Trajal Harrell gained international recognition for creating a series of works that bring together the tradition of voguing with early postmodern dance. He is considered to be one of the most important choreographers working in contemporary dance today. In his latest work, the artist also combines theoretical and formal ideas from butoh dance, and early modern dance. Weaving the links between different dance histories, the artist puts the body at the centre of his research exploring the ways in which it becomes a receptacle of memory, speculation, the past, presence, and historical figures who have inspired this work. Intertwining notions of time, the historical imagination, and transcultural references, it reveals the multitude of layers that make up the richness of the histories of art and contemporary dance. His work is presented internationally in theaters, museums, festivals and galleries. In 2023 Harrell has been invited to create a work for the prestigious Cour d’honneur for the 77th edition of Festival d’Avignon. Later that year, Festival d’Automne in Paris dedicated a portrait to Harrell, presenting nine eight of his works in Paris. In 2024 Harrell was awarded the Silver Lion of The Venice Biennale of Dance. In 2025, he was the artist associate of Holland Festival holding the centerpiece projects of the festival. Currently he is founder and artistic director of Zurich Dance Ensemble.
