Hayley Cutler

Hayley Cutler, MFA is a choreographer, performer, curator, dance educator and founder working at the intersection of experimental art and community practice. She is the Founding Artistic Director of darlingdance, a dance company in its fourteenth season, and a prolific arts educator who has served populations across the DMV including university dance majors, youth in transitional housing, and adults with intellectual disabilities. Hayley’s various roles within the field converge around the concept of the archival body, with an emphasis on organic storytelling that is accessible for all bodies and art makers.

Hayley is an eight-time recipient of the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities’ Artist Fellowship grant, a four-time recipient of a DCCAH PEF grant, and a 202Creates Residency alumna. Her work has been featured in the Washington Post, Washington City Paper, DCist, and District Fray. She received her MFA in Dance from The George Washington University, a postgraduate degree from Trinity Laban Conservatoire (UK), and a dual BA in Dance and Human Services from The George Washington University.

Recent artistic projects and accomplishments include a research residency with Washington Project for the Arts (2024), a National Gallery of Art presentation commission (2023), and a Kennedy Center presentation commission (2022).