photo credit: Barbara Shore
STARRENE FOSTER; ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
A Richmond native, Starrene Foster, is a choreographer, dance educator and the Artistic Director of Starr Foster Dance. Starrene has been honored to be the recipient of Theresa Pollak Award for Artistic Excellence, Choreographer of the Year by RVA Dance Awards, Richmond’s Most Prestigious 25 Arts Innovators, Style Weekly’s The Top 40 under 40, and the VCU Star Alumni Award, where she is in her 27th year of teaching in the Department of Dance and Choreography. Starr Foster Dance has been thrilled to be recognized as one of the Best Dance Companies in Richmond's Style Weekly Magazine Readers Choice Award and featured on PBS Virginia Currents. Starrene has received grants from the Virginia Council for the Arts, and many commissions for new dance works from universities and various dance companies. She guest teaches throughout the country and her choreography has been presented nationally including the Women Arts Exchange (FL), ShortNorthStage (OH), The Philadelphia Fringe Festival (PA), The New Albany Dance Festival (OH), The Jack Guidone Theatre (DC), SUNY Buffalo (NY), The New World School (FL), Old Dominion University (VA), Cornell University (NY), James Madison University (VA), Dance Charlotte (NC), The Goose Route Dance Festival (WV), the Demetrius Klein Dance Festival (FL), Scranton Cultural Arts Center (PA), Baltimore Theatre Project (MD), The Lorton Workhouse (DC), International Festival of Music, Big River Dance Festival (WV), Scranton Fringe Festival (PA), Stockton University (NJ), The Richmond Ballet, University of Richmond, and the Festival of Choreography (NC). She has had the pleasure of performing works by Mark Taylor, Doug Varone, Sharon Kinney, Ronald K. Brown, Chris Burnside, Mark Dendy, Pewan Chow (Hong Kong), and Raul Parro (Mexico). In addition to her work with concert dance, Starrene has choreographed commercials, music videos, and musical theatre. Starrene is an advocate for enriching the world with more art and is dedicated to mentoring young artists so they are able to do the same. Starrene continues teaching at VCU and is also on the faculty at Central Virginia Dance Academy.
