Confessions of a Motion Addict

That first wild dance class takes us through uncharted places, both internal and in real space, in studios, galleries and out into cornfields on campus and eventually onto stage.

A stunning portrait of a life lived on the edge, Confessions of a Motion Addict explores author Stephen J. Petronio’s tumultuous upbringing and subsequent awakening to the worlds of art, sex, and the dangerous compulsions that often haunt artists of every genre.

The son of a modest Italian family, Petronio is perpetually aware of his status as an outsider while growing up in Nutley, New Jersey.

His entrance into an elite, progressive college, however, provides him the opportunity for reinvention, and Petronio plunges headfirst into a world ripe for revolution. It is there that he discovers something that will change his life forever: dance.

Passionate and talented, Petronio has crafted an enviable career that has spanned three decades and counting. He is widely regarded as a leading force in American contemporary dance, having created countless works that have been performed all over the world.

In true artist’s fashion, Petronio’s story will astonish, challenge, and ultimately inspire readers to embrace the creativity that lies within.

Stephen J. Petronio was born in Newark, New Jersey, and received a bachelor's degree from Hampshire College, where he began his training in improvisation and dance technique.

Petronio was the first male dancer in the Trisha Brown Company and formed his own company in 1984. Since then, he has earned numerous awards throughout his thirty-year career, including a John Simon Guggenheim fellowship, a "Bessie" (New York Dance and Performance Award), an American Choreographer's Award, and accolades from the Foundation for Contemporary Performance Arts, the New York Foundation for the Arts and The National Endowment for the Arts.

Petronio has created more than thirty-five works for his company and has also been commissioned by some of the world's most prestigious dance companies. These include William Forsythe's Ballet Frankfurt, Lyon Opera Ballet, the Washington Ballet, the Scottish Ballet, and National Dance Company Wales. His dances, such as "MiddleSexGorge," "Underland," "Strange Attractors," Tragic/Love," "Ride the Beast," and "By Singing Light," have been seen around the world.

Petronio currently serves as the first-ever artist in residence at the Joyce Theater.