Boris Willis is a pioneering designer of media and stage experiences where games and dance intersect. He holds an MFA in dance from the Ohio State University, a BFA from George Mason University, and a Diploma from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
As the founder of Boris Willis Moves, and currently serving as an Associate Professor of Computer Game Design at George Mason University and Dance Technologist with Company E, his professional endeavors are diverse. His recent works include the thought-provoking "The Owl, The Fish, The Maiden and He" and the dance adventure game "Natasha: A Game Of Dance."
Willis's choreographic work is highlighted in "Night Vision," choreographed for the By The People Festival and performed at both the Kennedy Center and Dance Place, and his creative response to Radcliffe Bailey’s "The Great Dismal Swamp" at the Greater Reston Arts Center. His performance experience has been with Boris Willis Moves, Edgeworks Dance Theater, Theater of the First Amendment, Liz Lerman/Dance Exchange, Streb, and Company E. His insights are further shared through his dance vlog, danceaday.com.
A respected academic voice, Willis has contributed significantly to the discourse on choreographic thinking in games, presenting at DIGRA, IndieCade, the Serious Games Conference, the East Coast Games Conference, and the National Dance Education Conference.
Recognized with a Local Dance Commission Project award from the Kennedy Center and a Choreography Fellowship from the Virginia Commission for the Arts, Willis's contributions to the arts are both celebrated and impactful. His journey is driven by a passion to explore and redefine the boundaries between digital interactivity and the kinetic expressiveness of dance.