Adam Cates has built a career in the entertainment field as a director, choreographer, playwright, producer, author, creative consultant, and arts educator. He is currently Director of Community Engagement for the historic PIONEER CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, northern Nevada's premier nonprofit performing arts center. In this role, Adam oversees educational programming, development, Broadway marketing, and in-house producing. He previously called New York City home for 20 years.

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Adam is the author of THE BUSINESS OF SHOW, a best-selling guidebook for young performers in pursuit of careers. He co-conceived, choreographed, and co-wrote the libretto for THE WORLD ACCORDING TO SNOOPY in collaboration with Larry Grossman, Andrew Lippa, Kaitlin Hopkins, and The Peanuts Worldwide. Since premiering in 2017 at Theater Under the Stars in Houston, the show is available for worldwide license from Concord Theatricals.

 

Theatre choreography credits include the American premiere of JEEVES & WOOSTER IN PERFECT NONSENSE (Hartford Stage),

LA BOHEME (The Santa Fe Opera), Disney's BEAUTY & THE BEAST (Music Theatre Wichita), THE LITTLE MERMAID (Syracuse Stage),

MY FAIR LADY (Gulfshore Playhouse), THE MAGIC FLUTE (Juilliard Opera), and several fully-staged concerts at LINCOLN CENTER.    

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On Broadway, Adam associate choreographed ANASTASIA and the Tony-winning "Best New Musical" A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE TO LOVE & MURDER. He assisted Kathleen Marshall on the Tony-winning ANYTHING GOES, and Tommy Tune & Patti Colombo on the national tour of DOCTOR DOLITTLE. He associate directed national tours of A GENTLEMAN'S GUIDE... and THE WIZARD OF OZ, and associate choreographed television episodes of 90210 and LIVE FROM LINCOLN CENTER.

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In New York, Adam taught at PACE UNIVERSITY, BROADWAY DANCE CENTER, STEPS, ROSIE O'DONNELL'S THEATER KIDS/PPAS, MARYMOUNT MANHATTAN COLLEGE, and THE GROWING STUDIO. He is a founding faculty member of the COMMERCIAL DANCE INTENSIVE and DANCERS INC. conventions. Adam has conducted classes, workshops, and lectures as a guest artist across the United States, Canada, Spain, and Bermuda, including theatre and dance programs at NYU, Ithaca College, Texas State University, Baldwin-Wallace University, TAPS-Las Vegas, University of Alabama-Birmingham, University of Nevada-Reno, University of California-Irvine, The Hartt School, Met Opera Lindemann Young Artists, Children's Theatre of Charlotte, The MUNY Kids, Broadway Artists Alliance, The Rock School, UNCSA Summer Program, and various Regional Dance America festivals, among others.

 

Adam holds an MFA in Interdisciplinary Arts/Performance Creation from Goddard College and a BA in Theatre from the University of Utah. His hometown, Reno, Nevada, proclaimed November 24th, 2014 "Adam Cates Day" in honor of his contribution to the arts.