC
Choreography by Pilar Castro Kiltz
Music by Max Mamon
Ensemble Dance was founded in the Summer of 2011, and since its inaugural performance the company has been performing its pieces of brand new dance theater that synthesize movement, theater and music throughout New York City at a variety of festivals, venues and theaters.

During the summer of 2011 Pilar brought together a group of dancers, musicians and actors to create Ensemble Dance. In collaboration with the artists, Pilar choreographed and produced Ensemble Dance's first choreography showing, with original music by Max Mamon, at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, The Joan Weill Center for Dance in July of that year. An original, 45-minute production delighted audience members for the nearly sold-out run. 

In addition to dance pieces presented at NYU Tisch, Pilar’s choreography has been performed by Ensemble Dance at the DUMBO Dance Festival, the FAB! Festival, the CoolNY2012 Dance Festival, Fertile Grounds at Greenspacee, WaxWorks at Triskelion Arts Center, the NACHMO Gala Performance, The Outlet Dance Project and TedMed Live. Ensemble Dance has also been presented by the DanceNOW RAW Studio, DanceNOW Joe's Pub Festival Challenge and been a part of the NYU Tisch Choreographic Mentorship Workshop with Stephen Petronio as well as The Field's Emerging Artist Residency.

Dixon Place has presented Ensemble Dance annually for three years including “Wayside” by Ensemble Dance in April 2012 with Choreography by Pilar, original music by Dan Jeffries and poetry by Pulitzer-Prize winning Paul Muldoon. In February 2013, Dixon Place presented "The Women of Bone" by Ensemble Dance, a sold-out performance with original choreography and text by Pilar Castro Kiltz, and live music coordinated by Theo Popov, and in March 2014 Dixon Place presented "Story Weavers" (excerpt) a new play with music and movement, written, directed, and choreographed by Pilar with new music by Theo Popov. The evening was sold out with standing-room-only and proved another successful night for Ensemble Dance.

Ensemble Dance is fiscally sponsored by Fractured Atlas, and recently created new work thanks to The Field's Artist Subsidized Block Rental Program.


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Director, Pilar Castro Kiltz  graduated with honors from Princeton University with a Bachelors Degree in Music and a double minor in Theater and in Dance.
In May 2012, Pilar earned a Master of Fine Arts in Dance from NYU Tisch School of the Arts, and her dance piece “Booze and Smokes” was selected by Dean Mary Schmidt Campbell to be performed at Radio City Music Hall as the opening of the 2012 Tisch Graduation salute.

Her first play, Liminal, was fully produced at Princeton University in April 2010.  Called a “…phenomenal, unique piece of theater…likely to give you chills,” Liminal was written, directed and choreographed by Pilar with original music by Vince Dimura.

In Summer of 2011 Pilar founded Ensemble Dance, and since its inception has been both the Artistic and Executive Director of the dance theater company. In Fall 2012, Pilar earned an SDC Foundation Observership with Rob Ashford on Broadway's Cat on a Hot Tin Roof starring Scarlett Johansson at the Richard Rogers Theatre. She is currently an Associate Member of SDC. Pilar directed her first play in New York City in December of 2012 for Variations Theatre Group's Harvest One-Act Theatre Festival, and in Fall 2013, Pilar was selected for the competitive Emerging Artist Residency at The Field.

In addition to her creations for Ensemble Dance, Pilar works in other theater and dance productions as a choreographer, movement consultant, actor and dancer, including 2014 performances with Sarah Holmes and with Ellis Wood Dance.


In May 2012 Pilar’s first scholarly article entitled “ ‘A Smart Dinner’ : Hollywood, Rouben Mamoulian and the Prokofievs,” was published in Three Oranges Journal. In addition to academic research, Pilar offers arts consulting and management services for other dance and theater companies.

Pilar is a choreographer, director, playwright, dancer, actor, singer and violinist. In all of her work, Pilar seeks to synthesize the many elements of the performing arts including dance, music and theater.


Photo Credit: Samantha Siegel