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Igal Perry

Born in Israel, Igal Perry began his dancing career with Karmon, a folk dance company, and later joined the Bat-Dor Dance Company where he worked with leading teachers and choreographers including Inesse Alexandrov, Benjamin Harkarvy, John Butler, Rudi Van Dantzig, Alvin Ailey, Paul Sanasardo, and Lar Lubovitch. Upon arriving in the United States, Mr. Perry joined Dennis Wayne’s Dancers as a ballet master and choreographer. During that period, he staged John Butler’s work for the New York City Opera, the Opera of Munich, Caracas Ballet, and Teatro Alla Scala in Milan, where he also directed the world premiere of Krzysztof Penderecki’s opera Paradise Lost.

Mr. Perry’s first full evening of ballets, Chromatic Motions, was presented in 1979, in collaboration with the Manhattan School of Music, presenting works to original music by Rand Steiger, Randy Packer, Edward Billous, and more. In 1981 and 1982, he headed the ballet department at Jacob’s Pillow, and went on to co-direct the Clive Thompson Dance Company. In 1983, Mr. Perry celebrated the opening of his dance school Peridance Center[], which has since been providing a nurturing and professional environment for all dancers. A year after the opening of his school, he founded his dance company, the Peridance Ensemble[], for which he has choreographed over 50 works, noted for their distinct style, musicality and flow. Mr. Perry has collaborated with numerous composers including John Mackey (composer), Quentine Chappetta, Phillip Hamilton, and Avner Dorman, with whom he has created the full length work Dreams and Demons (2003).

Mr. Perry’s international engagements as a teacher and choreographer include The Scapino Ballet and Het National Ballet (Holland), Laterna Magica and the National Ballet (Prague), Architanz (Tokyo), The Royal Ballet of Sweden, The National Ballet of China, and the Kwang-Ju City Ballet Company (Korea), where he also serves as Artistic Director for the Kwang-Ju International Ballet Competition. Mr. Perry’s works are in the repertories of companies throughout the world, including the Batsheva Dance Company and Bat-Dor Dance Company, Companhia de Danca de Lisboa (Portugal), the Alberta Ballet (Canada), and Alvin Ailey II. Since 1995, Mr. Perry has been serving as guest master teacher at Juilliard, where he also staged his Intimate Voices, and premiered Mourning Song, created for the Juilliard Dance Ensemble. Mr. Perry’s work has been repeatedly presented at the prestigious Florence Dance Festival, Italy, by Peridance Ensemble as well as by Florence Dance Company.

In May 2007, Mr. Perry was inducted into the Dance Library of Israel Hall of Fame.