International Dance Day

Happy International Dance Day!

Dance Umbrella of Ontario and Dance Ontario are pleased to announce the International Dance Day Ontario Ambassador for 2024 is William Yong

“My journey with dance has been a unique one, colored by the presence of my mother, who is in the late stage of Parkinson’s disease. Through her journey, I have come to realize that dance is not merely an art form or a mode of expression; it is a symbol of freedom, resilience, and liberation.”

Watch the video to learn more about William’s connection to Dance and how he celebrates International Dance Day & every day!

William Yong . Founder and Artistic Director of Zata Omm and W Zento Productions

William Yong is a multi-faceted artist, performer, choreographer, designer and director for theatre and film. Since he founded Zata Omm and W Zento Production, as the artistic director, William has spent last nineteen years breaking new ground collaborating with artists, scientists and engineers in bold and innovative ways. In particular Zata Omm has become a site for research under his tenure, focussing on the integration of dance, technology and broader culture in order to re-imagining performances for our technological age. W Zento Productions is a film and video production house found its way to be in demand for the vibrant short films industries.

William’s professional career in dance and theatre spans over thirty years. He has performed in 76 cities within 15 countries. The award-winning director has created more than 125 original works worldwide that have been exhibited by major presenters. He was trained and received his master’s degree with distinction at the London Contemporary Dance School in U.K. Companies that he previously worked for include: Wayne McGregor’s Random Dance and Matthew Bourne’s Adventures In Motion Pictures in the U.K.; National Ballet of Canada, Canadian Stage, Against The Grain, Theatre Rusticle, Red Snow Collective, lemonTree creations, Toronto Dance Theatre, CORPUS, Peggy Baker Dance Projects, Fila 13, Echo Chamber Toronto and many others.

William and his works received ten Dora nominations. He was also nominated for MyTheatre Awards’ ‘Outstanding Direction’ for his theatre play Comfort. William Yong is a Dora Mavor Moore Award winning performer, and a recipient of ‘I Love Dance Award’ winner for ‘Innovation’ presented by Canadian Dance Assembly. William has directed over 35 films and is an award-winning cinematographer at Venice Shorts Film Awards. In addition, his short films were the winners of ‘Award of Excellence’ at the One-Reeler Short Film Festival in Los Angeles; Best Short Short at Palm Springs Movie Awards; Best Experimental Short at Barcelona Indie Awards, Madrid Arthouse Film Festival and Nashville Independent Filmmakers Festival; and Best Experimental Film at San Jose Independent Film Festival.

William’s commitment to pushing boundaries led to historic recognition: the first Asian choreographer commissioned for the National Ballet of Canada. His ballet UtopiVerse was premiered in March 2024 at the main stage of the prestigious Toronto Four Seasons Centre for Performing Arts. His upcoming projects include an invitation to direct his 3rd theatre play ‘Carried by the River’ for Red Snow Theatre Company in 2025.

Photo by Jason George

About International Dance Day

International Dance Day takes place on April 29th each year – mark your calendars! April 29th is the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), creator of modern ballet. Learn more

Founded by the International Theatre Institute the intention of the International Dance Day Message is to celebrate dance, revel in the universality of this art form, cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers, and bring people together with a common language – dance.

Each year, an ambassador for Ontario is chosen to celebrate and elevate dance in our province.