Michael Mao (born Shanghai) is an American modern dance choreographer and educator. He is the artistic director of Michael Mao Dance. Early life Born in Shanghai, Mao's family emigrated to New York City when he was 5 years old. A graduate of Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School, Mao earned his BA in Literature from Princeton University. During his junior and senior years at Princeton, Mao successfully petitioned for dance to be recognized as deserving of academic credit. He would go on to receive his MA in Far Eastern Languages from Harvard University, where he was also a Ford Foundation Prize Fellow. Concurrent with his scholastic studies, Mao trained and performed as a professional dancer under the tutelage of Ted Shawn at Jacob's Pillow Dance, with Margaret Craske, Manolo Vargas, and Zena Rommett, and at the Martha Graham and Joffrey schools and the Cunningham studio. Career As a dancer, Mao gave his earliest performances with Princeton Ballet. After working with Graziela Daniele for Sarah Caldwell’s Opera Company of Boston and performing with Mandala Folk Dance Ensemble, Mao began to split his time between Boston and New York. During this period he danced in Twyla Tharp’s Medley which brought him to the attention of leading choreographers from the Judson Movement. Extensive work with Toby Armour, James Waring, Aileen Passloff, Remy Charlip, and Carolyn Brown led Mao to return to Boston where he joined Ms. Armour’s company, New England Dinosaur. Over the course of the next decade he would assume command of the company as artistic director and ultimately as sole choreographer. In 1986, having expanded the repertoire to include works from a wide array of choreographers - including dances from Armour, Charlip, Passloff, Waring, Trisha Brown, Hans van Manen, Lotte Goslar and Carolyn Carlson - Mao relocated the company to New York City as Michael Mao Dance. Following the establishment of his offices at New York City Center, Mao began choreographing work that spoke to the rich diversity of America. Celebrated for its roots in the American modern dance tradition, Mao's work has been performed throughout the continental United States, in Alaska, Paris, Oslo, Stockholm, Edinburgh, and most recently in Calabria and Fabriano, Italy. To date he has crafted over 60 ballets, with work being commissioned by Hong Kong Ballet, Tennessee Children’s Dance Ensemble, Kosovo Ballet, Café de la Danse; Paris, and Festival Internaciónal Cervantinó; Mexico. In recognition of his choreographic achievements,