About Joe

Joseph Gifford began his performing career in New York City as a member of the dance company of Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman, two of the great pioneers of American modern dance. Subsequently, he formed his own company, the Joseph Gifford Dance Theater, which performed annually in NYC and on tours throughout the USA. During his years in NYC, he assisted Doris Humphrey in her teaching, appeared in several musicals on Broadway, and taught for many years at the New Dance Group Studio, a school which was seminal in training and fostering future important modern dancers.

In mid-career, he joined the faculty of the School of Theatre Arts, Boston University, to establish a curriculum in movement training for the actor. During his years at Boston University he toured throughout the USA, Europe, Japan (spending two sabbaticals there) and Sri Lanka, giving master classes and seminars on the art of performing. He gave annual summer workshops for performers at Tanglewood under the aegis of the BU Tanglewood Institute. He also directed acclaimed experimental theatre productions, as well as opera at the university.

In 1985, Mr. Gifford joined the faculty of the American Symphony Orchestra League’s workshops for conductors. He taught annually for the ASOL, until the organization terminated these workshops in 2006. He has worked privately with prominent American conductors, including Seaver Award winners, Christopher Wilkins and Neal Stulberg. Also, with Joe Illick, Music Director of the Fort Worth Opera, among others. During the summers of 2003-4, the Thyll-Durr Foundation of Switzerland invited him to teach conductors’ workshops at their villa on the island of Elba, Italy. Mr. Gifford continues to give seminars and private classes for conductors and instrumentalists throughout the United States and in Europe.

Mr. Gifford has been on a spiritual path for many years. Since 1985 he has been a teacher of the Radiance Technique / Authentic Reiki, and acheived the 7th degree in 1996.

Since 1994 an important influence on Joe's life and work has been the teachings of Andrew Cohen, a visionary and inspiring leader of spirituality. "Andrew Cohen has opened up for me the possibility of a life with no boundaries, a life which transcends the personal and embraces a vision of oneness and timelessness."