Calvin Bittner is a multidisciplinary artist and educator who bridges the worlds of concert dance, commercial theater, and drag artistry with technical precision and boundless creativity.
Highlights
- Education: BFA in Dance Performance (The Hartt School)
- Current Roles: Adjunct Professor (The Hartt School); Faculty (The Dance Collective); Owner/Designer (WigsByOnions)
- Performance Highlights: The Love for Three Oranges (Des Moines Metro Opera), Diversion of Angels (Martha Graham), Ballet Hartford (Company Artist)
- Design Credits: Styled for Jimbo (Rupaul’s Drag Race All Stars), Sigourney Beaver (The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula), and Olivia Lux (Rupaul’s Drag Race, Gay Times Magazine)
- Specialties: Ballet & Modern Pedagogy, Drag Performance & Aesthetics, Professional Wig Styling (Ventilating, Sculpting, & Maintenance), Dialects
Biography
With a foundation rooted in the rigor of classical technique and a career that spans opera, musical theater, and drag, Calvin Bittner is an artist who refuses to be defined by a single genre. A graduate of The Hartt School (BFA Dance Performance) and an alumnus of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, Calvin began his career as a Company Artist with Ballet Hartford. His performance credits showcase a rare versatility, ranging from the structured intensity of Martha Graham and José Limón masterworks to the comedic theatricality of the Des Moines Metro Opera.With a foundation rooted in the rigor of classical technique and a career that spans opera, musical theater, and drag, Calvin Bittner is an artist who refuses to be defined by a single genre. A graduate of The Hartt School (BFA Dance Performance) and an alumnus of The School at Jacob’s Pillow, Calvin began his career as a Company Artist with Ballet Hartford. His performance credits showcase a rare versatility, ranging from the structured intensity of Martha Graham and José Limón masterworks to the comedic theatricality of the Des Moines Metro Opera.
Beyond the proscenium, Calvin is a dedicated educator and creative entrepreneur. Since 2019, he has served as an Adjunct Professor at The Hartt School, where he champions a teaching philosophy centered on technical excellence within inclusive, creative spaces. Simultaneously, he has made his mark on the performance industry as the owner of WigsByOnions. Blending his knowledge of stage movement with sculptural hair design, he has created custom pieces for high-profile clients including RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Jimbo, Utica and Olivia Lux, and Dragula star Sigourney Beaver.
Whether performing as his drag alter-ego “Miss Onions,” choreographing for festivals like the 5×5 Dance Festival, or styling for national platforms like Gay Times and Rupaul’s Drag Race, Calvin brings a designer’s eye for detail to every project. Based in New England, he continues to prove that true artistry lies in the ability to transform, building the visual and physical worlds that performers inhabit.