The Joffrey Concert Group has announced the talented choreographers selected for the prestigious Creative Movers Choreographic Initiative (CMCI). This initiative is a testament to their commitment to nurturing emerging dance creators and supporting innovation in dance. After a rigorous selection process, Tsai Hsi Hung and Thang Dao were chosen for this opportunity.

Launched in 2021 by Artistic Director Bradley Shelver, the Creative Movers Choreographic Initiative is the search for the dance creators of the future, providing choreographers in contemporary, modern and contemporary ballet styles an extraordinary platform to unleash their creative visions. Through the CMCI initiative, the Joffrey Concert Group provides each recipient with a rehearsal space, a company of 20 highly skilled and versatile dancers, a 40-hour creative process and a $2500 stipend to help them realize their creative vision. CMCI spans four weeks and culminates in a fully produced work presented at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater. CMCI provides emerging dance creators a remarkable opportunity to develop and showcase their artistic voice. Each commissioned piece is between 12 and 17 minutes in length and features the entire Joffrey Concert Group company.

The CMCI performance of “In My Art,” featuring new works by Tsai Hsi Hung, Thang Dao, and Artistic Director Bradley Shelver, will take place February 14-15, 2025, at the Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater. Join them in celebrating the artistic innovation and choreographic verve of Dao, Hung, and Shelver and experiencing the next generation of dancers from the Joffrey Concert Group.

About the Joffrey Concert Group:

Located in the heart of New York City, the Joffrey Concert Group is a cornerstone of our institution. Founded in 1981 by Robert Joffrey, it serves as a pre-professional ensemble for young artists carefully selected from the Joffrey Ballet School’s year-round trainee program. Over the years, our talented trainees have had the privilege of studying and performing iconic classical and contemporary repertoire, including works by famous choreographers such as Gerald Arpino, Robert Battle, George Balanchine and many others.

Under the visionary leadership of newly appointed Artistic Director Bradley Shelver, the Joffrey Concert Group aims to continue its tradition of excellence. The ensemble successfully re-launched in September 2022, setting the stage for the next generation of artists. Former Concert Group dancers have gone on to join top companies such as Miami City Ballet, Boston Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Forsythe Company, and Martha Graham Dance Company.

About the choreographers:

Bradley Shelver (Artistic Director/Choreographer) trained at the National School of the Arts in Johannesburg and the Ailey School in New York. He has danced with Ailey II, Elisa Monte Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, The Francesca Harper Project, Limón Dance Company, Phoenix Dance Theater (UK), and in projects with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Co., Lar Lubovich Dance, The Universal Ballet, Radio City Music Hall, and in productions with the Mark Morris Dance Group. He is in his 13th season as principal dancer with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet. Mr. Shelver has choreographed works for: Joffrey Ballet Concert Group, Contemporary West Dance Theater, Graham 2, St Louis Dance Theater, Richmond Ballet, Ailey II, Ballet Austin, Lustig Dance Theater, Compania Rio Danca, New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble, Cape Dance Company, Cedar Lake 2, Sobers & Godley Dance, Nexus Dance Lab, and has created works for the Royal Danish and Royal Swedish Ballet Schools, Joffrey Ballet School, Central Ballet School (London), Ailey School, Boston Conservatory, Long Island University and Purchase College.

From 2010 to 2016, he co-produced and curated the annual REVERBdance Festival. From 2013 to 2016, he served as artistic director of the STEPS Repertory Ensemble and production director of Steps on Broadway. He is currently artistic director of the Joffrey Concert Group and interim artistic director of Joffrey’s Jazz and Contemporary Trainee program. He has been company teacher for Mathew Bourne’s Adventures in Motion Pictures, The Lion King on Broadway, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Elisa Monte Dance. Mr. Shelver is a lecturer at schools and universities worldwide including the ABT/JKO School, Adjunct Professor at Montclair State University, Limòn Institute, Complexions Contemporary Ballet Academy, Royal Danish and Swedish Ballet Schools, Ailey School, La Guardia High School for the Performing Arts, Joffrey Ballet School, Bikuratim (Israel), Pan American Modern Dance School (Brazil), Hinton Battle Academy (Tokyo), DAR Jazz Academy (Russia) and others. He is a certified ballet teacher with the ABT National Training Curriculum. He has been a guest author for Dance Spirit Magazine and his book, Performance Through the Dance Technique of Lester Horton, is available worldwide.

