Tulsa Ballet's Principal Dancer To Retire This Year

Tulsa Ballet's Principal Dancer, Ma Cong will be retiring this year. Cong, who joined the company in 1999, will retire from dancing at the end of the 2012-2013 season to focus attention on his work as a choreographer. Cong will continue on in his role as Tulsa Ballet's Resident Choreographer.

"Retirement is such a heavy word," Ma Cong said. "I like to think of it as a transition. I will have the opportunity to continue working in the studio at Tulsa Ballet helping the younger generation of dancers to perfect their artistry, while having more energy to put into my career as a choreographer. One door cannot open without another closing. This has been a wonderful journey for me here at Tulsa Ballet."

In a news release, Tulsa Ballet says in recent years, Cong has become increasingly in demand as a choreographer, spending much of his time traveling around the country creating works on some of the top ballet companies.

The prestigious Joffrey Ballet recently named Cong as a recipient of their Choreographers of Color Award.

Cong can be seen in his final appearances with Tulsa Ballet on March 15-24 at performances of Balanchine & Beyond.