ZAK RYAN SCHLEGEL is a Rehearsal Director and performer with Shen Wei, creative director of CONGRESS, curator and producer at Ryan Heffington's residency DESERTRADE, and educator at The Joffrey Ballet School. Zak’s choreographic work has been presented from The Juilliard School in NYC to Walt Disney Concert Hall in LA. He is the official recipient of the New Century Dance Project Choreography Award Grand Prize Honor, and selected by The Athens International Film Festival, Ann Arbor Film Festival, and Miami Film Festival. The New York Times calls him “a star” & Wall Street Journal “eye-catching & effortless”. Zak has been a collaborator on two Emmy awarding winning choreographic works for HBO. Zak has performed and toured globally as company member and soloist in Shen Wei Dance Arts, Italy’s Spellbound Contemporary Ballet led by Mauro Astolfi, Yin Yue Dance Company and Backhausdance on iconic stages from BAM, Art Basel Miami and Hong Kong to The Guggenheim, Asia Society in NY and Hong Kong, Arcosanti’s FORM Festival, and LA’s Walt Disney Concert Hall in collaboration with the LA Philharmonic. He has created an evening length soundbath “Liminal” with Sigur Ros, and danced the works of Jean-Guilliame Weiss, Ryan Heffington, Mandy Moore, Michael Rooney, Nina McNeely, Jennifer Backhaus, Denna Thomsen, JA, Lisa Eaton and Josie Walsh. He received formative training from Rafael Bonachela at Sydney Dance Company, Danielle Agami, Lucas Crandall, has participated in Gaga research with Ohad Naharin in Tel Aviv, Israel and holds a BFA from Chapman University.
KATE JEWETT is a dancer, dance-maker, director, and educator who graduated from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts (2001). She danced for the legendary Merce Cunningham as an understudy (2001-2005) joined Shen Wei Dance Arts (2005) and served as Education Director (2008) and Rehearsal Director (2009-2018). Kate has performed original roles in MAP, Re-I, Connect Transfer II, Undivided Divided, Limited States, Collective Measures, In Black White & Gray, Neither, and assisted Shen Wei in China Shanghai International Arts Festival (2022/2023) for the creation and re-staging of Integrate as well as the creation of Summary at the American Dance Festival (2022). She recently staged Shen Wei’s MAP at The Juilliard School, Spring Dances (2024). She has staged works at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, Marymount Manhattan, and the University of the Arts. Kate has graced numerous stages and conducted master classes and workshops throughout Europe, Asia, Australia, and the Americas. Other choreographers include Sean Curran, June Finch, Mimi Garrard, Helen Simineou, Rashaun Mitchell, and Silas Reiner. She founded Moving Minds (2017) a workshop conducted in Japan, China, and the U.S., that combines dance with critical thinking skills to understand how we collaborate, communicate, and make decisions. Kate is a gardener, forager, yoga teacher, and social and emotional learning facilitator. She is thrilled to be a part of Shen Wei’s 25th anniversary tour in China!
CHELSEA RETZLOFF joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2011 and has toured Shen Wei's seminal works in over 17 countries, 60 cities and at every major venue in the United States, China, Europe and South America. Originally from Eureka, CA, Retzloff holds degrees in dance and chemistry from UC Santa Barbara, where she received the Daniel G. Aldrich Outstanding Senior Award for the Class of 2007. In addition to her work with Shen Wei Dance Arts, she tutors math and chemistry for public and private school students throughout the world. Chelsea became the company manager, a rehearsal assistant and the education director in 2016 and developed and ran the Company’s NYC master class series from 2017-2022. In 2021 she helped Shen Wei create Integrate in Shanghai for the Shanghai International Arts Festival and loved working with the dancers from all over China. She has performed in projects with Anthony Roth Costanzo, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, David Dorfman Dance, MacArthur Dance Project, Christopher Williams, the Anata Project and Glitter Kitty Productions. Chelsea is a founding member of the Round Table, a collaborative group of women artists and producer of the musical Gunfighter Meets His Match.
ADAM FONTAINE graduated from the Conservatoire National Supérieure de Musique et de Danse in Paris with a bachelor’s degree in contemporary dance and is currently pursuing a masters degree in contemporary dance. Adam participates in various art activities outside of school, such as the 2022 Paris Fashion Week, 2023 Hermès opening show, and the Avignon Art Festival. In 2024 Adam joined Shen Wei for his most recent project, The 25th Anniversary Tour of Shen Wei’s Internationally Acclaimed Signature Works through China. He hopes to explore more styles and express his understanding and love for art through dance. **
LI NA HAN (NANA) has collaborated with many artists and directors at home in China and abroad, including Zhang Yimou’s new concept performance Dialogue Meaning 2047, Israeli young artist Eyal Dadon’s Symbiosis, Slovak choreographer Milankozonek’s Within, Macedonian artist Risima Risimkin’s R.E.M. and Zhao Liangdongfang’s trilogy Alarm Hallucination. In 2024 Nana joined Shen Wei for his most recent project, the 25th Anniversary Tour of Shen Wei’s Internationally Acclaimed Signature Works through China.
ALEC SPEEDIE is a native of Austin, CO, and received his BFA from North Carolina School of the Arts in 2011. Alec began working with Shen Wei Dance Arts later that year. In that time he has played a major role as a core dancer and soloist in many of Shen Wei's seminal works. Since 2013, he’s been a key teaching artist for the SWDA Arts in Education Outreach program. Working with 3rd grade through 7th grade students Alec excels at helping students with special needs. As a dance teacher he works with students of all ages and has helped develop the Shen Wei Dance Arts Community Class for professional dancers. He serves as a rehearsal assistant for Shen Wei and constructs unique costume elements and creations that help make Shen Wei’s artistic vision possible. Alec is also the star of Shen Wei’s film Inner Shadow of Movement (2016). He has danced for Mark Dendy and Oliver Steele and has performed works by Lar Lubovitch, Merce Cunningham, and Larry Keigwin. He studies capoeira and enjoys participating in downhill racing sports.
MARIA VOLPE joined Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2015. She graduated Summa Cum Laude with a BFA in Dance from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts. In 2013 she studied in London at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance. Maria has toured with SWDA throughout the US, Europe and China performing at venues including Lincoln Center, Shanghai Grand Theatre, Les Théâtres de la Ville de Luxembourg, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Power Station of Art in Shanghai. She currently resides in Brooklyn working as a dance artist and pilates practitioner.
* Dancers contracted in China via producers
** Dancers contracted by MaiOui Dance Arts in Paris, France
LU FAN graduated from Minsu University of China with a masters degree. She later joined the Beijing Leidongtianxia Modern Dance Company and is currently a freelance dancer and choreographer. She briefly worked with Shen Wei on DongPo: Life in Poems and is thrilled to join him for the 25th Anniversary Tour. LuLu has performed in great works with many of China’s emerging choreographers . She participated in the opening ceremony of the 4th National Ethnic Literature and Art Festival, the dance drama, Hot Blood Singing, won the Dance Drama “Lotus Award” and Choreographed the dance drama “Washing the Star Sea”. *
QI XIN XIAO is currently starring in Yang Liping’s Peacock Contemporary Dance Company. Qi Xin has held major roles in Sanxingdui’s Chronicles, Spring Rite and Peacock. She also participated in Shen Wei’s Integrate 2023 and DongPo:Life in Poems 2022-2024. Qi Xin has won many awards including the Silver medal of Lingnan Dance Competition and Taoli Cup Dance Competition Outstanding Performance Award among others. She has collaborated with many famous artists and participated in over 400 international arts festivals, domestic (China) and foreign tours. *