Jae Man Joo

Jae Man Joo is an internationally acclaimed choreographer and the recipient of the prestigious 2009 Princess Grace Award. Hailing from Korea, he brought his unique artistic vision to the United States in 1996, where he served as the Associate Artistic Director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

As a former principal dancer at Ballet Hispanico and Complexions, Joo has worked and performed with a diverse range of choreographers, including William Forsythe, Dwight Rhoden, Shen Wei, Igal Perry, and Jessica Lang, enriching his artistic journey.  Joo was invited to create new works for Jacob’s Pillow in 2017 and 2019. He received the Best Individual Artist Award from the Bagnolet International Dance Festival in Paris, France. Joo’s artistic prowess has been recognized globally, with the 2021 and 2023 Korea Dance Critics Choice Awards and the 2022 Korea E-daily Cultural Grand Prize for his full-length evening ballet Vita.

He has created more than seven different ballets for Complexions, all of which premiered at The Joyce Theater in New York. In 2023, he premiered the full-evening ballet Divine for Gwangju City Ballet, Korea, which received the Best Dance Art Work of the Year 2023. He premiered a brand new full-act ballet, When Time Stands Still, for Pittsburgh Ballet Theater’s 2024 season at The Benedum Theater. In 2024 Joo premiered his work Eternal Variations for Dallas Black Theater. In August 2024, Joo premiered a new version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Korea Metropolitan Ballet Company, the company’s first full-evening ballet.

He is a full-time faculty Ballet Professor at Point Park University and a Resident Choreographer, Ballet Master, and Artist in Residence at Complexions Contemporary Ballet. He is creating a new work for the English National Ballet for 2026/2027 season at the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, United Kingdom.