Trajal Harrell

Trajal Harrell counts among the most important choreographers of his generation. Recognized worldwide for "Twenty Looks or Paris is Burning at the Judson Church", this series of works juxtaposes the voguing dance tradition with the early postmodern dance tradition. Whether treating the recent history of the American avant-garde and queer identity, or the heroines of ancient drama, Harrell uses contemporary narratives to reconsider both the official elements of History and how the archive functions as historical evidence.

His work has been presented at international festivals and artistic institutions, including the Avignon Festival, the National Centre for Dance in Paris, and MoMA in New York. The first retrospective of his work, “Hoochie Koochie,” took place at the Barbican Centre in London in 2017. Harrell has received awards including the Doris Duke Impact Award, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation, the Foundation for Contemporary Arts, Art Matters, and the Saison Foundation.