“She loves story as much as she loves movement and it shows in her delightfully clear and witty work.”
Artist’s Statement
I am a director, choreographer, intimacy director, and educator whose work is rooted in movement and storytelling. I create collaborative spaces where artists feel supported, respected, and encouraged to bring their full selves into the room. My work is shaped by a lifelong connection to dance, a love of musical theatre, and a belief in the power of theatre to build community and human connection.
Growing up in my mother’s dance studio sparked my passion for movement at an early age and eventually led me to directing and creating original work. Through my experiences as both an artist and educator, I have developed a process centered on communication, trust, and collaboration. I believe the strongest work comes from spaces where people feel safe to explore, take risks, and create together.
Bio
Cassie Nordgren (she/her) is a director, choreographer, and teaching artist who specializes in musical theatre, physical storytelling, and dance. She is a two-time finalist for the Capezio A.C.E. Awards for Choreographic Excellence and was the SDCF Observer for Tony-nominated and Emmy-winning choreographer Josh Bergasse for the 2014 Broadway Revival of ON THE TOWN. Her choreography can be seen in two feature films: WAITING IN THE WINGS, THE MUSICAL (featuring Shirley Jones) and its sequel, STILL WAITING (featuring Seth Rudetsky, & Chita Rivera).
As a lifelong advocate for accessibility in the arts, Cassie started ThruLines, a non-profit dance initiative committed to exploring physical storytelling and dance as a unifying tool for the diverse audiences of Washington Heights. Under the ThruLines banner head, Cassie has created two original works: ALEXA, a new immersive dance experience created with Roddy Kennedy and Ali Marconi at the Inwood Art Works Pop-Up Culture Hub in NYC; and THE LAST BITE, which Cassie conceived, choreographed, and directed at the 3,400-seat United Palace Theatre in Washington Heights. Cassie also served as the Artistic Director and Curator of the Danza Highbridge Festival, an annual dance concert staged in a drained, Olympic-size wading pool, and Danza: Fish Out of Water, a digital showcase produced during the pandemic.
Cassie has worked with theatres across the country. Favorite credits include New York New Works Festival on Theatre Row, The Neighborhood Playhouse, Sierra Repertory Theatre, Cabrillo Stage, and Center REPertory Theatre, where she earned a Theatre Bay Area Award nomination for Outstanding Choreography for David Ives’ play THE LIAR.
Cassie holds a B.S. in Theatre for Social Change from CUNY/BA and an M.F.A. in Directing from Baylor University. She loves teaching and has taught at studios and institutions across the country including Peridance Capezio Center, Praize Productions, Inc., Baylor University, Austin Community College, and Cabrillo College. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at Columbia College in Chicago.