Gina Gibney (Founder, Artistic Director & CEO) is a nationally recognized artist, community builder, and organizational leader working at the intersection of dance and social action through artist-led institution building. Leading the Gibney organization, she has transformed a single studio into one of New York City’s most expansive and impactful arts organizations.
Today, Gibney operates through an integrated framework of Company, Community, and Center: a professional contemporary dance company; Community Action programs that connect movement and civic engagement; and two multidisciplinary arts centers comprising 23 studios that serve the broader performing arts field. Together, these areas advance a singular mission to harness the power of movement, creativity, and performance to catalyze social change and personal transformation.
As an Artistic Director, Gibney advances an artist-led model in which creative excellence, community partnership, and cultural infrastructure are mutually reinforcing. Under her leadership, the organization has pioneered new approaches to creative development, social engagement, and arts service, while building significant institutional capacity. Trained as a choreographer, her work was known for formal clarity and emotional depth and has been presented nationally and internationally. Her artistic practice continues to inform the organization’s values and direction.
Gibney has received numerous honors, including the Ernie Award for changemaking leadership from Dance/USA, the Floria V. Lasky Award, the Distinguished Alumni Award from Case Western Reserve University, and the 2025 Bessie Award for Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance awarded to the Gibney organization.