RYAN P. CASEY
ABOUT ME
Ryan P. Casey is a “whimsically inventive” (The Boston Globe) performer, choreographer, teaching artist, and writer in the greater Boston area specializing in joyful, rhythm-driven movement. His dancing has been featured on So You Think You Can Dance, in an episode of the Audible podcast Authorized: Firsts, in a museum exhibit about shoes, in a music video for a Spanish pop star, and numerous other platforms.
A founding member of Dorrance Dance, he trained primarily with Thelma Goldberg and Kelly Kaleta in his hometown of Lexington, Massachusetts, and was formerly recognized as one of Dance Magazine’s “25 to Watch” for his “freakishly clean footwork…reminiscent of Fred Astaire.”
Apart from his solo work, Ryan has also danced for Aaron Tolson, Billy Siegenfeld, Adrienne Hawkins, and Lorraine Chapman. With his ensemble, Off Beat, he has presented original work at such venues as Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, 92nd Street Y, Symphony Space, and David Parker’s "Soaking WET" series. In 2026, he was part of the first Open Doors Residency at Boston's CROMA Space. He also performs with the annual festival and touring production of "Feet Keep the Beat," a percussive dance collective.
As an educator, Ryan has worked with studios, universities, festivals, and youth companies both nationally and internationally, including: Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard, Brandeis, Hofstra, Boston Tap Party, Tri-Tone Youth Rhythm Ensemble, BoSoma School of Dance, Candy Apples Dance Center, and many others. He was formerly on faculty at Boston University and has choreographed for the University of Connecticut Tap Team, Endicott College, OnStage Dance Company, and Bridgewater State University.
Additionally, he is a frequent contributor to Dance Magazine and has also been published in Dance Teacher, Dance Spirit, and the Journal of Dance Education.
Ryan is a proud alumnus of the Harvard Graduate School of Education, New York University’s Gallatin School, The School at Jacob’s Pillow, The Legacy Dance Company of The Dance Inn, and YoungArts.
BIOGRAPHY
TESTIMONIALS
“A world-class performer and educator, Ryan Casey has been an invaluable member of the Summer Performing Arts with Juilliard faculty since the program’s inception in 2016. Ryan is a consummate professional, comfortable teaching multiple dance styles to students of varied levels of experience and always with a smile on his face. We are thrilled to have him as part of our artist faculty team!”
–Seth Baer,
Director of Programs and Operations,
K-12 Programs and Initiatives, The Juilliard School
“Ryan is an enthusiastic and engaging dance educator. In the time he has spent working with my students over the years, he's instilled a love and appreciation for tap – from our beginners to our seasoned performers. Learning to hear and perform intricate tap steps can be challenging, but Ryan is excellent at breaking it down and making all students feel accomplished. I would highly recommend exposing young tap students to his methods of teaching...and his funny & caring personality!”
–Javin Hammond, Owner & Director,
Taylor Studios Dance & Performing Arts
"Ryan is a patient, nonjudgmental, and kind tap dance teacher. He was able to teach me steps in a way that I could slowly integrate the necessary brain-to-feet awareness. It was a combination of luck and a true gift to find Ryan.”
–Kathleen Sundt, former student
“This gangly dancer can morph from a giraffe into a grasshopper with the graceful fold of the limbs; he shows the awkwardness and then the spindly side of his body’s strange beauty.”
–The New York Times
“Ryan is a true arts advocate for the New England region; one who creates and inspires others through his knowledge and talent of dance.”
–Jesse Keller Jason,
Former Director of Island Programs and Education,
The Yard
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