The Choreographers of FORWARD

Choreographer | Commissioned Work

Yury Yanowsky, Artistic Curator and Resident Choreographer of Ballet RI, has evolved from an acclaimed performing career into a bold creative leader. After more than two decades as a principal dancer with Boston Ballet, he built a reputation for technical brilliance and expressive versatility while developing his choreographic voice. His work has grown through commissions from major companies and recognition such as the Erik Bruhn Choreographic Prize. At Ballet RI, he creates works that blend classical foundations with contemporary ideas, often shaped by collaboration and modern themes, establishing him as a dynamic force in today’s dance landscape.

John Lam had the privilege of dancing alongside Yanowsky at Boston Ballet and has long admired his artistic dedication and openness to new ideas. Lam Dance Works commissioned him to create a work reflecting both artists’ perspectives. The result is an intimate, powerful solo that pushes artistic boundaries and showcases their deep mutual respect.

Choreographer | Month Eight, Commissioned Work

Ekko Greenbaum is an emerging choreographer and multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges contemporary dance with broader artistic practices. Originally from South Florida, she trained at the A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts and earned her BFA from the Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where she focused on choreography. Her original works have been presented in festivals and mainstage productions, earning recognition including the New Century Dance Project Grand Prize in 2022. Her movement explores themes of memory, identity, and the human condition, shaped by interests in writing, visual art, and film.

John Lam’s relationship with Greenbaum has grown from mentorship into professional collaboration. First connecting while she was a student, Lam recognized her early promise, which has since led to her commission for Month Eight, her first work for Lam Dance Works. This milestone reflects Lam’s commitment to supporting emerging artists and highlights Greenbaum’s transition from student to professional choreographer.

Choreographer | Black Onyx, Commissioned Work

James Gregg, a 2015 Princess Grace Foundation-USA Choreography Fellow, has built a growing career as both dancer and choreographer. Born in Colorado and raised in Oklahoma, he is now based in Los Angeles and has performed with companies such as Rubberband Dance Group, BODYTRAFFIC, and BJM Danse, working with artists including Crystal Pite, Mia Michaels, and Annabelle Lopez-Ochoa. His choreography has been presented by BalletX, Whim W’Him, and Cirque du Soleil, reflecting his versatility and expanding presence. The Princess Grace Fellowship marked an early turning point, supporting his development and affirming his creative voice.

Gregg continues to expand his work with new commissions, including Black Onyx for Lam Dance Works’ 2026 program Forward. Set on an intergenerational cast, the piece reflects his blend of classical structure and contemporary movement, underscoring his ongoing momentum and role in shaping the future of dance.

Choreographer | Creator of Of Light

Ken Ossola is a Swiss-born choreographer whose work blends classical training with contemporary expression. He trained in Geneva, danced with Nederlands Dans Theater, and performed works by leading choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, and Hans van Manen—experiences that shaped his transition into choreography. Since 1999, he has created works for major companies including Boston Ballet, Grand Théâtre de Genève, and Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, earning recognition for his sculptural, musical approach.

His recent work Of Light, presented by Joffrey Concert Group, explores contrast and movement through an abstract lens, noted for its fluidity and emotional depth. Ossola also maintains strong ties to Boston and John Lam, including a residency at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee where he created Onward Still, reflecting a shared commitment to mentorship and artistic collaboration.

Choreographer | Echoes from a Restless Soul

Jacopo Godani is an internationally acclaimed Italian choreographer and former dancer whose work has had a major impact on contemporary ballet. Born in La Spezia, he trained in ballet and modern dance before studying at Maurice Béjart’s Mudra School. He rose to prominence as a soloist with William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt, an experience that shaped his distinctive choreographic voice. He has since created works for leading companies worldwide, including The Royal Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, and Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, known for blending classical precision with contemporary abstraction.

Godani later served as Artistic Director of the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company (2015–2023), where he developed a bold, interdisciplinary approach. His acclaimed work Echoes from a Restless Soul (2016), set to Maurice Ravel’s Gaspard de la Nuit, exemplifies his style with its intense physicality and musical depth, and remains a powerful presence in today’s dance repertoire.

Dancer, Choreographer | Yasuragi no chi

Alessandro Giaquinto is a multifaceted Italian-born dancer, choreographer, and author based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, whose work bridges classical ballet roots with contemporary exploration. Born in Scandiano, Italy, and raised in Reggio Emilia, Giaquinto began his formal training at Progetto Danza before graduating from the renowned John Cranko School in Stuttgart. He subsequently joined The Stuttgart Ballet, performing an expansive repertoire that ranged from the classical works of John Cranko, Kenneth MacMillan, and George Balanchine to contemporary works by William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, and Akram Khan. Over time, Giaquinto emerged as both a principal performer and choreographer, creating works for Noverre: Young Choreographers, including Elegia, Alba Mendax, Just Sometimes, Aedis, and Ascaresa. His choreography explores themes of spirituality, collectivity, memory, and identity, often combining movement with theatrical, site-specific, and multimedia elements. Giaquinto is also a published author, with novels and poetry that complement his artistic practice.

Among his most notable recent works is Yasuragi no chi, first created for The Stuttgart Ballet and later presented in international programs. The title, which translates roughly as a state of deep calm and peace, reflects the work’s meditative and emotionally resonant nature. Set to music by Yair Elazar Glotmann and Rhye, the piece is often performed as an intimate duet that explores connection, support, and presence between dancers. Critics have praised its immaterial, aerial quality and its reflective, lyrical movement vocabulary, noting it as one of Giaquinto’s most fully realized creations. The choreography demonstrates his signature blending of classical technique with contemporary sensitivity, offering audiences a contemplative, almost spiritual experience. Yasuragi no chi receives its Boston premiere as part of Lam Dance Works’ Forward: Dance Transformed program, introducing Giaquinto’s meditative and visually compelling approach to a new audience.