Tommie- Waheed Evans, a 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, is a queer Black dance maker from Los Angeles whose work explores Blackness, spirituality, queerness, and liberation. He trained with Karen McDonald, earned a fellowship at The Ailey School, and received an M.F.A. in Choreography from Jacksonville University.
A former company member of Lula Washington Dance Theatre, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and PHILADANCO, he has choreographed over 50 works for companies including BalletX, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, PHILADANCO, and Louisville Ballet. As the founder of waheedworks, he created bold, gospel-infused contemporary works presented by Jacob’s Pillow, The Joyce Theater, and SummerStage NYC.
A former assistant professor at The University of the Arts, he has received honors, including the Princess Grace Honoraria Award, Howard Gilman Foundation Fellowship, Joffrey Ballet Winning Works, and the Dance Research Fellowship at NYPL for the Performing Arts. Currently, he is one of three Choreographers-in-Residence at PHILADANCO!