Liv Schaffer (she/her) is a social practice artist, choreographer, and educator whose work centers intergenerational dance as a tool for connection, care, belonging, and social change. She received her BFA from the Alonzo King LINES Ballet Program at Dominican University and has performed with AXIS Dance Company, DanceWorks Chicago, Robert Moses’ Kin, and Dance Exchange. Liv is a Community Engagement Artist with Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival and serves on the faculty of the Performing Arts & Social Justice department at the University of San Francisco, where she teaches contemporary forms and directs Dance Generators, an on-campus intergenerational dance company. Her choreography has been presented by Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, ODC Theater, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival, RAWdance SF, The Big Muddy Dance Company, and Western Michigan University.
Alongside her artistic practice, Liv works at the intersection of social services, aging innovation, and community engagement. As Intergenerational Director with EngAGE, she designs programs and experiences that foster belonging, agency, and reciprocal relationships across generations within affordable housing communities throughout California and Oregon.
Liv is a 2026–2027 Eisner Prize Fellow and a 2026 Belonging Innovation Lab Narrative Fellow through the American Immigration Council’s Center for Inclusion and Belonging. Her previous fellowships and recognitions include being named a 2026 Legacy in Motion Choreographic Winner by Happendance, 2025 LABA Bay Area Fellow, 2021 Gen2Gen Innovation Fellow with CoGenerate, 2021 USF Community Engaged Learning Teaching Fellow, and 2020 Margaret Jenkins CHIME Mentee. She served on the Board of Directors of San Francisco Village from 2022–2025, supporting older adults aging in place, and has led Dance Generators since 2018.
view a portfolio of Liv’s work here +++ follow @livschaffer to stay up to date on her latest personal + professional projects
Photo by Rendhelmorr Anicete