Danny Swain Dance Company was established in Salem, MA by artistic director & choreographer, Danny Swain. Swain’s style has been described as "a kind of soft, lyrical athleticism" by Karen Kampbell of the Boston Globe, and “characterized by theatrical power and irony” by Theodore Bale of Dance Magazine. Early works by Swain were mostly choreographed with specific narratives, and often included spoken word and /or addressed issues such as violence against women, cancer, and AIDS. Now when Swain creates dance, he begins with form and spatial structure, and allows the work to develop organically, letting the subconscious play a role in the design and /or energy of a dance. As a dance becomes more developed, Swain then explores and recognizes the issues, current events, and/or emotions that may have contributed to the development of a theme for a piece before layering it with relevant content. Pieces often juxtapose high -octane athleticism with quiet, subtle pedestrian movements, creating an intense energy on stage that suddenly explodes into silence with a rhythm reminiscent of a Harold Pinter play. Danny Swain constantly strives to create new dances that are unlike the previous work, which makes his repertoire quite diverse; his choreography has been described as “provocative” by the Boston Herald, and “vigorous and absorbing”, with "a strong thread of masculine energy" by the Cambridge Chronicle.