In Conversation: Amol Rajan and Wayne McGregor
Learn more about Sir Wayne McGregor’s path into the arts, the evolution of his career over the past thirty years, and what he hopes to explore next, in this insightful conversation with acclaimed journalist Amol Rajan
Sir Wayne McGregor and journalist Amol Rajan engage in a discussion examining how McGregor consistently shapes the frontiers of art, movement, and technology - following his journey into the industry, the impact of his career, and what it means to be physically intelligent.
“There’s a way in which through exploring ourselves physically, you can find different ways to think about the world.”
Wayne McGregor
Biographies
Amol Rajan
Amol is the BBC’s media editor. Prior to joining the BBC, he spent just under three years as editor of The Independent and was for many years a columnist for the Evening Standard and a restaurant critic for The Independent on Sunday. Amol worked for a year at the Foreign Office, adores reggae and the Caribbean, and his first book, Twirlymen: the Unlikely History of Cricket's Greatest Spin Bowlers, was published in 2011.
Wayne McGregor
Professor Sir Wayne McGregor CBE is a multi-award-winning British choreographer and director, internationally renowned for trailblazing innovations in performance that have radically redefined dance in the modern era. He is Artistic Director of Studio Wayne McGregor, Resident Choreographer at The Royal Ballet (since 2006), and Artistic Director of Dance for La Biennale di Venezia (since 2021).
McGregor is regularly commissioned by and has works in the repertories of the most important dance companies in the world, including Paris Opera Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, La Scala Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theater, Royal Danish Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, and Australian Ballet. He is in demand as a choreographer for theatre (Old Vic, National Theatre, Royal Court, Donmar) opera (La Scala/Royal Opera, ENO), film (Harry Potter and the Goblet of
Fire, The Legend of Tarzan, Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them 1 & 2, Sing, Mary Queen of Scots, Audrey, The Outrun), music videos (Radiohead, Thom Yorke, The Chemical Brothers). ABBA Voyage, the revolutionary concert that launched the Swedish pop sensations back onstage in an outstanding avatar performance in 2022, choreographed by McGregor, continues into 2026.
McGregor studied Choreography at Bretton Hall, University of Leeds. He is Professor of Choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music, and President of Elmhurst Ballet School. He is Vice President of the Roundhouse, London, an Ambassador for The Arts Foundation, UK and is a Patron of The Place, London. He has Honorary Doctorates from The Royal College of Art London, Plymouth University, University of Leeds, University of Chester, and UAL and is part of the Circle of Cultural Fellows at King’s College London. In 2017 he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the British Science Association.
McGregor's work has earned him a multitude of awards including four Critics' Circle National Dance Awards, two Time Out Awards, three South Bank Show Awards, two Olivier Awards, a Prix Benois de la Danse and two Golden Mask Awards. In 2011 McGregor was awarded a CBE for Services to Dance and in 2021 was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Prix de Lausanne. In 2024, His Majesty King Charles III appointed Wayne McGregor a Knighthood in the 2024 Birthday Honours List.