Shen Wei studied Chinese opera and was a founding member of China’s first modern dance company. He danced and choreographed works all over Asia before moving to New York in 1995 on a scholarship from the Nikolais/Louis Dance Lab. He founded Shen Wei Dance Arts in 2000 at the American Dance Festival. A painter, designer, and filmmaker, Shen Wei creates visually striking work with strong scenic elements. In his productions, he fuses dance, theater, Chinese opera, painting, and sculpture in idiosyncratic and imaginative ways. Wei received a MacArthur Fellowship in 2007.