Wayne McGregor and his dancers explore the uncharted territory where mind and movement intersect.

Why you should listen

Wayne McGregor is a man in perpetual motion. When not incubating new approaches to choreography with his company, Random Dance, he creates works for ballet, theatre and opera companies worldwide--including the Royal Ballet in London, where he's choreographer in residence, and contemporary dance powerhouse Sadler's Wells. In ongoing collaborations with psychologists, neuroscientists and cognitive scientists, Random dancers are helping researchers measure and analyze how the brain works in the creative process. Whatʼs emerged so far is that we can, and do, think with our bodies.

McGregor is no stranger to pop culture: he's designed movement for Thom Yorke of Radiohead and for Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. This spring he collaborated with DJ Mark Ronson on Carbon Life, a piece for the Royal Ballet with vocals from Boy George. And he's creating a new dance piece for thousands of dancers in Londonʼs Trafalgar Square on Saturday, July 14.

What others say

“The miraculous strangeness and design of the moving form are McGregor's ultimate inspiration.” — Judith Mackrell, The Guardian

Wayne McGregor’s TED talk

More news and ideas from Wayne McGregor

Art

Tips for thinking like a dancer, from acclaimed choreographer Wayne McGregor

September 14, 2012

[ted id=1527 width=560 height=315] What made Wayne McGregor want to become a choreographer? Onstage at TEDGlobal 2012, he revealed his two childhood inspirations—John Travolta’s moves in Saturday Night Fever and a forward-thinking dance teacher who encouraged him to invent his own dances. “I’m obsessed with technology of the body,” says McGregor, founder of the company […]

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