Stephanie Berger, has been on the scene for over three decades, capturing the essence of dance and live performance. Her experience as a house photographer at some of New York City's most renowned cultural venues such as The Park Avenue Armory, The Brooklyn Academy of Music, Lincoln Center, Carnegie Hall, The Met Museum, and Baryshnikov Arts Center as well as a contributing photographer for the New York Times Culture and Arts & Leisure, has established her as a leading figure in the field.
Her work has been celebrated for its ability to transport viewers into the heart of the performance, capturing not only the physical movements but also the emotions and narratives that lie within.
Stephanie published "Merce Cunningham: Beyond the Perfect Stage" her groundbreaking book which garnered critical acclaim and is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, George Pompidou Center, Dia Arts Foundation, MassMoca, and many University Libraries collections.
Her photographs have been exhibited at 92nd Street Y, The Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, The Gallery at the College of Staten Island (CUNY), Endicott College Spencer Gallery, Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Pitts River Museum at Oxford University, The Walker Art Museum, ArtsWestchester, LOOK3 Photo Festival, Jacob’s Pillow, Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, Museum of the City of New York, Hudson Opera House Gallery, New York State Theatre at Lincoln Center, Roy Furman Gallery at Film Society, Gerald H. Lynch Theatre at John Jay College and Rockland Center for the Arts.
StatementMy photographs celebrate the dynamic world of dance and live performance demonstrating the power of freeze-framing a moment in time, highlighting the grace, passion, and storytelling inherent in these art forms, breathing life into still images.
I recently returned from Africa, photographing the inaugural Kigali Triennial, an event celebrating a fusion of art, music, and dance across Africa.
Cv1992- present: Freelance Photographer specializing in performance, dance, theatre, portraits and cultural events. Photographs published in numerous publications, books, journals, websites and documentary films.
Publications: Merce Cunningham: Beyond the Perfect Stage: Photos of Merce Cunningham Dance Company Legacy world Tour and final residency at Dia: Beacon.
Live Arts at The Met: Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, 2022,
BAM- 50 Years of New Wave Festival
Commissions: 100 Years | 100 Women: The Park Avenue Armory, In celebration of Women's Right to Vote
Lincoln Center Festival: Staff Photographer for international Arts Festival in New York City 1996-2018
New York Times: Freelance photographer for Culture and Art & Leisure sections. Photographed many feature stories for sections.
1985-1992: Photographer for the New York City Department of Transportation: Photographed bridges, public works and infrastructure, Women in Non-Traditional jobs. Mayor David Dinkins photographer for the Democratic National Convention.
1983-1985 Associated Press, Photo Researcher & Editor
LECTURER: Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, series: Pillow Talk, Beckett, MA
New York Times: University Gap year Students
The Pitts River Museum at Oxford University, England
Walter Manninem Center for the Arts, Endicott College
Art Gallery of the College of Staten Island, Artist Talk
EDUCATION : University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Communications Studies, BA
StateNY
CountryUnited States
