Shen Wei
1968– · Chinese-American choreographer, painter and artistic director
Shen Wei (born Hunan, 1968) is a Chinese-American choreographer, painter and artistic director based in New York. He is known for combining dance, painting, sound, sculpture, theater and video into a personal language that blends Eastern and Western aesthetics. He founded Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2000 and choreographed the opening segment of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics Opening Ceremony.
Born in 1968, during the Cultural Revolution, into a family of artists, his father was a Chinese opera director, performer and calligrapher. Shen trained in traditional opera at the Hunan Arts School, where he also learned Chinese painting and calligraphy, and later became interested in Western oil painting. In 1989 he discovered modern dance in Guangzhou, at China's first formal contemporary dance institution, and in 1991 he became one of the founders of the Guangdong Modern Dance Company.
He moved to New York in 1995 and spent the following years experimenting with release techniques. His method, which he calls "Natural Body Development", emphasizes breath, proprioception and fluidity. Notable works include Rite of Spring (2003), built on guided improvisation, and the Re-Part series, which combines dance with projections and visual design. Since 2011 he has expanded his practice to large multimedia productions integrating installation, video and animation.
He has received commissions from institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Park Avenue Armory, and in 2007 he was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship. His legacy sits at the border between dance and the visual arts, with work that treats the body as a medium of expression.