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Straight out of DANCE THEATER OF HARLEM, the renowned choreographer, dancer, instructor, director and actor, SHERMAN L. STEWARD – who got his first hands-on experience choreographing for the likes of AL HUDSON AND ONE WAY at age 15 – landed on Broadway. Born in Little Rock, Arkansas to parents in the educational field, Sherman would be considered a late starter in the world of Dance. Taking his first “official” ballet class at age 17, by age 18 he was studying Jazz at the University of Little Rock at Arkansas under one of the best Jazz teachers of the time, DOT CALLAEN, giving him the strong foundation for his work today. Two Jazz greats, LUIGI and MATT MATTOX, were further stops on his educational roller coaster. After just 2 years, Sherman received a scholarship to study and perform with BILL MARTIN VISCOUNT at SOUTHWEST CITY BALLET (Fort Worth, Texas). Spotted by ARTHUR MITCHELL of the DANCE THEATER OF HARLEM, Sherman made the trip to New York to audition for that same prestigious school – and succeeded! Studying with PHIL BLACK at the PHIL BLACK STUDIO and FRED BENJAMIN at STEPS 72ND & BROADWAY preceded his next major move to mid-town New York in 1983 and FRANK HATCHETT’s V.O.P. COMPANY. BROADWAY DANCE CENTER was Sherman Steward’s last stop before taking Europe by storm. This was the beginning of an invaluable life experience and a fulfilling career as a dancer, instructor, choreographer, actor and director. From the JUST DANCE FACTORY to the GLUECK DANCE STUDIO in Munich; from the STUTTGART DANCE FESTIVAL with GUS GIORDANO to MILTON’S DANCE STUDIO in Berlin; from FRED MAZAUDOU at the DANCE CENTER BASEL to the world-famous PINEAPPLE STUDIOS in London, to name just a few! Sherman was soon a much sought-after instructor of workshops and master classes throughout Europe, as well as soloist and instructor at the TREVISO DANCE CENTER, Treviso / Italy.With his powerful and intricate choreography, he was soon in demand for his vision and creativity. Once established in Europe, it wasn’t long before he was approached by major fashion houses to choreograph their shows: BOGNER, LEVIS, CONVERSE ALLSTARS, KAPPA SPORTSWEAR, OLYMPIA SPORTSWEAR and PUMA. Germany’s Fashion Week, “MODE WOCHE”, was another event stamped with Sherman’s signature style. On moving to Berlin, Sherman was able to build up a small company of dancers from all around the globe. With these dancers he staged his own productions, as well as productions for special events and galas. His unique style was soon sought after by music industry professionals at BMG GERMANY for some of their top new acts: EMEL, FINESSE, AMEXLOVE as well as the FUNKY DIAMONDS showcase for the N-SYNC V. BACKSTREET BOYS TOUR. And so working with top European acts became a way of life for this talented artist! While on tour in Asia, one of Hong Kong’s top stars, SALLY YEAH, contacted him to work on her stage show as a choreographer, dancer and director. This opened yet another door for him, this time as instructor to Hong Kong’s TELEVISON DANCE COMPANY. Screen appearances soon followed, with a role in Bavaria Film’s German language film “SCHLOSS KOENIGSWALD”, as well as the leading role in a U.S. independent film “A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A 6FT BLACK MAN”. With his return to the U.S.A., Sherman is again dedicating himself to the Development of Dance as a whole: instructing both children and adults at the beautiful Santa Monica Dance Studio; creating KAMP FEELGOOD, a Spring and Summer Kamp for Kidz; designing www.kidzdanceklub.com, a website for all dancers both young and old; instructing as a Resident at UCLA during the Spring 2005 Semester, as well as appearances as a Guest Instructor at CALARTS Valencia and other prestigious Universities and schools worldwide; and finally, the development of Hoppy Henry Inc. A recent venture was the realization of his life-long dream: The dream of creating his own original works for his own company of multi-racial, multi-national dancers, a melting pot reflecting the world today: SANTA MONICA DANCE THEATER OF THE WORLD. No longer a dream, the excellence and class of this fledgling company, with its talented and beautiful dancers was pre-premiered in September 2005 (with all proceeds benefiting the AVON WALK FOR BREAST CANCER) and premiered in March 2006 with huge success and acclaim at the Lincoln Theater in Santa Monica. Sherman looks forward to welcoming you to future performances of SANTA MONICA DANCE THEATER OF THE WORLD - DTW! From June 2006 to December 2007, Sherman was sought out by STRIVE, a non-profit organization doing wonderful things for the children of Los Angeles, to develop their Dance Program. As DIRECTOR OF DANCE he used his talents to develop a Saturday Program, teaching Jazz and Modern to children ages 3 through 18. During the Summer of 2007, Sherman put his talent to work, choreographing a scene for the hugely popular TV sitcom "EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS", which aired in Fall 2007. Along with his current schedule of classes being held at the brand new CAPOEIRA BESOURO STUDIO in Santa Monica, Sherman can currently be found at the DEBBIE ALLEN DANCE ACADEMY (DADA) in Culver City teaching children and DANCE ARTS ACADEMY (DAA) in Los Angeles teaching an Advanced Jazz class for adults, Summer 2008 gave Sherman the opportunity to return to his old home, DANCE THEATER OF HARLEM, where he spent six weeks instructing their incredibly talented young dancers during the Summer Intensive Course. |