Patricia Seto-Weiss is Head of Dance and Assistant Professor of the Practice in the Department of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies at Brown University. Since coming to Brown in 2018, she has introduced several curricular ballet classes into the course catalog, ranging from introductory to advanced offerings. Seto-Weiss has presented original choreographies at the department’s annual Spring Festival of Dance and produced the 2023 Festival. She has brought a range of visiting artists to campus, including Suki Schorer, Margaret Tracey, and—in collaboration with the Physics Department—SYREN Modern Dance.
As a choreographer, Seto-Weiss has presented work at the Juilliard School (Music Division), Columbia University (Department of Music), and The Ailey Citigroup Theater. Her work has also explored connections with visual art and architecture. She collaborated with painter Annegret Hoch and sculptor Susanne Thiemann in New York and Germany, and has published several articles for the Society of Architectural Historians’ Archipedia.
Seto-Weiss is a passionate ballet instructor who is dedicated to making the art form more accessible, inclusive, and body positive. She began her teaching career at Ballet Tech under the directorship of Eliot Feld, and created and taught the Teen Ballet Series at the Ailey Extension, the open dance program of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, under its former director, Yvette Campbell. Prior to Brown, she was on faculty at Chrystie Street Ballet Academy in New York City and New Haven Ballet.
Originally from Germany, she received her diploma in dance performance and pedagogy from Iwanson International School of Contemporary Dance in Munich. While still a student, Seto-Weiss made her professional debut in the Bavarian State Opera's production of Verdi's Falstaff. Upon graduation, she continued her studies at The Ailey School in New York City.
