Ruth Davidson Hahn, a professional choreographer, dancer, and teacher, is the founder, President, and Artistic Director of Ruth Davidson Hahn & Company, established in Nebraska in 2001. The company, comprised of dancers and musicians, has showcased its performances across Nebraska.

Ruth, a 2013 Stanley J. Wertheimer Fellow specially trained in the Dance for PD® method, and specially trained with Lifetime Arts, national leaders in creative aging program development, is now dedicated to spreading the joy of dance to various underserved communities. For more than 10 years she has served adults with Parkinson’s disease, their caregivers, spouses, and partners, with an uplifting Dance Arts Outreach Program. Dance for Parkinson’s, taught in the internationally acclaimed Dance for PD® method at Nebraska Ballet Theatre & School, utilizes the power of dance, music, and creativity to improve mobility and quality of life. It is also available as Contemporary Dance for the Ageless and Unstoppable for older adults in Senior Centers, Retirement, and Assisted Living Communities, and finally, as Dancing Hearts, catering to agencies of adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities and their Direct Support Professional Staff.

Ruth, a native New Yorker, now lives in Nebraska—the country’s center—pulling her artistic inspiration from the quiet and profound voices of this prairie place. She is an award-winning graduate of the High School of Performing Arts and earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from SUNY at Purchase. Her distinguished career includes 21 years as a founding member and dancer with the Mark Morris Dance Group (1980–2001), where she had the remarkable opportunity to collaborate and perform alongside legendary artists, including dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov and cellist Yo-Yo Ma. She performs in numerous internationally broadcast television programs, including the two award-winning productions Falling Down Stairs, with cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and Dido and Aeneas. Earlier, Ruth danced with both the Hannah Kahn Dance Company and the Don Redlich Dance Company, where she had the privilege of being choreographed on and performing works by the renowned dance master, Hanya Holm. Ruth also appears in the biographical film Hanya: Portrait of a Pioneer, narrated by Julie Andrews, which documents Holm’s impactful career in modern dance.

A highlight of Ruth’s choreographic career was her collaboration with dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, creating a solo for the national tour of his evening of dance Solos with Piano or Not (2003), and having him perform this work as a guest artist with her company at the Lied Center for the Performing Arts in that same year. Ruth also served as the resident choreographer for Millennial Arts Productions, a New York City-based multimedia company dedicated to creating productions of oratorios staged with singers, live orchestras, and a dance theater ensemble. Her choreographic credits with the company include Igor Stravinsky’s Pulcinella (1997), George Frederic Handel’s Esther alongside Jean Racine’s play Esther (1998), and Handel’s Messiah (1999).

Ruth is honored and thrilled to be named the recipient of the 2025 Nebraska State Arts Award for Access to the Arts, recognizing her significant contributions to making art accessible to all members of the community.

Website: www.rdhdance.org
Phone: 402-540-1242
PO Box 83672, Lincoln, NE 68501