kira shiina

A closeup of kira shiina in which their face is lit with red and blue and yellow and purple
Faculty

kira shiina (they/she) is as an adjunct assistant professor in the School of Dance and primarily serves as a rehearsal director to third- and fourth-year students. Their creative practice, rooted in movement and sound, explores world-building, materiality and ontological examination.

Biography

kira shiina is a freelance dance artist and sound designer based in the land of the Lenape people, known today as Philadelphia. kira shiina received their dance education at Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts 6–12 and went on to pursue their BFA in Dance at University of the Arts. During their time at UArts, they performed in works by Andrea Miller/GALLIM, Beth Gill, Bobbi Jene Smith, Doug Varone, Jesse Zaritt, Sidra Bell and Tommie-Waheed Evans, among other artists. Upon graduating, she became an adjunct assistant professor for the School of Dance. kira shiina has been a member of project-based company waheedworks since 2019, under the direction of Tommie-Waheed Evans. With Evans, she has served as a creative associate and rehearsal director, assisting with new creations and restagings on companies and universities such as BalletX, Drexel University, Verb Ballets and UArts. kira shiina was a founding member of Mark Caserta’s BigKid Dance, having performed with the company from 2021 to 2023 and has been a teaching artist for BigKid Summer and Winter Workshops. Currently, they are a performer with multidisciplinary performance entity slowdanger, under the direction of anna thompson and taylor knight, and recently joined Sidra Bell Dance New York as a company artist for its 2023–2024 season.

Experience

kira shiina has additionally trained with various institutions and companies, including

  • Joffrey Ballet School, New York, New York; 

  • Point Park University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; 

  • MICHIYAYA Dance, Pittsburgh and New York City; 

  • Vertigo Dance Company, Jerusalem; 

  • Batsheva Dance Company, Tel Aviv; and 

  • UArts Precollege Summer Institute, Philadelphia. 

Visit kira shiina’s Bandcamp page. 

Follow kira shiina on Instagram. 

Awards & Accolades

kira shiina has been recognized numerous times for their work. 

  • Expressivity Award (UArts School of Dance, 2020)

  • Trustee’s Scholarship for Creative Leadership (2016–2020)

  • Dean’s Scholarship for Artistic Merit (2016–2020)

  • Pittsburgh Promise Scholarship Award Recipient (2016–2020)