Clifford Williams as Meyer Wolfsheim in The Great Gatsby

Clifford  Williams as Meyer Wolfsheim in The Great Gatsby ballet, music by Konstantin Meladze and Jury Shepeta, choreography by Dwight Rhoden. Shot during 28.10.2014 World Premiere in Plaza Ukraine, Kiev.

 

Clifford Williams is Artist in Residence with Complexions Contemporary Ballet (New York, NY).

Clifford Williams began his dance training at F.H. LaGuardia High School of Art and the Performing Arts. He attended The Ailey School and The School of American Ballet, both on scholarship. He was a first-level recipient of a National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts award in 1998. In 1998, he attended The Juilliard School, where he danced works by many choreographers including Lar Lubovitch, Igal Perry Hans Van Manen, Jose Limon and Mauricio Wainrot.

In 2001, he was invited to join Dance Theatre of Harlem, where he danced until 2003.
In 2004, Mr. Williams joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet (New York, NY). He has danced works by Dwight Rhoden, William Forsythe, Nicolo Fonte and Jae Man Joo. Since 2004, Mr. Williams has assisted Director/Choreographer Dwight Rhoden on numerous projects including ballets for North Carolina Dance Theater, Pittsburgh Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and The Diana Vishneva Projec,t as well as for the television show “So You Think You Can Dance.” He has also set Dwight Rhoden’s works on schools such as The Ailey School and NYU Tisch School for the Arts. In addition to setting works for Dwight Rhoden, Williams is certified in teaching the official Contemporary Ballet technique of Complexions Contemporary Ballet; and continues to be a part of educational outreach for Complexions. In 2008, Mr. Williams left Complexions to dance as a Principal dancer with Compañia Nacional De Danza under the Direction of Nacho Duato. During that time, he danced many principal parts and was featured in creations by Mr. Duato. Mr Williams rejoined Complexions in 2009, where he danced as principal until 2012 before being appointed to artist in residence. Most recently Mr. Williams was featured as the title character in Debbie Allen’s ” The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker ” which airs on the BET network in 2013.

Photos by Jack Devant © with kind permission of The Great Gatsby project, Alyona Matvieno, special thanks to Kateryna Lazoryshynets.