Stephen Cota

Jazz 1; Jazz 5/6

Stephen (Steve) Cota (he/him) is a choreographer, movement director, and arts educator rooted in dance-based storytelling. Now based in Toronto, he has leapt, turned, and made funny faces on stages across Canada, and found what would be his creative home at The Stratford Festival in 2000. He began his career as a performer where he had the chance to learn from Susan Strohman, Wayne Cilento, John Doyle, Des McAnuff, Antoni Cimolino, Robert McQueen, and many more artists and collaborators who would shape his career for years to come.

Steve’s leap from performer to creative is owed to Donna Feore. Donna took Stephen under her wing, and helped him blossom as a creative, growing from her dance captain to her Associate Choreographer and Assistant Director up until the 2020 cancelled productions of Chicago and Here’s What It Takes. His work as a creative at The Stratford Festival led Steve to choreographing plays, where he has been fortunate to collaborate with Antoni Cimolino, Scott Wentworth, Morris Panych, and Peter Pasyk. Steve has workshopped new dance-based work with the New Works Department at The Stratford Festival since 2017.

Steve’s story-based approach to choreography is grounded in using classical theatre jazz techniques with a modern flair to contemporize movement for current audiences. His work is inviting and conversational, and focuses on character intentions and thematic storytelling.

During the pandemic, Stephen founded In The Wings, a theatre training platform where he works with artists at all levels of their career to further their training and development. It has been the joy of his career to work with aspiring artists, helping guide them with the knowledge and practical skills to break into the industry. He is currently continuing this work on faculty at Sheridan College and the University of Toronto.

Choreography credits include: Mary Poppins (The Grand Theatre), Frankenstein Revived, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Mad Woman of Chaillot, Romeo and Juliet, The Hypochondriac (Stratford Festival).