Wayne McGregor (1970–). British dancer and choreographer

Wayne McGregor was born in Stockport in 1970 and studied dance at the University of Leeds and the José Limon School in New York. In 1992, in addition to becoming the choreographer-in-residence at The Place, McGregor founded Random Dance. Ten years later, the company would become the first resident company at the new Sadler’s Wells Theatre.

McGregor set out to establish a visual language that is characterised by a curiosity to push the body to unexpected frontiers. His collaborative approach has seen him work at the vanguard of contemporary arts and sciences, with experts in fields as diverse as drama and neurosurgery. Random Dance later evolved into Company Wayne McGregor, the group of dancers who tour the world dancing McGregor’s choreography, and Studio Wayne McGregor, a creative arts space based at Stratford in east London that both supports McGregor’s enquiry into thinking with the body and cultivates the work of other artists. The space aims to promote enquiry across multiple disciplines.

In 2006, McGregor became the first resident choreographer at The Royal Ballet to come from a contemporary dance background. At The Royal Ballet, McGregor has created a series of works, including Chroma, Limen, Infra, Raven Girl and the full-length Woolf Works, The Dante Project and MADDADDAM. He was awarded a CBE in 2011 and a knighthood in 2024.