Dayna Hanson is a multifaceted artist, exceling as a director, writer, choreographer, actress, and producer. Her impressive resume boasts a wide range of accomplishments, including writing, choreographing, and directing Season One, Episode Six of HBO/Duplass Brothers' Room 104, titled "Voyeurs," which starred Sarah Hay and Dendrie Taylor. This episode received widespread critical acclaim, earning mentions in top television episodes of 2017 lists by The New York Times, Hollywood Reporter, and Vox.
Hanson's most recent feature film, "Confession," is a crime thriller that boasts an impressive cast, including Sarah Hay, Clark Backo, Nolan Gerard Funk, Sterling Beaumon, and Michael Ironside. Written by Gregory Mulligan and produced by Yale Productions, "Confession" earned Hanson the prestigious "Best Female Director" award at the Montreal Independent Film Festival in 2021.
In addition to her work in film, Hanson has also made a name for herself in the world of dance. Her debut feature film, "Improvement Club," premiered in the Narrative Competition at the South by Southwest Film Festival in 2013. She also produced Linas Phillips' award-winning 2006 debut feature, "Walking to Werner." Hanson's numerous shorts and dance films have screened internationally, including at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Dance Camera Istanbul, and the Festival Internacional de Videodanza de Buenos Aires.
Hanson's award-winning first short film, "Measure," co-directed with Gaelen Hanson and edited by the late Lynn Shelton, screened at over 60 festivals worldwide, including the New York Film Festival and the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Considered a seminal work in dance film, "Measure" can be found on First Run Features' "Dance for Camera, Vol. 1."
As a choreographer and performer, Hanson has also made a significant impact in the world of dance theater and contemporary performance. Her stage work has been presented throughout the United States and in Europe. She is a 2017 MacDowell Fellow, a 2010 United States Artists Oliver Fellow in Dance, a three-time Alpert Award nominee, and a 2006 John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellow. Hanson studied creative writing at the University of Washington, where she received the Loren D. Milliman Prize for Short Fiction.
