Artistic & Administrative Staff

Staycee R. Pearl, Co-Artistic Director

Choreographer and artistic director Staycee Pearl produces genre-bending experiences that draw together contemporary dance, immersive soundscapes, and visual artistry. The 2021 winner of The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Carol R. Brown Creative Achievement Award for Established Artist, Staycee continues to generate unexpected works that explore themes of personal expression, race, freedom, and gender.

As the co-founder and co-artistic director of PearlArts with her husband Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl, Staycee maintains an iterative artistic process that pulls from a wide variety of sources. Staycee has honed a uniquely soulful artistic voice that builds on her diverse experiences, from her early dance training with the Dance Theatre of Harlem and Alvin Ailey American Dance Center to her leadership of Xpressions Contemporary Dance Company and 20+ years as an influential choreographer in Pittsburgh.

Staycee is especially passionate about creating space for Black femme artists to experiment. Inspired by her own experiences and challenges as a performer and choreographer, Staycee leads workshops and residencies to sustain a vibrant community for artists in her orbit.

Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl, Co-Artistic Director

Sound designer/engineer Herman “Soy Sos” Pearl is the co-founder and co-artistic director of PearlArts. With over 40 years of experience in music and sound, Herman is an inventive and detailed producer known for his genre-bending collaborations. 

Herman views sound as a physical force, as tangible as a dancer’s gesture on stage. His 20-year partnership with Staycee Pearl forms the core of PearlArts, which harnesses the power of contemporary dance and immersive soundscapes to produce unexpected works. Through his carefully crafted soundscapes, Herman develops the sonic environment within which Staycee’s choreography takes form.

Beyond his work producing soundscapes for PearlArts performances, Herman is an active recording producer and mentor. He teaches emerging sound engineers through the Tuff Sound Apprenticeship Program at PearlArts. He has also collaborated widely, recording and producing work for a plethora of recording artists across genres and techniques. He has worked with numerous choreographers and visual artists, and his repertoire has featured in independent films and documentaries, video games, and advertising.

Dance Artists

AUDITIONS COMING SOON!!

Board of Directors

Natalee Smith, Chair Joseph Hall Co-Chair
Staycee Pearl, Executive Director
Kathleen McGuire Gaines
Jil Stifel
Jessica Gaynelle Moss Austin Bey