About
photos by Scott Shaw
filmmaking and photography
Specializing in content that uses movement to motivate, inquire and inspire, Julia uses her experience as a dancer to inform cinematography and storytelling through film. In 2014, she co-directed and choreographed 2 dance films with filmmaker team Elizabeth and Sean Boyd, which sparked her love for dance film. In 2015 she became a founding staff member at Gibney’s Digital Media Initiative, a program designed to provide affordable, high-quality multimedia production and educational resources to the dance community. There she filmed and edited dance content through Gibney’s DMI and taught dance film and photography workshops to the wider community. Since 2014 she has worked as a freelance photographer and videographer and has directed and shot dance films, interviews, digital marketing content, and short documentaries. Julia directs and shoots her own projects, and has also worked since with creative partner Georgia Usborne since 2017. Her films have screened at festivals in the US and Canada.
PROFESSIONAL CLIENT LIST:
Monica Bill Barnes & Company, Gallim Dance, Gibney, Springboard DanseMontreal, Colleen Thomas Dance, Harlem Arts Festival, Earl Mosley's Institute of the Arts, Columbia Ballet Collaborative, PunchDrunk NYC - The McKittrick Hotel, Barnard College, LoudHound Movement, Fund for the City of New York, QUINNStyle, EBY fashion brand, Leela Ryan Dog Treats.
PUBLICATIONS:
New York Times, EVERYGIRL Blog, Dance Magazine, Dance Studio Life Magazine, HerCampus Columbia Blog, Columbia University Spectator, Choate Bulletin
dance performance
Julia Discenza was born in Connecticut. She holds a B.A. in Molecular Biology and Dance from Barnard College, Columbia University. She studied contemporary dance in Paris through in Barnard College and University of South Florida Dance, and trained in contemporary dance, Flying Low, and Gaga at Dance Italia in Lucca, Italy. She received additional training at Earl Mosley’s Institute of the Arts and Springboard Danse Montreal. She has worked and collaborated with Gibney Dance Company, NobleMotion Dance (Houston, TX), Pilobolus Dance Theater, Bryan Arias’ ARIAS Company, Gregory Dolbashian’s DASH Ensemble, Stefanie Nelson Dancegroup, Nicole Von Arx/NVA & Guests, MICHIYAYA, Mary John Frank, Soluq Dance Theater and Trainor Dance. Julia has also performed as a dancer and singer with nathantrice/RITUALS Dance Theater. She has appeared in music videos featuring musical artists AYA JACK, Noah Souder-Russo and performed in several dance films.