Women in
Black Dance
Project
ABOUT THE PROJECT
The Women In Black Dance Project was founded in 1996 by director and choreographer Thaïs Mazur. Based on the international Women In Black Protest for Peace, the project’s goal is to educate the public through dance-theater performances and workshops about the women suffering from war crimes and other acts of violence and about the women standing for peace around the world.
A non-violent protest movement, Women in Black Against War began in Argentina and in Israel in 1988. Over the past ten years women in 25 countries –including the United States–have joined this protest for peace. These women stand in silent vigil opposing the war crimes routinely inflicted upon women and children throughout the world. Israeli women stand with Palestinian women. In, Belgrade, women stand with women from Bosnia. Around the world, black-clad women stand through spring, summer, fall and winter in public places to protest war atrocities.
Women in Black Against War has been gathering momentum worldwide and speaks for those voices that would otherwise remain silent. Women in black is vital for building our global community and represents an important metaphor for peace and the power of action expressed as compassion for all people. Performances of Women In Black Dance Project have taken place in a variety of venues, including Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, Dance Space in New York, United National Plaza in New York, Cowell Theater Fort Mason, Grace Cathedral in San Francisco, Saint Joseph Cathedral in San Jose, the San Francisco Street Peformance Festival and Mills College in Oakland.
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Thaïs Mazur (Artistic Director and Choreographer), is the artistic director of the Women in Black Dance Project and founder of the ECHO Dance Project. For the past 20 years, Thaïs has taught numerous dance workshops, classes, and at national and international dance festivals. She has extensively studied contact improvisation and modern dance as a personal narrative and interpretive form. As a dance instructor, Thaïs enjoys working with professional dancers and “non-dancers” alike, inspiring each students’ individual expression and ability.
Thaïs began her dance career in 1975 and has performed with members of the Martha Graham Dance Company, Bobby Wynn, Tandy Beal, Terry Sendgraff, and AXIS Dance Company. In 1987, Thaïs was a founding member of AXIS Dance Company and served as the artistic director for eleven years. Her leadership of AXIS won her acclaim with presenters and dance reviewers throughout the country.
Thaïs has worked extensively in collaboration with composers and visual artists to create original full-evening length performances including “Women in Black”, “The Way In” and “Hidden Histories/Visible Differences”. She has worked with award winning composers Amy X Neuburg, Katrina Wreede, Pamela Z and Susan Alexjander.
Works Highlights:
Full Evening Length Works:
• Remember This! Intimate Portraits of War Through the Eyes of Women
• Women In Black
• Hidden Histories/Visible Differences
• The Way In

Repertory:
• Open Secrets
• The Web
• Three Women in Black
• Prayer
• Rememberance of a Beatiful Life

Performance Highlights:
• Dance Space in New York
• Cologne University, Germany
• Cowell Theater, San Francisco
• Novosibirsk, Siberia
• Southern Theater , Minneapolis
• Boston Center for the Arts
• Central Park Summer Stage, New York
• CAL Performance at the University Art Museum
• Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco.
• United Nations Plaza, New York

Award Highlights:
• Dance Bay Area Choreographers’ Fellowship
• Award for Innovation in the Arts
• Creative Arts Award
• 10 awards for the co-production of the documentary video, “Dancing From the Inside Out”
• Silver Award from Dance On Camera in New York

Funding Highlights:
• National Endowment for the Arts
• Zellerbach Family Fund
• The Rockefeller Map fund
• Threshold Foundation
• Gerbode Foundation
• California Arts Council
Photos by Amy Snyder