Kathy Kaufmann
Lighting Designer
Kathy Kaufmann is a resident Lighting Designer at Danspace Project and a faculty member at New York University. She also works as a freelance lighting designer and has established long-term relationships with many New York dance companies. “At this point, they just let me do whatever I want to do, which is a little scary, but very liberating. There’s a bond of trust,” she says. Over the years, Kathy has established a close relationship with Gina Gibney. Kaufman currently teaches a course in lighting at New York University (NYU). While a student at Northwestern University, Kaufman had a profound experience working with John Williams on the lighting for Summer and Smoke at the University of Chicago. She then transferred to NYU and later studied at the Lester Polakov Studio and Forum of Stage Design to pursue her work.
Ryan Lott
Composer
Ryan Lott studied composition and piano at Indiana University School of Music before moving to Cleveland, Ohio, where he lived for six years and earned a reputation as a versatile and zealous collaborator. Equally at ease in the creative company of choreographers, classical musicians, and break dancers, Lott cut his teeth spear-heading multi-disciplinary “performance parties,” composing music for modern dance companies, and collaborating with musicians across many genres. His works have been performed throughout the US and Europe, including the Guggenheim’s Works & Process series in New York City, and the World Saxophone Congress in Slovenia. Lott also put out an album under the name of his alter ego Son Lux. The album, “At War With Walls and Mazes”, earned Son Lux the title of Best New Artist by NPR’s All Songs Considered. Lott moved to New York City in 2007 and has since become a sought-after remixer, reimaging the music of Beirut, Nico Muhly, My Brightest Diamond, Anathallo, and many others. He recently completed a large-scale work for Stephen Petronio and Ballet de Lorraine and has created original music for three evening-length works by Gibney Dance.
Naoko Nagata
Costume Designer
Naoko Nagata started her career as a biochemist in Japan. Her evolution into costume making is a long story. With no formal training, Nagata’s first costume was created for Jeanine Durning in 1998. From that moment, she has been creating for a diverse group of choreographers and dancers. Along with Gibney Dance, she has collaborated with Amanda Loulaki, Bebe Miller, David Dorfman Dance, Doug Elkins, David Neumann, Ellis Wood, Liz Lerman, Nina Winthrop, Nora Chipaumire, Reggie Wilson, Tiffany Mills, Urban Bush Women, Zvi Gotheiner and many, many others. Working closely with collaborators, Nagata helps bring to life what she herself calls, “the creation of a shared dream.”
Joshue Ott
Visualist
Joshue Ott/superDraw is a New York-based visualist who creates cinematic visual improvisations that are performed live and projected in large scale. Working from hand- drawn forms manipulated in real-time with superDraw, a software instrument of his own design, Ott composes evolving images that reside somewhere between minimalism, psychedelia, and Cagean chance, delivered with an inescapably human touch. Performing with musicians from all genres between classical and avant-electronica, Ott’s visuals have been featured at Communikey, Mutek, the San Francisco International Film Festival, MASS MoCA, Yuri’s Night Bay Area, Le Cube (Paris), the Playgrounds Audiovisual Art Festival (Netherlands), the Plateaux Festival (Poland), Boston Cyberarts, and the 2006 Ars Electronica Animation Festival. He has performed with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and frequently at other venues throughout New York City, including Le Poisson Rouge, Roulette, the Knitting Factory, and the Stone.
