ROBERT BATTLE, originally from Miami, FL, is a graduate of the New World School of the Arts and The Juilliard School, where he received the Princess Grace Dance Scholarship and the Martha Hill Prize. Upon graduation, Mr. Battle joined the Parsons Dance Company (1994-2001) and began setting his work on the company in 1998. Parsons has performed his choreography across the United States and internationally, as well as featuring his work in several New York City seasons. In 2001 Mr. Battle founded Battleworks Dance Company which premiered in August 2002 at the World Dance Alliance’s Global Assembly in Düsseldorf, Germany. Selected as the American representatives to the festival, the company was chosen for its unique outlook on the future of modern dance. Battleworks has performed extensively in New York City and across the country at such venues as The Joyce Theater, Dance Theater Workshop, American Dance Festival, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival. As an independent choreographer, Mr. Battle is in high demand. Hubbard Street 2, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, River North Dance Company, Koresh Dance Company, Introdans, and PARADIGM have all commissioned Mr. Battle for both new works and re-stagings of Battleworks repertory. Mr. Battle regularly conducts residencies at universities throughout the country and teaches master classes in NYC and abroad. In 2005, Battle was honored at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts with a medal proclaiming him one of the "Masters of African-American Choreography" and he has recently been honored with the coveted Princess Grace Statue Award for achievement in choreography