Mariah Maloney, Director/Choreographer, originally from Alaska, is a New York-based dance artist working throughout the United States and Europe. Ms. Maloney joins Susie Ibarra and Yusef Komunyakaa in directing Shangri-La. She has extended experience working with opera companies, and teaching movement onto vocalists.

Mariah is constructing new movement language as she explores Shangri-La's rich music and libretto. In recent rehearsals, one could observe Mariah playing/exploring with singers, asking them to find the natural movement expression inherent in their character's aria. Once the singer finds this, Mariah continues developing the material and setting the choreography with each singer.

During 1995-2002, Mariah performed nationally and internationally as a featured soloist and ensemble dancer with the Trisha Brown Dance Company. Recent teaching/choreographic residencies include TSEH Moscow Summer School (Moscow, Russia), Charleroi/Danses Companie (Belgium), Dartmouth College, and The University of Maryland Baltimore County. Mariah's solo choreography Hjemreise premiered at The Brooklyn Museum in March 2003. Her choreography Dialogue, commissioned by Dartmouth College as part of her residency there premiered in March 2004. In addition, Ms. Maloney served as the guest artist in residence at the University of Maryland Baltimore County Fall 2004, where she collaborated with video jay Renee Shaw and composer Timothy Nohe in the creation and premiers of two choreographies: Lush and Cirque D'une Poupee Fantastique. Mariah's dance practice is influenced by her twelve years as a professional dancer in New York as well as her studies with June Ekman (Alexander Technique), Janet Panetta (Ballet), Acting (Rosemary De Angelis) and improvisation techniques. Ms. Maloney earned her B.F.A. in dance from Purchase College, SUNY.