Lu Shirley Dai is an interdisciplinary choreographer, filmmaker, scholar and educator. She graduated from Barnard College, Columbia University where she studied Art History and Dance, and received her MFA degree in Dance from Sarah Lawrence College under the mentorship of choreographer John Jasperse.

Lu’s artistic journey is a rigorous exploration of body, self, identity, and the intricate interplay of cultural forces. Through her choreographic and video works, Lu delves deep into the core of human nature, scrutinizing questions of belonging and power within the broader social and political landscapes. Hailing from China, Lu embarked on a transformative educational journey at Barnard College, where she underwent a revelatory encounter with the 60s postmodernism. This pivotal moment ignited her passion for interdisciplinary art and led her to explore the profound relationship between the body and its environment. Her formative years from 2012 to 2019 in the United States were marked by collaborations with a remarkable cohort of international choreographers and visual artists, including Jodi Melnick, Netta Yerushalmy, Nora Chipaumire, Patricia Hoffbauer, Kota Yamazaki, Audra Wolowiec, and Stephen Kwok. Her invaluable experience as an artist educator and guide at Dia Art Foundation further shaped her deep interest and expertise in art education.

As her journey continued, Lu transitioned to teaching and creating art in China from 2019 onward, all while maintaining her international collaborations and engagements. Her multimedia, evening-length choreography, 奻nuán, was commissioned by the 15th Beijing Fringe Festival and premiered at the National Theater of China in 2022, marking a significant milestone in her artistic career. Her dedication to pushing artistic boundaries was recognized when she was selected as a shortlisted filmmaker by Vogue-film, receiving production support for her ongoing project, The Portrait of Her Gestures. As a dedicated scholar and educator, Lu teaches at the Design School of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing. Her recent article exploring the dancing and drawing practices of choreographer Trisha Brown was published in the "Contemporary Dance Research" journal. Additionally, she has presented her research at the International Academic Forum and the Holt/Smithson Foundation.

Lu has integrated her artistic and theoretical pursuits with her professional endeavors. She played pivotal roles as the choreographer and assistant creative director for the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony, working alongside director Zhang Yimou and artist Cai Guoqiang. She has also worked in director Zhang Yimou’s films Full Red River and This Time, Farewell My Concubine! as the script supervisor and assistant director.

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