Lucy Bowen McCauley (choreographer)

Lucy Bowen McCauley is the artistic director, choreographer and creative energy behind Bowen McCauley Dance. Her enduring love for dance moved her to form the company in 1996. Since founding BMD, she has created over 80 works ranging from lyrical ballets to highly physical contemporary pieces set to rock music. Her repertoire offers an unconventional array of genres; her choreography demonstrates a fluent outpouring of dance blending balletic lines, quirky gestures and modern dance's earthiness that uniquely explores the interplay between music, dance and drama. Washingtonian Magazine named her among those "who have helped transform Washington into one of the nation's liveliest centers in performing arts."

A dancer since childhood, McCauley's early training at the Jordan School of Music & Dance in Indianapolis, and the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Traverse City, Michigan, provided her with a profound appreciation for both music and musicians that is so striking in her work. At age 18, she was offered a scholarship to the Joffrey School in New York City where she performed with the Joffrey Concert Group. She also danced with the Maryland Ballet, the Virginia State Ballet, DC Contemporary Dance Theatre and Daniel West Dancers. She was a founding member of Eric Hampton Dance.

Throughout her career, Lucy has received numerous awards and recognition for her excellence in dance. In 2011, Lucy was selected as a national leader by Dance/USA for their inaugural mentorship program. She was also recognized as an innovator by the Genetic Alliance for BMD's local Dance for PD program, and was also appointed to the Arlington Commission for Economic Development. In October 2010 McCauley received the prestigious lifetime award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance Education at the 10th Annual Metro DC Dance Awards in Washington, DC. McCauley has received the Alumni Path of Inspiration Award from the Interlochen Center for the Arts and the STAR Award for Artistic Excellence from the Arlington Commission for the Arts. She is a recipient of the Elizabeth Campbell Award for the Advancement of the Arts in Arlington from the American Association of University Women. She is a 2008 graduate of Leadership Arlington. McCauley received the 2009 James B. Hunter III Arlington Community Hero Award, which recognizes people who make an ongoing difference in the Arlington community. Also in 2009, BMD was awarded the prestigious "Nonprofit of the Year" ABBIE Award from the Arlington Chamber of Commerce.

Over the years McCauley has taught at The George Washington University, The Washington Ballet and has been a guest teacher at ABT, the Orlando Ballet, The Kennedy Center, Georgetown University and the Escuela Superior de Musica y Danza in Monterrey, Mexico. She is currently on the faculty at the Maryland Youth Ballet and Studio Body Logic. She has pioneered a unique stretch technique, Bowen McCauley Stretch, which has been featured in USA Today, Dance Teacher, and The Washington Post.

In a desire to bring the joy and beauty of dance to new audiences, McCauley has created outreach programs that touch underserved communities throughout the Metropolitan area. She enjoys teaching dance and stretch to people of all ages. In partnership with the Parkinson Foundation of the National Capital Area, she leads weekly dance classes called Dance for PD to people with Parkinson Disease and their care-partners.

McCauley is Artistic Council Chair and a Trustee for Dance/USA. She serves on the board of the Arlington Chamber of Commerce and on the Arlington Economic Development Commission.