About Jessica Lang

New York, NY

Jessica Lang (CBA ’16) is an American choreographer originally from Bucks County, PA. As one of the most celebrated choreographers of her generation, Lang choreographs and teaches throughout the world.

Since 1999, Lang has created more than 100 original works on companies worldwide including American Ballet Theatre, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet (2013 Manchester Theatre Award nominee), the National Ballet of Japan, The Joffrey Ballet, and her eponymous company Jessica Lang Dance, among many others.  Additional commissions include new works for the Kennedy Center with the National Symphony Orchestra, The Harris Theater and the Chicago Architecture Biennial in collaboration with architect Steven Holl, the Dallas Museum of Art and the Guggenheim Museum for its Works and Process series. For opera, Lang made her directorial debut creating Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater at the 2013 Glimmerglass Opera Festival that was presented at Lincoln Center’s White Light Festival  in 2017 performed by Jessica Lang Dance. In 2016, she choreographed San Francisco Opera’s production of Aida, directed by Francesca Zambello that was presented at Washington National Opera and Seattle Opera in the 2017/18 season.

Lang was Artistic Director of Jessica Lang Dance from 2011-2019. Founded in 2011, the company toured and performed in over 85 cities presented by major venues including Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Los Angeles Music Center, The Kennedy Center, The Harris Theater, New York City Center, Northrop Auditorium, Winspear Opera House, Tel Aviv Opera House, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, BAM Fisher and Helikon Opera, among many others.

She is the recipient of a 2018 Martha Hill Mid-Career Award, the 2017 Arison Award and a 2014 Bessie Award. She has been a fellow of New York City Center and NYU’s Center for Ballet and the Arts, and in 2019 named a Caroline Hearst Choreographer-in-Residence at Princeton University. Lang’s work has also been performed by numerous educational institutions including The Juilliard School, SUNY Purchase, NYU Tisch School of the Arts and Southern Methodist University, among many others. She was a part of the founding faculty of American Ballet Theatre’s Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, a panelist and mentor for the company’s Incubator choreographic program, and a teaching artist for the Make-a-Ballet program.

Jessica Lang is a graduate of the Juilliard School under the direction of Benjamin Harkarvy and a former member of Twyla Tharp’s company, THARP!

New Works by Jessica Lang with Jessica Lang Dance

At the Center, Lang worked on two new pieces for American ballet companies, as well as a new work for Jessica Lang Dance.

Gallery

Photo Credit: Daniel Garcia. Courtesy of Content Magazine

Jessica Lang, Choreographer and a Resident Fellow at The Center for Ballet and the Arts in Summer 2016.

Photo Credit: Kazu

Jessica Lang, Choreographer and a Resident Fellow at The Center for Ballet and the Arts in Summer 2016.