About

Dance is connection

Lillian Stillwell works internationally as a freelance choreographer and is Dance Director and Chief Choreographer at Theater Münster in Germany.

Following her career as a dancer in the USA and Germany, she has choreographed dance evenings, interdisciplinary productions and operas as well as experimental projects with her company SNOW productions in Basel, Switzerland since 2013. Her work has been seen at theaters and opera houses throughout Europe including Oper Zürich, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, the Royal Danish Opera, Les Arts Valencia and Philharmonie Luxembourg.

Lillian Stillwell’s movement language is grounded in classical technique while relying on the individuality and humanity of the dancers to tell stories in which we recognize ourselves. She works closely with the musical score and the collective potential of the group to create works that are physically and emotionally challenging.

Since 2022, she has created numerous dance evenings for the company of 12 dancers at Theater Münster. Beginning with her opening production FURIEN, her work has been critically acclaimed and enthusiastically received by audiences. Highlights in 2025 include the interdisciplinary production JEANNE D’ARC with dance, opera chorus and percussion at Theater Münster and the newly commissioned work I COULD BE THE ONE at the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt am Main.

Lillian Stillwell holds an Executive Master of Arts Administration at Universität Zürich. Her thesis Dance Programming and Social Sustainability: Is there an “Ideal Formula” for Institutions? was written under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Elisabeth Bronfen, Universität Zürich and Prof. Dr. Christina Thurner, Universität Bern. Her interest in innovative dance leadership has driven Lillian Stillwell to establish new outreach formats, initiate interdepartmental collaboration, build institutional partnerships and raise awareness about sustainability in dance at Tanz Münster. She has been a Mentor in the German Cultural Council’s Initiative for Women in Leadership in Culture & Media, and a panelist and jury member for various institutions and contests.

She is completing an Executive Masters in Arts Administration at Universität Zürich, is a Mentor in the German Cultural Council’s Initiative for Women in Leadership in Culture & Media, and has been a panelist and jury member for various institutions. Her interest in innovative dance leadership has driven her to establish new outreach formats, initiate interdepartmental collaboration, build institutional partnerships and raise awareness about sustainability in dance at Theater Münster.

Milestones

2024

Sustainability in Dance

Lillian Stillwell is particularly engaged with the topic of sustainability in dance. She has established a research field on the subject at Tanz Münster, where multiple initiatives have been implemented. She completed her Executive Master of Arts Administration at the Universität Zürich with her thesis Dance Programming and Social Sustainability: Is there an “Ideal Formula” for Institutions?” written under the guidance of Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Elisabeth Bronfen, Universität Zürich and Prof. Dr. Christina Thurner, Universität Bern.

September 2022 - present

Dance Director & Chief Choreographer

Lillian Stillwell’s directorship at Theater Münster began in Season 2022/23 where she has aimed to build on the theater’s rich dance tradition of artistic excellence while establishing Tanz Münster as a place for sustainability and innovation in dance.

2022 - present

Mentorship & Engagement

Lillian Stillwell has been a mentor, served on expert panels and participated in numerous juries. She wrote her Master’s Thesis on Sustainability in Dance Programming in Institutionsat Universität Zürich and initiated the Sustainable Dance Stage Competitionat Theater Münster.

2020 - present

Leadership

In 2024, Lillian Stillwell completed an Executive Master in Arts Administration at the Universität Zürich. She is engaged in bringing new voices and methods to dance leadership, inspired by her experiences both as a dancer and a mother.

2013 - present

Freelance Choreographer

Since 2013, Lillian Stillwell has worked as freelance choreographer throughout Europe and in the USA. She has created dance evenings, interdisciplinary productions and experimental projects. Recent works have taken her to Valencia, Naples, Amsterdam, Zürich and Frankfurt.

1998 - 2012

Dancer

Lillian Stillwell trained in classical and contemporary dance before embarking on a 15-year dance career that took her from her home town of Minneapolis, MN, USA to New York City and later to Germany. From 2005 –2012 she danced with Johannes Wieland in NYC and at Staatstheater Kassel.