Tao Ye
Choreographer – Artistic Director
China
© Fan Xi
In 2026, Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels™ Festival is presenting Numerical Series 15 & 18 by Tao Ye with TAO Dance Theater, in collaboration with the China Shanghai International Arts Festival.
Born in Chongqing, Tao Ye graduated from Chongqing Dance School. He has performed as a dancer in the Art Troupe of the Political Department of the Shanghai Armed Police Force, the Shanghai Jin Xing Dance Theatre and the Beijing Modern Dance Company.
At the age of 23, he founded TAO Dance Theater with Duan Ni and Wang Hao and became its artistic director. Influenced by Eastern philosophy, he pioneered the Circular Movement System and created the Numerical Series, the Non-Numerical Series, Contrasts, Arts Live Series, 12 hours, Infinite Walking and The World of Movements. In 2021, he established the DNTY - an artistic extension brand - and TAO Studio. In 2024, Tao Ye established TAO Dance Theater 2, which is dedicated to the study of body movements and the promotion of public education. He was selected by Sadler’s Wells in the United Kingdom for its New Wave Associates program. He has been commissioned by Cloud Gate Dance Theatre and the Netherlands Dance Theatre 1 (NDT 1) to create dance performances. He has participated in many cross-border artistic creations in theatre, fashion and video. In 2023, he won the Silver Lion for Dance at the Venice Biennale.