Where in the World is Ma Cong?

You may have noticed Ma Cong was suspiciously absent from all seven performances of Dracula. His absence had some worried that he had left Tulsa! Never fear, loyal fans, our Ma is back in the studios this week preparing for The Nutcracker and Winter Celebration. He spent the last month setting a new ballet on Houston Ballet II. A few years ago, Dance Magazine named Ma one of 25 to watch – and boy were they right. His career as a choreographer has really taken off. So now, in addition to flying across the country (and beyond) to guest as a dancer, he has a full schedule of choreographing and setting works on other companies as well. I’m not going to go into his resume (you can read it here), but I will direct you to Ma’s YouTube channel where he posts video of many of his creations.

Ma’s local fans won’t need to wait long to see some of his new work, either. The company will perform three different Ma Cong ballets this season – Carmina Burana, first performed by Tulsa Ballet in 2006; a brand new creation to be set on Tulsa Ballet this season, which will premiere at Studio K in April as part of the Pop Culture series; and Luscious, a new piece he has set on another company this year, to be performed exclusively at Winter Celebration on December 3, 2009.



Houston Ballet recently sent out an email highlighting Ma’s visit:

Spring Showcase Features Ma Cong Work

Rising and gifted young choreographer Ma Cong, a principal dancer and resident choreographer with Tulsa Ballet, arrived last week at Houston Ballet and began working with Houston Ballet II to create a new work that will be performed at the Academy Spring Showcase, April 16-17, 2010.

“I’m glad to have the chance to work with and create with this talented young generation. I’m impressed by the dancers of Houston Ballet II. Their experience is evident and they have great physicality. It’s been a wonderful time working with them,” said Cong.

For the piece, the name of which is still under wraps, Cong was inspired by both the life and music of Goran Bregovic. The piece will feature six dancers, performing to the music of Bregovic and Kroke. The dance takes on a gypsy flavor with high energy and playful yet modern movement.

Congrats, Ma! We’re glad to have you back!