Trajal Harrell

Trajal Harrell is a US-American dancer and choreographer, as well as the founder and artistic director of the Zürich Dance Ensemble.  

He gained international recognition for his work addressing the history of voguing, a dance style from the queer 1980s ballroom scene in Harlem, with early postmodern dance. In later works, he also drew inspiration from Japanese butoh and modern dance. In Trajal Harrell's works, the body functions as a vessel for memories, speculations, the present, and the past. By interweaving concepts of time and transcultural references, he reveals a multitude of references that show contemporary dance as a complex medium of our existence and celebrate the diversity of art history. 

In 2024, Harrell was awarded the Silver Lion for Dance in Venice. 

Photo: Rita Antonioli