Troika Ranch
Troika Ranch is an American/German performance ensemble. It creates contemporary, hybrid artworks through an ongoing examination of the moving body and its relationship to technology. The company is the collaborative vision of artists Mark Coniglio and Dawn Stoppiello.
History
Established in 1994, and based in Portland, Oregon and Berlin, Germany, Troika Ranch produces live performances, interactive installations and digital films. They combine traditional aspects of these forms with advanced technologies. The artists' mission is to create artwork that best reflects and engages contemporary society.The name Troika Ranch refers to Coniglio and Stoppiello's creative methodology, which involves a hybrid of three artistic disciplines, dance/theater/media, in cooperative interaction. This method preceded the organization, which was formed as a means to support the artists'. During the 1990s, Troika Ranch was among the pioneers in the field that came to be known as Dance and Technology. They performed in festivals and venues internationally and were sought after as guest artists, teachers and lecturers.
In response to the desire in the international arts community to understand this emerging genre, Coniglio and Stoppiello began developing educational programs.