BIOGRAPHY 

Hettie Barnhill is a Filmmaker, Broadway actress, Director, Choreographer, and the founder of ‘Create A Space NOW’ an interactive social justice platform that uses performing arts and multimedia to further discussion around #blacklivesmatter and the recent events and race relations in America. Her film, A Love Letter to Brian, Lesley, and Michelle, has been selected and awarded in festivals currently showing nationally and internationally and honored by the California Senate with a Certificate of Special Congressional Recognition, "Using Film as a Vehicle For Community Engagement and Education" by Congressman Ro Khanna and California Senator Bob Wieckowski. Nominated for a New York Innovative Theater Award for Outstanding Choreography, Hettie has performed nationally and internationally on Television, Film, and on Broadway in the productions "Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark," Tony Award-winning "FELA!" (original cast), and the Tony award-nominated "Leap Of Faith" (original cast).

 

As an educator, currently teaching Dance and Theater at Union College in Schenectady NY, Hettie graduated from Columbia College Chicago and has her  MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts, Performance Creation Concentration focusing on Art and Activism, from Goddard College. Hettie, opened  ‘Movement & Characters’, a school dedicated to providing industry-level, professional classes in the performing arts for students of all ages, levels, and financial backgrounds, operating in Greater New York & New York City, sharing her love for dance and exploring how to create spaces where form and technique are being learned, perspective is being shared, culture is being experienced, and history is being discussed. In addition, she has taught at several Colleges and Universities including: As the Visiting Artist-In-Residence in Dance at Skidmore College in Saratoga, NY, Visiting Assistant Professor of Theater and Dance at Nazareth College in Rochester, NY, and Stephens College in Columbia, MO. She has also been a Guest Artist at the University Of Rochester, Suny Potsdam, Suny Brockport, Suny New Paltz, and Sam Houston State University. Hettie has also taught at dance at The Mark Morris School Brooklyn NY, JCC Triple Threat NJ, Mohonk Mountain House, New Paltz, NY,  and Encore Dance Competition for the Stars, NJ ( judge).  

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Using art as therapy, Hettie has received awards for her outreach and service in communities, including The NAACP's "Top 21 Leaders 40 & Under Award" In The Fields Of Arts & Culture, Twice Honored As A "Rising Star" By The Young & Powerful For Obama Group, The Shirley Chisholm "Women Of Excellence." Since 2006, Hettie has worked with A Long Walk Home Inc., a nonprofit organization that uses art therapy and the visual and performing arts to document, educate and bring about social change for survivors of rape and violence. 

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Hettie's dance training commenced at the Pelagie Green Wren Dance Academy at the age of three. She continued her education at the Katherine Dunham Center for Performing Arts School and Ms. Alexandra Ballet School in Missouri. She is an alumnus of the COCA Pre-Professional Program & COCAdance and graduated in 2002 from Central Visual Performing Arts High School in St. Louis, Missouri. During her high school years, she performed in summer productions at the Muny Opera in St. Louis, MO. Additionally, she attended the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC, and trained at The Alvin Ailey Theater and the Cunningham Studio in New York City. 

Hettie has collaborated with various prestigious dance companies and artists. She was a second company member of Urban Bush Women, a company member of Black Label Movement in Minnesota, an apprentice at the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, and a company member of Balance Dance Theater, directed by Obediah Wright. Her performance repertoire includes works by renowned choreographers such as Ron K. Brown, Peter London, Jowelle Zoller, Keith Tyrone Williams, Katherine Dunham, Cornelius Carter, Mercedes Ellington, Rodney Hamilton, Lee Nolting, Judith Jamison, Doug Verone, and many others.

In theater, Hettie trained with CHIPS in St. Louis, MO, The St. Louis Black Rep, Circle in the Square in New York, The American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in New York, Sherwood Music School in Chicago, IL, Second City Improv in Chicago, IL, and Face Off Unlimited in NYC, among others.

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Hettie was born In St. Louis, MO, and was raised both in East St. Louis, Illinois, and St. Louis, MO.