Thang Dao lives between Los Angeles and New York City, where he works as a freelance choreographer, educator, and trainer. He is a graduate of Hollins University (MFA’ 21) and New York University (MA’ 09). Dao received his formal dance training at the Juilliard School and the Boston Conservatory (BFA’ 01).

Dao performed nationally and internationally with the Stephen Petronio Company between 2001 and 2006. He also danced for the Metropolitan Opera between 2006 and 2008. He has choreographed for Contemporary West Dance Theater, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet Austin, Ballet Austin II, Ailey II, Ballet X, Philadanco, Taiwan National University of the Arts, Jacob’s Pillow, Missouri Contemporary Ballet, Kennesaw State University, Troy University, Michigan State University, and the Boston Conservatory, as well as many universities and performing arts schools both domestically and internationally.

His works have toured the United States, Europe, and Asia to critical acclaim. His ballet Stepping Ground, choreographed for Ballet Austin for the 1st Biannual New American Dance Talent, received the Audience Choice Award all four nights. Dao is the recipient of the 2008 Princess Grace Choreography Fellowship, the 2009 Special Project Grant, and was a 2012 Vilcek Finalist for Creative Promise in Choreography. In 2012, his work Waiting Women was performed at the NYCDAF Gala: Destiny Rising at the Joyce Theater in New York. Dao was part of the creative team for The James Brown Project: Get On The Good Foot, commissioned and produced by the Apollo Theater in collaboration with Philadanco under the artistic direction of Otis Salid.

Tsai Hsi Hung graduated from Taipei National University of the Arts in 2011. In 2009, she travelled to Australia as a dance exchange student at Queensland Technology University. She has worked with Australian Dance Theater, Tasdance, Expressions Dance Company and the Chunky Move Dance Company Dancers.

In June 2018, the MET Dance Company performed Hung’s work IO for 12 dancers at the Miller Outdoor Theater in Houston, Texas. In 2019, Hung’s piece DOUBLEND was performed at the NU VU Festival at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center, the Martha Graham Studio Theater, and the NYU Skirball Center. Her most recent work Brushstroke-X2 was performed at the 2020 APAP Peridance Showcase in New York.

In 2020, Hung received a Choreography Fellowship from the New Jersey Council on the Arts. Shortly thereafter, Hung’s work was selected by the Joffrey Academy of Dance for their Spring 2020 Winning Works performance in Chicago. Hung was invited to Taipei National Dance Theater in July 2020 to perform new works. Hung’s work was then featured in BalletX’s 2020-2021 season. In 2021, Hung won Western Michigan University’s National Choreography Competition and premiered a new work in 2022. For BalletX’s 2022 season, Hung created a new work for her dancers as part of the BalletX Choreographer Fellowship. The Battery Dance Company of New York also premiered an original work inspired by the paintings of Hans Hofmann in the summer of 2022. Hung premiered a new work with the dance students of Ballet Hispánico Professional Studies in the spring of 2022. Later that summer, Hung visited Kennesaw State University in Georgia to choreograph for the dance department students. Hung was recently commissioned by the South Chicago Dance Theatre to create a new work for their 2024 season. She will also continue to work with the Taipei National Theatre.

University of the Arts in 2023/2024, where he will teach and create new works for their department. During the 2024 season, Hung will produce new works for the Milwaukee Ballet and the Arkansas Ballet to be performed in the winter and spring.

For more information about the Creative Movers Choreographic Initiative and to purchase tickets to the performance, visit www.joffreyballetcenter.org