Mary Overlie (born January 15, 1946) is an American choreographer, dancer, theater artist, professor, author, and the originator of the Six Viewpoints technique for theater and dance.
The Six Viewpoints technique is both a philosophical articulation of postmodern performance and a teaching system addressing directing, choreographing, dancing, acting, improvisation, and performance analysis.
The Six Viewpoints has been taught in the core curriculum of the Experimental Theater Wing within Tisch School of the Arts at New York University since its inception (1978).Overlie is the co-founder of several long lasting art institutions such as Danspace Project, the Studies Project, Movement Research, and the Experimental Theater Wing at New York University.Her choreography, both solo and for Mary Overlie Dance Company (1978-1986), has toured extensively through Europe and has been performed in New York at the Holly Solomon Gallery, The Kitchen Center for Music, Video and Dance, St.
Mark's Danspace, Dance Theater Workshop, The Museum of Modern Art and numerous lofts in New York.Overlie has been granted two Bessie Achievement Awards, the first for creating the Studies Project, shared with Wendell Beavers, and the latter for her life-time contribution to dance.
She has collaborated with Lee Breuer, JoAnne Akalaitis, David Warrilow, Ruth Maleczech, Lawrence Sacharow, Anne Bogart, Yvonne Rainer, Barbara Dilley, Wendell Beavers, Paul Langland, and Nina Martin.