Edgar Zendejas
Originally from Mexico, Edgar Zendejas has been working as a dancer and choreographer for the past twenty years. His passion for dance blossomed in his hometown Mexico City. Very quickly, she propelled the interpreter to the United States where he received a scholarship from the United States International University. Edgar signed his first professional engagements with renowned companies in Chicago such as Hubbard Street Dance and Giordano Jazz Dance. In the early 1990s, he joined Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal (now bjm_danse), a company that allowed him to flourish thanks to a varied repertoire, multiple international tours and the company of renowned creators (David Parons, Twyla Tharp, Ulysses Dove, Mia Michaels, Jennifer Muller, Alonzo King, James Kudelka, Rodrigo Pederneiras, Benoît Lachambre, Crystal Pite, Aszure Barton).
Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal is also the ideal place for the choreographer to develop and perfect his passion for creation. Following the success of his first piece “Breve Enlace” in 2003, artistic director Louis Robitaille commissioned him as associate choreographer to commission the ballet “Besame, Besame Mucho!”, which was acclaimed by the Montreal audience in August 2006. His creations as an independent choreographer won several awards in 2001 and again in 2003 at the Festival Danse Encore in Trois-Rivières. Prestigious invitations to Mexico and the United States followed, raising the choreographer’s profile in North America: Jacob’s Pillow, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, DanceWorks Chicago, Luna Negra Dance Theater, Northwest Professional Dance Project, Ballet de Monterrey and State Street Ballet. In 2010, Edgar won the “National Choreographic Competition” at Hubbard Street II and in 2011, he was a finalist in “Genesis”, the Milwaukee Ballet’s choreographic competition. More recently, in 2012, he received the “Outstanding Choreographer Award” at the “Youth America Grand Prix” competition for the most outstanding choreography.
Edgar Zendejas’ language seduces. Drawing on the colourful sources of his Mexican culture, the choreographer also explores the human soul with humour and delicacy. His vision of a better world through choreography was realized in January 2006, when he founded his company ezdanza with Julien Gagnon and Neelanthi Vadivel. Wishing that it would be a space of freedom dedicated to research, creation and dissemination, the choreographer is accompanied in this great adventure by renowned international performers and a dedicated agent (Zia Artists).
As ezdanza continues to grow and develop, Edgar Zendejas can now explore new branches of choreographic collaboration. In 2013, he created the choreographies for “Entresort”, a show celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Swiss Starlight circus. In November 2013, the premiere of “Umbral”, a creation by Edgar resulting from a choreographic commission for the Ballet Hispanico company, took place. The play was presented at the Apollo Theater in New York..