about cat!

Cat Cogliandro (they/them) is a native of Houston, Texas, and began their training at Rowland’s School of Ballet, where they performed with pre-professional companies Kingwood Jazz & Company and Kingwood Dance Theatre. They went on to pursue collegiate dance studies and hold a BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase and an MFA in Dance and Pedagogy from the University of Arizona. Based in New York City, Los Angeles, and Nashville, Cat is represented by FreshTalent Group in Nashville.

Cat has worked with renowned creators including Cherice Barton, Phillip Chbeeb, Tyce Diorio, Ian Eastwood, Mike Esperanza, Hayden J Frederick, Janelle Ginestra, Jason Gorman, Juliette Irons, Lukas McFarlane, Brice Mousset, Jaci Royal, Jon Rua, Sophia Stoller, Megan Lawson, Sonya Tayeh, and Andrew Winghart, among others. Their work and insights have been featured in The New York Times, Dance Spirit Magazine, Dance Teacher Magazine, Dance Magazine, Dance Informa, and on numerous podcasts such as DanceSpeak, WeirdAdults, Barretender, Stance Elements, Real Talks, Dance Your Life by Maxt Out, and Move True.

As a performer, Cat has appeared in a wide range of film, stage, and commercial projects. Some of these include the feature film Supporting Characters (dir. Daniel Schechter), The Neighbourhood’s music video “R.I.P. 2 My Youth” (dir. Hype Williams, choreographed by Ian Eastwood), “Recovery” by Janelle Ginestra, “Morning Bird” by Meg Lawson, and Phillip Chbeeb’s short film S Y N C: A Modern Love Story. They performed the role of the Queen in Lukas McFarlane’s full-length work Astoria, which premiered at the Montalbán Theatre in Los Angeles. Cat has performed in numerous full-length works, stage productions, and projects with the choreographers listed above, including workshopping “The Last Goodbye” with Sonya Tayeh and Alex Timbers, and full time company work with BARE Dance Company, Royal Flux, and Nicholas Andre Dance Company. They believe they have collaborated with some of the most “brilliant creatives of our time” and feel honored to have worked with them.

As a choreographer, Cat is passionate about live performance and has a new found love for directing and developing their work on film. They were a finalist on Brian Friedman’s competitive choreographer series Every Single Step (Go90), and was among ten choreographers selected for its inaugural season. Cat also served as assistant choreographer to Ian Eastwood for Trevor Wesley’s official 360° music video Chivalry is Dead, assisted Sonya Tayeh on season 10 of So You Think You Can Dance, and choreographed for Freeform’s Alone Together. Their most recent full-length work, IS THIS WHAT YOU CAME FOR?, premiered at Arts on Site in NYC with an original composition by Ela Melo. The piece investigates the intersection of social media and live performance through the use of live camera interaction, inviting audiences to explore the tension between digital mediation and embodied experience. Cat has been commissioned to set work at Hussian College (formerly Relativity School,) Shenandoah University, Montclair State University, and Joffrey Ballet School’s Jazz and Contemporary Trainee Program. They have movement-directed for artists including Duelle, Eva Gutoski, and Cailin Russo, and currently work with Anna Graves and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Cat recently co-directed short form content shoots for Rainbow Kitten Surprise and continues to movement direct their press photography shoots and national/international ‘bones’ tour. Cat’s dream is to continue working with and developing artists while highlighting safe, healthy, and wellness practices beyond the stage and screen.

As an educator, Cat works nationally and internationally to “help people find a better understanding of themselves through dance.” With an MFA in dance and pedagogy, Cat’s experience ranges from absolute beginner to advanced movers of all ages, and believe dance is for everyBody. As a DEEA Certified dance educator, Cat’s mission continues in creating anti-abusive, healthy, accessible, and inclusive spaces in dance. In New York, they teach weekly at Broadway Dance Center and Steps on Broadway, and regularly guest at Peridance, Movement Lifestyle (LA), and Millennium Dance Complex (Nashville). Cat has taught at the University of Arizona, Hussian College (formerly Relativity School), The Joffrey West Summer Intensive, Joffrey Spectrum, The Los Angeles Dance Festival, and international dance camps across Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Poland, Italy, India, and beyond.

Beyond choreography and teaching, Cat is deeply invested in the intersection of art, mental health, and social impact. In collaboration with clinical psychologist Dr. Christina Donaldson, they co-created Soul Meets Body, a dance and self-esteem workshop. Alongside Gabriel Braga and Mariana Feitosa, Cat also co-founded SoulSync, a self-love dance workshop based in Brazil. Their advocacy for safer and more inclusive spaces in dance has been featured in The New York Times, and they recently served on the advisory board for Dance Teacher+. Cat most recently developed their training program, the aCatemy!, which focuses on a wide range of dance training, mental wellness, and advocacy. Their goal is to provide collegiate level dance training with a strong focus on decolonized, anti-institutionalized practices.

Driven by a profound commitment to humanity—art, expression, connection, freedom, and love—Cat strives to cultivate spaces of safety, inclusivity, and accountability within the dance community. Their dance collective, the cat.astrophe!, serves as a platform for advocacy through artistic expression. By fusing codified contemporary technique with raw emotional honesty, Cat’s choreography is known for its musicality, narrative depth, and structural sophistication. Through cat.astrophe!’s performances, they seek to ignite dialogue, inspire empathy, and catalyze meaningful social change.

see their work here