Contemporary Dance & Choreography Paintings

Dance Duo I

Acrylic on Canvas — 73 x 91 cm (28.5 x 36 in)

Dance Duo Asymmetry - Tracce Paris Series | Nicholas Stedman

Dance Duo: Study in Asymmetry

Acrylic on Canvas — 91 x 73 cm (36 x 28.5 in)

Dance Impro

Acrylic on Canvas — 91 x 73 cm (36 x 28.5 in)

Falling Dancer - Y-Coordinate Series | Nicholas Stedman

Falling Dancers (Y-Coordinate)

Acrylic on Canvas — 73 x 91 cm (28.5 x 36 in)

Dance Duo (Tracce Improvisation)

Acrylic on Canvas — 91 x 73 cm (36 x 28.5 in)

State of Dance

Acrylic on Canvas — 129 x 165 cm (51 x 65 in)

Quadruplex

Oil on Canvas — 142 x 165 cm (56 x 65 in)

Improvised Dance Performance

Acrylic on Canvas — 183 x 122 cm (72 x 48 in)

Moving Figure Painting - Large Scale | Nicholas Stedman

Performance

Acrylic on Canvas — 200 x 135 cm (79 x 53 in)

Running and Falling Figure Composition - Large Scale | Nicholas Stedman

Studio Dance Performance

Acrylic on Canvas — 183 x 122 cm (72 x 48 in)

Volutes Study - Agnès Butet Collaboration | Nicholas Stedman

Volutes Performance Study

Acrylic on Canvas — 60 x 30 cm (23.5 x 12 in)

Everything is Broken

Oil on Canvas — 254 x 166 cm (100 x 65.5 in)

Tracce Dance

Acrylic on Canvas — 73 x 91 cm (28.5 x 36 in)

Dédoublement

Oil on Canvas — 89 x 146 cm (35 x 57.5 in)

Tracce Performance

Oil on Canvas — 154 x 186 cm (60.5 x 73 in)

Dance & Choreography

Nicholas Stedman’s work in contemporary dance transcends mere observation, functioning instead as a collaborative laboratory. In Parisian studios such as the Théâtre de la Terre, he has acted as both painter and choreographer, directing dancers from ensembles like Tracce to explore specific spatial geometries.

These sessions focused on the deconstruction of classical symmetry. Investigation centered on movement along the three spatial axes (X, Y, Z), specifically utilizing the Y-axis to capture the tension of falling and the release of jumping. Stedman directed the performers to embrace Brownian motion—spontaneous, erratic movements mirroring the random paths of particles—to find a raw, unscripted energy on the canvas.

This multidisciplinary approach frequently extended beyond the studio into public exhibitions. Several of his vernissages, including those for Air France Industries, Hôpital Bretonneau, and the Quadruplex show at Espace Beaurepaire, were accompanied by live dance improvisations that mirrored the kinetic energy of the paintings.

The resulting paintings, such as Study in Asymmetry and the monumental Everything is Broken, are structured by geometric backgrounds that evoke foliage, water, or the studio space itself, bridging the gap between choreographed freedom and painterly structure.

The full breadth of these movement studies can be explored on the artist's Pinterest board: View Dance Board

Dance Duo I

Dance Duo: Study in Asymmetry

Dance Impro

Falling Dancers (Y-Coordinate)

Dance Duo (Tracce Improvisation)

State of Dance

Quadruplex

Improvised Dance Performance

Performance

Studio Dance Performance

Volutes Performance Study

Everything is Broken

Tracce Dance

Dédoublement

Tracce Performance

Dance & Choreography

Danse & Chorégraphie

Danza & Coreografia