Ma Cong
Choreographer
Ma Cong joined Tulsa Ballet in 1999 from the National Ballet of China. Ma studied at the Beijing Dance Academy, where he received a full scholarship and graduated with honors. He is the recipient of several awards, including the Silver Medal at the All China Dance Competition in 1994, and was a finalist at the prestigious Paris International Dance Competition in 1998, as well as the 2000 New York International Ballet Competition. He has worked with choreographers and teachers from Royal Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, American Ballet Theater, New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and the Cuba National Ballet. He has danced and performed a number of important leading roles in such productions as A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Cinderella, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, Don Quixote, Le Corsaire, Anna Karenina, Lady of the Camellias, Romeo & Juliet, The Three Musketeers, Carmina Burana, Miss Julie, Rodeo, Company B, Carmen, Fancy Free, Fingerprints, Celts and Nacho Duato's Without Words, Coming Together, Rassamblement, Na Floresta, Duende and Arenal as well as Balanchine's ballets, Theme and Variations and Who Cares?.
Ma also appears as an international guest artist. In 2002, he performed Amedeo Amodio’s Carmen for Maggio Musicale Fiorentino as a guest principal artist for Amedeo Amodio’s Carmen. And summer 2003, Ma was a guest principal artist for Amedeo Amodio’s Romeo & Juliet with Massimo Theatre in Sicily, Italy. In April 2004, he was invited again as a guest principal artist to perform Amedeo Amodio’s Romeo & Juliet with Alessandra Ferri and Roberto Bolle in Teatro Massimo in Palermo, Italy. Recently he performed as first principal guest artist internationally with Alessandra Ferri (ABT), Roberto Bolle, Mossimo Muru, (Teatro Alla Scala), Eleonara Abbagnato and Herve Moreau (Paris Opera Ballet). In the Spring of 2006, he was invited by Viviana Durante and Luciano Cannito to perform his choreography, Melodia, with Danieal Buson. in a Grand Gala for Pesaro International Choreographic Festival. In January 2006, he was named one of the “25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine for both dancing and choreography. As a choreographer, Ma created Folia and Samsara for Tulsa Ballet in 2005. In 2006, he created a new Carmina Burana for Tulsa Ballet’s 50th Anniversary celebration. He also created two pieces for Ballet Des Moines, Melodia and Within the Bodies. He has also choreographed works for Tulsa Ballet II and Tulsa Ballet Center for Dance Education including La Stravaganza in 2004, in G in 2005, and Under the Moonlight in 2007. This season, he will present another world premiere in About Tango.
In May 2007, he was named by Oklahoma Magazine as one of the state’s “40 under 40.” He was also invited to Ballet Met in Columbus to create a new work for their 30th Anniversary celebration. Ma's hometown is Yun Nan, China.