Biography

Taryn Packheiser

Performance and Multimedia Artist

Taryn began her artistic training in dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.  After receiving her undergraduate degree in Contemporary Dance she lived in New York City where she performed with the Elinor Coleman Dance Ensemble and Urban Impact.  In NYC she began making audiotape sound collages and producing independent choreography at Dancespace (Dance New Amsterdam), The Stable (HipJoint Studio), New Dance Group (DANY Studios), Musical Theater Workspace (440 Studios), and the Williamsburg Art & Historical Center.

After her first trip to the west coast Taryn decided to travel and produce projects across the United States.  One of which was in South Lake Tahoe, where she produced Baby Beach Project on the shores of Stanford Sierra Conference Center's Fallen Leaf Lake.  During this time Packheiser began extended pencil and ink drawings, acrylic paintings, and site-specific dance installations.

Following this experimentation in visual arts, Packheiser embarked on her second formal academic education at the University of Colorado at Boulder.  Her work found new life through digital video and sound creations, conceptual performance art, and increased technical training in dance.  She was chosen to perform with several guest artists at CU including Joe Goode, Gabriel Masson, and Bebe Miller.

Upon graduation with an MFA in Choreography and Performance Taryn worked with Separation Anxiety (a collective of dancers, musicians, and performance artists), Third Law Dance Theatre, 2B Tribe dance theater, and Nick Walk Dance Project.  She also performed her choreography at the American Dance Festival and the North Carolina Dance Project.

In 2005 Packheiser joined the dance faculty at Iowa State University.  She worked as a teacher, choreographer, and student dance company advisor until the summer of 2010.  During this time she continued to produce her own work at Movement Research's Open Performance, the Iowa Fringe Festival, Des Moines Art Stop, and ISU's annual Dance Benefit Gala.  Taryn performed professionally with Co'motion Dance Theater and Hurley & Dancers while in Iowa.  She also produced a weekly radio show on 88.5 FM KURE entitled Bric-a-Brac where she honed her DJ skills.

2010 marks Taryn's foray into freelance work.  She continues to create dances for the stage and screen, audio compositions, visual art, and performances.  Her time is spent dancing, teaching, and making work internationally.