Artistic Director & Founder
meganlee@themovementproject.org
Megan L. Gargano
MEGAN L. GARGANO (she/her) is a native of Cleveland, Ohio where she began her training in 2003 at the Royal School of Ballet under the direction of Joanne Hughes Morscher. In addition, Megan studied at The Nutmeg Conservatory for the Arts, BalletMet, performed with The Pennsylvania Ballet and participated in several dance festivals throughout Ohio.
In 2012, Megan received her BFA in Performance and Choreography from Ohio University School of Dance under the mentorship and direction of Madeleine Scott, Marina Walchli, Mickie Geller, Travis Gatling, Tresa Randall, John Bohuslawsky and Gladys Bailin. While studying at OU, Megan performed the reconstruction of Alwin Nikolais piece Noumenon Mobilus, under the direction of Alberto del Saz. She has performed in faculty works by Mickie Geller and guest work by Adriana Durant, Stefanie Batten Bland and Sean Curran. July 2010 Megan studied at the Laban Centre in Greenwich, London where she furthered her studies in Limon and Release Techniques, choreography and contact improvisation.
In 2009, Megan co-founded The Movement Project, a professional dance company serving the communities of Cleveland and Akron. At the heart of Megan’s work is the belief that dancers should not simply survive, they should thrive. Through The Movement Project, she is committed to cultivating a healthy, sustainable dance ecosystem in Northeast Ohio by creating spaces where artists can train, rehearse, perform, and gather. TMP’s work focuses on expanding consistent paid opportunities for artists, strengthening the regional dance workforce, and building audiences that reflect the heart and diversity of the communities they serve.
In 2016, TMP launched Cleveland Dance Fest, an annual dance festival supporting Cleveland dance artists in the creation of new work, while making dance performance accessible and affordable to residents.Over the past 10 seasons, Cleveland Dance Fest has grown into a sustainable ecosystem embraced by artists from across Ohio, the regional Midwest, and beyond. Through the years, CDF funding partners have fueled our ability to maximize artist support, allowing us to pay over $77,600 towards artists since CDF’s inaugural year.
In addition to its programming in Cleveland, TMP has worked to provide resources to artists, families, and youth throughout the communities of Akron and is committed to fostering the next generation of artists through sustainable and equitable opportunities. Through a growing partnership with NCCAkron, TMP launched the LINK Choreographer Residency, providing Northeast Ohio choreographers with dedicated creative space, mentorship, performance opportunities, and meaningful connections between the artistic communities of Akron and Cleveland. TMP's outreach programs have also included the Akron Art Museum, Miller South School for Visual & Performing Arts, The University of Akron, and TMP's annual year-long residency at Firestone CLC. In 2023, TMP became a proud Pathway Partner with the College & Career Academies of Akron through Akron Public Schools.
Fall 2024, Megan, along with her creative team at The Movement Project was awarded the 2024 Knight New Work for their project “CodeMoves: weaving technology in the creative practice.” The project’s goal is to develop a suite of hybrid tools that are accessible to choreographers without technical backgrounds, while also demonstrating their creative potential through rehearsals to performance. In 2025, Megan received the Arts Alive 2025 Outstanding Artist in Dance Award from Summit Artspace.
