Services

CHOREOGRAPHY

TEACHING + TEACHER TRAINING

COACHING

DIRECTOR / REGISSEUR
for Graham works and others

Choreographer’s Statement

My choreographic aesthetic is eclectic, spanning themes of my French roots, overseas travels, and the intercultural lifestyle of New York City, where I live. My formative interdisciplinary dance practice, including Jazz and Afro-American dance genres, widened my movement vocabulary while my thoroughgoing involvement with the Graham technique and choreography anchors and merges my experiences. In search of new discoveries, my movement style and process demand physical research. I believe there is a common field of energy that connects all human beings and that surpasses cultural boundaries. Inspired by each dancer’s cultural background and “ancestral memories,” I like to explore movement excavation and compose dances by distilling movement to its purest, simplest, and deepest way of expression.
My goal is to transform viewers into “feelers” and take them on a journey to feel with their bodies and minds.
For choreography inquiries contact: info@virginiemecene.com
PORTFOLIO OF WORKS

Teaching + Teacher Training

Virginie Mécène is a master dance educator with over three decades of teaching experience at the Martha Graham School and across the globe. Through technical rigor and holistic mentorship, she directly prepares the next generation of dancers for elite global companies. A visionary in dance pedagogy, Mécène bridges Martha Graham’s legendary technique with modern evolution by creating specialized teacher-training workshops. 

Core Pedagogical Belief

A student possessing a fierce desire to dance requires nuanced guidance—not a rigid mold to be filled.

  • Collaborative Pathway:Empowering dancers to take ownership of their training.
  • Artistic Growth:Leading students to discover and develop their own strongest physical assets.
  • Internal Motivation:Sparking the drive necessary to push past perceived boundaries.

Movement as Identity

Our individual way of moving is a profound canvas that reflects our emotions, cultural traditions, personal beliefs, and ancestral memories.

  • Dance is an ongoing, lifelong process of inner exploration and self-discovery.
  • Every class actively acknowledges and honors each student’s unique individuality, kinetic approach, and natural range of movement.

In the Studio

Rather than enforcing a static curriculum, I tailor my classes dynamically to the physical and artistic needs of the specific bodies in the room.

  • Approach:Cultivating the method of initiating movement from a deep inner place in the center of the body and focusing on its organic action and reaction.
  • High Expectations:Demanding absolute engagement and a rigorous commitment to learning.
  • Safe Atmosphere:Fostering technical mastery within a highly positive, safe, and productive studio environment.

 Teacher Workshops: Designed for dance instructor with or without prior Graham experience wishing to integrate Graham basics into their own curricula. Providing detailed instruction, pedagogy, philosophy, and creative approach using imagery and personal experience. Sharing practical suggestions for tailoring the technique to different age groups and experience levels.

📩 Work With Me

  • Masterclasses & Workshops:Available for university residencies, festival intensives, and private studio masterclasses globally.
  • Connect:Let’s collaborate to inspire the next generation of dancers. Contact info@virginiemecene.com

Coaching

Virginie Mécène provides tailored artistic coaching rooted in her extensive contemporary and Martha Graham background. Her sessions focus on unlocking individual physical expressiveness and stage presence. 

 

Coaching Focus Areas

  • Sole Movement Quality: Identifying and building upon each dancer’s unique physical traits.
  • Movement Source: Tracing the internal anatomical and emotional origins of physical action.
  • Dramatic Intent: Infusing precise choreography with storytelling and vivid theatricality. 

Coaching sessions available upon request. Please contact info@virginiemecene.com

Director / Regisseur

Restaging Specialist

Virginie Mecene is an active regisseur and dance artist dedicated to restaging masterworks for individual artists, professional dance companies, and universities worldwide. With a deep commitment to preserving and passing on choreographic heritage—particularly the technique and repertoire of the Martha Graham tradition—she brings rigorous artistic standards and historical integrity to every staging.

Her extensive career as an educator, répétiteur, and stager spans prestigious institutions and companies across the globe, including:

  • Professional Companies: Les Ballets de Lorraine (Nancy, France), Miami City Ballet (Florida), Ballet Spartanburg (South Carolina), Repertory Dance Theatre (Utah), and Bodiography Contemporary Ballet (Pennsylvania).
  • Universities & Conservatories: Harvard University Dance Company (Massachusetts), Temple University and the University of the Arts (Philadelphia), University of Washington (Seattle), University of Iowa (Iowa City), and the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts (California).

Booking & Inquiries

For inquiries regarding inviting Virginie Mecene to restage a Graham work or lead masterclasses:

Photo of Virginie Mécène’s Cyclical Journey by Brigid Pierce – Snapshot of PeiJu Chien-Pott in rehearsal for the creation of a new work by Virginie Mécène  – Photo with students by Melissa Sherwood.