Biography

Christa Smutek is Artistic Director of Artistic Edge Dance Centre, Director of in-studio intensive, The Collective Movement, and Founder of project based dance company, Smutek Dance. Christa was honored to be one of eight choreographers selected for the Ann & Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellowship 2023 at Jacob’s Pillow under the direction of Risa Steinberg and Dianne McIntyre.  Christa completed her residency at Western Michigan University after winning their National Choreographic Competition as well as a residency with Oakland University.

Christa studied at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and received her B.S. in Movement Science from the School of Kinesiology graduating with distinction and University Honors. Christa has performed professionally with companies including ArtLab J Dance, SueMo Dance Company, and Danceworks Performance Company MKE. She began her training under the direction of Angie Hahn, Marie Rabey, Gerald O’Day, Addison O’Day, and Judy Rice. She has attended intensives including Joffrey Midwest, ABT Detroit, The National Ballet School of Canada, Parsons Dance, Jacob Jonas The Company, and FLOCKworks.

In addition to dancing, Christa has been teaching and choreographing for 15 years. Her contemporary choreography has been showcased at World of Dance Chicago, Spring to Dance St. Louis, Indiana Dance Festival, Columbus Arts Festival, Milwaukee Fringe Festival, RADfest Midwest, Dance Canvas in Atlanta, Brighton Dance Festival, Motor City Choreographer’s Collective, Detroit Dance City Festival, and the Michigan Youth Arts Festival. Her piece, Architect of the Mind, was the winner of Milwaukee’s “Dance MKE” competition in 2017. Her choreography was a finalist in the American Choreographic Festival 2018. She was the Associate Artistic Director and resident choreographer of SueMo Dance Company in Milwaukee for 5 seasons. She has received numerous choreography awards and IDA nominations for her competitive choreography. Christa has also taught master classes and set guest work in Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Ohio, Colorado, Missouri, Georgia, New Jersey, Canada, and the Virgin Islands.

In 2016 she established herself as Christa Smutek LLC and continues to showcase her professional choreography through Smutek Dance Project. Smutek Dance was the International Exchange Award winner for 2024 at Detroit Dance City Festival and is invited to perform her work at New Dance Festival in Daejeon, South Korea in 2025.  Smutek Dance was invited as a guest performance at Wayne State University’s December Dance Concert 2024.  Smutek Dance has performed at Dumbo Dance Festival, Eisenhower Dance Ensemble NewDanceFest, Detroit Dance City Festival, White Wave SoloDuo Festival and CDCFest in Orlando, FL. She was the Best Choreography winner of the DDCF Detroit Exchange Program 2021 and invited to present work in DDCF Dance & Celebration Showcase. Smutek Dance placed 4th at World of Dance Chicago 2019. Her dance film, Unchained (2020), was selected for Opine Dance Film Festival in Pennsylvania, and was awarded Newbie Film Favorite. Her other dance film, Sandcastles (2020), was selected for Screen Dance International 2021 and finalist in Dancentric Film Festival 2021.

She continues her freelance work throughout the country and is the proud mother of Eli Antony Smutek, born January 27, 2018.

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