Wayne McGregor Company

Wayne McGregor Company
Name	Wayne McGregor Company
Founded	1992
Founder	Wayne McGregor
Type	Contemporary dance company
Location	London
Artistic director	Wayne McGregor

Wayne McGregor Company is a British contemporary dance ensemble founded by choreographer Wayne McGregor. The company is based in London and has developed a global profile through commissions, collaborations, and residencies with leading institutions. Its work spans collaborations with museums, technology firms, orchestras, and fashion houses.

History

Wayne McGregor established the company in 1992 in London, developing links with institutions such as Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells Theatre, Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells, and Barbican Centre. Early seasons involved co-productions with Helsinki Festival, Manchester International Festival, Bregenz Festival, Lincoln Center, and Sydney Festival. Tours and commissions brought the company into collaboration with companies like Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, New York City Ballet, Komische Oper Berlin, and Het Muziektheater Amsterdam. Residencies at venues including Royal Opera House and collaborations with educational institutions such as Juilliard School, Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Royal Academy of Dance, and Guildhall School of Music and Drama helped shape the company's pedagogical reach. The company's trajectory intersected with arts funders and presenters such as Arts Council England, British Council, Venice Biennale, and Edinburgh International Festival.

Artistic Vision and Style

The company's aesthetic reflects Wayne McGregor's interest in data-driven choreography and interdisciplinary practice linked to partners like MIT Media Lab, Wellcome Trust, Royal Society, and Microsoft Research. Movement vocabulary integrates influences traceable to figures and institutions such as Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch, George Balanchine, and William Forsythe, while engaging with scientists and technologists from Alan Turing Institute, Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and University College London. Visual and sonic design practices draw on collaborations with designers and artists from Ralph Lauren, Alexander McQueen, Iris van Herpen, Zaha Hadid Architects, and Es Devlin. The company's style often juxtaposes athleticism and cognitive mapping, reflecting dialogues with neuroscientists from Max Planck Society and composers from institutions such as BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, New York Philharmonic, and Berlin Philharmonic.

Repertoire and Notable Works

Repertoire includes works created for venues and companies such as Royal Ballet, Kneehigh Theatre, English National Opera, Birmingham Royal Ballet, and Paris Opera Ballet. Signature pieces include commissions and premieres presented alongside scores and designs associated with collaborators like Sufjan Stevens, Arvo Pärt, Max Richter, Mica Levi, and Thomas Adès. Works have been staged at festivals and seasons including Brighton Festival, Glastonbury Festival, Aldeburgh Festival, Spoleto Festival, and Venice Biennale. The company's repertory also encompasses multimedia projects shown at Tate Modern, Museum of Modern Art, V&A Museum, and Science Museum.

Collaborations and Commissions

The company has undertaken high-profile collaborations with institutions and creators such as Royal Opera House, Royal Danish Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, New York City Ballet, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and Bolshoi Theatre. Cross-disciplinary commissions include projects with technology partners like Google Arts & Culture, IBM Research, Microsoft Research, MIT Media Lab, and Royal Society. Fashion and design collaborations involved Alexander McQueen, Iris van Herpen, Ralph Lauren, and production designers connected to National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company. Music commissions and partnerships have engaged composers and ensembles such as Björk, Kronos Quartet, London Sinfonietta, BBC Philharmonic, and Chamber Orchestra of Europe.

Company Members and Dancers

The ensemble has included performers trained at institutions such as Trinity Laban Conservatoire, Royal Academy of Dance, Central School of Ballet, Rambert School, and Royal Ballet School. Dancers have joined from companies like Royal Ballet, English National Ballet, Rambert Dance Company, Batsheva Dance Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and Martha Graham Company. Repeat collaborators and guest artists have included choreographers and artists linked to Wayne McGregor, Akram Khan, Crystal Pite, Russell Maliphant, and Pina Bausch companies and projects. Creative teams have often comprised designers and technicians affiliated with Royal College of Art, Central Saint Martins, and Imperial College London.

Tours and Residencies

Touring history spans presenters such as Lincoln Center, Sydney Opera House, Royal Opera House, Sadler's Wells, Barbican Centre, Festival d'Avignon, and Edinburgh International Festival. Residencies and creative partnerships have involved research institutions like MIT Media Lab, Wellcome Trust, Royal Society, and universities including University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, University College London, and King's College London. The company has been part of curated seasons at venues including Tate Modern, Victoria and Albert Museum, Südwestdeutsche Philharmonie, and Kunsthalle Zürich.

Awards and Recognition

The company and its founder have received accolades from bodies including Laurence Olivier Awards, South Bank Sky Arts Awards, National Dance Awards, Critics' Circle National Dance Awards, and Prix Benois de la Danse. Institutional recognition includes fellowships and grants from Arts Council England, Wellcome Trust, British Council, and Royal Society. Honors and nominations have linked the company and collaborators to prizes such as Grammy Awards, Tony Awards, BAFTA, Bessie Awards, and Dutch Theatre Festival.

Category:Contemporary dance companies Category:Performing arts in London