Hannah Garner is a queer, femme performer and dance-maker based in NYC. She was awarded Dance Magazine’s ‘25 to Watch’ for her theatrical dance-theatre work as 2nd Best Dance Company, blending humor and tragedy while tackling “topics like death and queer identity through rigorous, inventive movement and wit” (Dance Mag). Hannah has held positions on the dance faculty of SUNY Purchase, Bard College, and Gibney Dance Center, and sat on the Bessie Selection Committee for 2023-2024.

Hannah graduated summa cum laude from SUNY Purchase, earning a BFA in Performance and Composition and a minor in Arts Management. While at Purchase, Hannah performed in works by Adam Barruch, Aszure Barton, Larry Keigwin, Rosalind Newman, Claire Porter, and Nicole Wolcott in addition to one semester dancing abroad at the Beijing Dance Academy. In addition to performing with 2nd Best, Hannah has worked with Doug Varone, Raja Feather Kelly, Sue Bernhard Danceworks, Megan Williams Dance, and Rovaco Dance Company, among others, in venues such as The Joyce Theater, New York City Center, and New York Live Arts.

Hannah’s work has been commissioned by Whim W’Him, GroundWorks DanceTheater, SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, NYU, San Jose State University, The Wassaic Project, Kizuna Dance, A-Y/Dancers, and the Hartt School, as well as musical artists like Snail Mail, Half Waif, and Frankie Cosmos. Hannah is deeply affected by the weather and how the trains are running. In real life Hannah lives in NYC, online Hannah lives at 2ndbestdance.com and @2ndbestdance.