As he prepares to shake up the ‘Eurocentric’ Venice Biennale, the Royal Ballet choreographer talks about his fears for the arts – and how social distancing has made dancers of us all
Wayne McGregor is delighted about his new job. He has just been announced as the latest director of dance for the Venice Biennale. “What an invite, right?” he says with a laugh, speaking to me by phone from his retreat on the Kenyan island of Lamu. The dance strand of the arts festival may be less well known than its art and architecture elements – a fact McGregor hopes to change – but it’s still a significant 10-day event, held annually (despite the title). McGregor will be in charge for four years, starting in 2021.
It’s surprising that McGregor, 50, has time for another job. The resident choreographer at the Royal Ballet also runs his own company and studio, and choreographs worldwide (a major production for Dutch National Opera was postponed due to Covid). He has a sideline in movement direction for film (Harry Potter, The Legend of Tarzan), works with Trinity Laban conservatoire in London and Elmhurst Ballet School in Birmingham – and in Lamu, he’s currently writing a book about physical intelligence.
