Igal Perry, Founder and Artistic Director of Peridance Contemporary Dance Company and Peridance Capezio Center, is a world-renowned choreographer, ballet master, and dance educator. Mr. Perry’s elegant choreography, often in collaboration with contemporary composers, has been described as “blessedly inventive” (Jennifer Dunning, New York Times). Born in Israel, Igal Perry began his dancing career with Karmon, a folk dance company.

He later joined the Bat-Dor Dance Company, where he worked with leading teachers and choreographers including Alvin Ailey, Benjamin Harkarvy, John Butler, Rudi Van Dantzig, Inesse Alexandrov, Paul Sanasardo, and Lar Lubovitch. Upon arriving in the United States, Mr. Perry joined Dennis Wayne’s Dancers as ballet master and choreographer. During that period, he staged John Butler’s work for the NYC OperaNutcracker Production Staff 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.

From 1981-1982, Mr. Perry was the head of the ballet department at Jacob’s Pillow.

In 1983, he launched his dance school, Peridance Capezio Center, now one of New York City’s leading dance institutions. A year later he founded Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, for which he has choreographed over 50 works, with performances at BAM, The Joyce, and City Center. In addition to his daily classes at Peridance, Mr. Perry serves as guest faculty and choreographer at The Jacob’s Pillow Festival, The Ailey School, Marymount Manhattan College, and The Juilliard School, where he staged his Intimate Voices and Mourning Song.

His international teaching engagements include: Scapino Ballet and Het National Ballet (Holland), Laterna Magica and the National Ballet (Prague), Architanz (Tokyo), The Royal Ballet of Sweden and Balettakademien (Sweden), the National Ballet of China, and the Kwang-Ju City Ballet Company (Korea).

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

In 2015, Igal’s company had a wonderful summer touring in Florence, Karmiel, Tel Aviv, and Seoul at notable venues such as Museo Nazionale del Bargello, the Suzanne Dellal Theater, and ARKO Art Center. Igal’s teaching engagements this year have included (but were not limited to): The Rambert School (London), Dancehaus (Milan), MTS-Musical! The School (Milan), Opficio in Movimento (Rome), Bikurey Ha’itim Art Center (Tel Aviv), Studio Harmonic (Paris), Architanz (Tokyo), Tanz Station (Seoul), G.NI Dance Studio (Seoul), Virginia Commonwealth University (Virginia, USA), and BLUEPRINT (New York City, USA), World Dance Movement (Italy).