Tong Wang

Following a successful career as a principal artist, Tong Wang has continued to devote his talents to the field of dance as a choreographer, professor and master teacher. His creative works have received high praise from nationally ranked dance departments including the University of Utah, Butler University and the University of California, Irvine, and have also been performed by professional companies such as Ballet West, China Military Dance Ensemble and Ballet Arkansas. His work Chase has been performed in the United States and China numerous times and was broadcast by China Central Television. His piece Qiu Yie received the Outstanding Choreography Award at the Youth America Grand Prix. As a master teacher, Wang has taught internationally and nationally at the National Ballet of China, Hong Kong Ballet, Ballet West, Beijing Dance Academy, Colorado Ballet and the National Choreography Initiative.

After graduating with honors from the Beijing Dance Academy’s ballet department in 1986, Wang performed as a principal artist with companies including Shanghai Ballet, Tulsa Ballet Theatre, Dayton Ballet, Colorado Ballet and, most recently, Ballet West. He danced major Romantic and Classical ballets as well as works by esteemed choreographers such as George Balanchine, Frederick Ashton, Antony Tudor, Hans Van Manen, John Cranko and Birgit Cullberg. Wang performed internationally and was featured in the 2002 Winter Olympic Concert, the Edinburgh Festival and the China International Dance Festival.

While dancing professionally, Wang completed his B.F.A. and M.F.A. degrees in ballet teaching and choreography at the University of Utah, where he also served as guest faculty from 2000 to 2005. From 2005 to 2007 he was assistant professor of dance at Wright State University, and from 2007 to 2011 he was a professor at Butler University. In fall 2011, Wang joined the Department of Dance at the University of California, Irvine, where he currently serves as associate professor. He is one of the creators and artistic directors of the East Meets West International Dance and Music Festival, which has run since 2016.

Wang is also a regular judge, coach and master teacher for the Star of Canaan Dance International Competition in Malaysia and Singapore, and the Miami International Competition. He serves on the board of the Pan American Chinese Dance Alliance and on the selection committee for My Heritage, My Dance, a project supporting and promoting Chinese dance in higher education in the U.S. and abroad.