Choreographer and composer Miro Magloire is the founder and artistic director of New Chamber Ballet, a company that has broken many boundaries in classical dance, from using an in-the-round presentation for all performances, to fielding its singular, all-female company of virtuosic dancers. Known for his visionary collaborations with musicians - singers, violinists, pianists and large ensembles - Magloire has a special affinity for cutting-edge contemporary music, which has led him to work with many of today's leading composers.  

In his talk, Miro will speak about his trajectory from creating music to crafting dances, and how his current choreographic works build on musical concepts. Miro sees music and dance as evolving art forms with a thriving future. He will discuss how New Chamber Ballet, the company he founded in 2004, fosters long-term collaboration with dancers and musicians, and highlight how New Chamber Ballet quietly but radically practices new forms of presenting ballet, challenging conventions related to gender and empowerment as well as the notion that excellence must involve exclusion or unhealthy sacrifices. As Magloire remarks, “For me, ‘tradition’ means to learn, to soak up energy from those who came before us, to understand their wisdom in problem-solving, and then to let go and build something new from it. Trying to preserve successes of the past only reveals their flaws. To really honor the past, you need the courage to let go.”