Andy Russ

Andy is an interdisciplinary artist and educator based in Providence, RI. Over his 30-year career in the arts, he has enjoyed wearing many creative hats: choreographer, composer, curator, dancer, designer, director, filmmaker, editor, engineer, manager, producer and teacher. Originally from North Carolina, with degrees in Music and Dance from Oberlin College and Conservatory in Ohio, Andy lived in New York City for 10 years, where he was Music Supervisor for the Merce Cunningham Dance Company. When he wasn’t touring, he was part of the “downtown dance scene” working at Danspace Project, the Kitchen, and PS122. During this time Andy began composing for theatre and dance. He has created over 80 original soundscores, collaborating with artists (Ali Kenner Brodsky, Terry Creach, Gisela Creus, Jordan Fuchs, Gina Gibney, Lance Gries, Hal Hartley, Curt Haworth, Julie Atlas Muz, David Neumann, Lionel Popkin, Amy Sue Rosen, Leslie Scates); organizations (Doppëlganger Dance Collective, Wilbury Theatre, Spectrum Theatre Ensemble, Strange Attractor Theatre); and institutions (Salve Regina University, Brown University, and Harvard University). In 2005, Andy relocated to RI to take on the role of Artistic Coordinator for cellist Yo-Yo Ma's international music ensemble the Silk Road Project. Once the project left the state in 2010, he turned his attention to the New England scene – working as a freelance designer, teaching artist, and performance maker. In 2014, Andy began making interdisciplinary work under the name Passive Aggressive Novelty Company. Characterized by the use and misuse of diverse grammars of art-making – dance, theatre, music, film, and poetry – the work seeks to be a counterpoint to the over-storied, over-commercialized "reality" of contemporary life. It asks audiences to slow down, open up, and take nothing for granted. Since 2018, Andy has added two new hats. He is a teacher of Integrated Arts and Music at the Wolf School in East Providence. And, in partnership with RWU professor Ali Kenner Brodsky, he started a touring dance film series, called Kicking and Screening. It has since evolved to become Motion State Arts, expanding its focus to present both films and live performances by cutting-edge movement artists from around the world.