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Sonya Tayeh

American choreographer

Summary

American choreographer

Field	Value
name	Sonya Tayeh
birth_date
birth_place	New York City, New York
alma_mater	Wayne State University
education	Dance (BS/BFA)
occupation	Choreographer
years_active	2002–present

Sonya Tayeh is a New York City-based choreographer. She has worked nationally and internationally across the worlds of dance and theater.

She has earned several accolades for her work, including the Tony award for her choreography work on the Broadway production of Moulin Rouge!, Emmy nominations for Fox's So You Think You Can Dance, and the Lucille Lortel and Obie Awards for “Outstanding Choreography” for her work on David Henry Hwang's dance-play Kung Fu, for which she also received a Drama Desk nomination.

Life and career

Early life and education

Tayeh was born in Brooklyn, New York and raised in Detroit, Michigan, the daughter of a Lebanese mother and Palestinian father. She has two sisters and one half-brother. Tayeh started dancing at age 15 when she began frequenting hip-hop and house dance parties with her sister. She started studying ballet and modern dance—as a subject—at age 17 when she was a student at Henry Ford Community College. Although Tayeh was a freestyle house dancer in her youth, she didn't take any formal dance classes until she was 18 and a student at Wayne State University. Before starting her training, she was denied by six dance studios who wouldn't let her take classes because they felt she was too old. In addition to her classes, Tayeh was a member of Counter Groove dance companies.

During her time at Wayne State, Tayeh drew on dance history, anatomy, and performance to develop a style that is built on core strength, aggressive partner interaction, quirky, and stylized movements. She graduated Wayne State in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Dance.

Dance career and mainstream exposure

Since gaining mainstream exposure, Tayeh has choreographed tours and/or live events for Madonna, Florence and the Machine, Kylie Minogue, Kerli, and Miley Cyrus. In 2010, she choreographed indie singer Lucy Schwartz' music video "Graveyard".

Tayeh choreographed the rock musical The Last Goodbye which is based on Romeo and Juliet and set to a soundtrack of music by Jeff Buckley. It premiered in 2010, but a revised version of the show with a new cast opened in September 2013 at the Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California. In 2011, she choreographed San Jose Repertory Theatre's production of Spring Awakening. It premiered February 24 with So You Think You Can Dance alumnus Cole Horibe playing the lead role.

In 2015 Martha Graham Dance Company commissioned a new work by Sonya Tayeh which she set to the music of Meredith Monk. It premiered in the company's New York season at The Joyce, Spring 2015 and has been performed by the company while on tour.

Sonya earned a Tony award for her choreography of the Broadway musical, "Moulin Rouge".

Choreography for So You Think You Can Dance

Season	Week	Dancers	Style	Song	Note
4	3	Kourtni Lind
Matt Dorame	Contemporary	"Wrestlers (Sticky, Dirty Pop Mix)"—Hot Chip
6	Chelsie Hightower
Gev Manoukian	"These Arms of Mine"—Otis Redding
8	Courtney Galiano
Mark Kanemura	Jazz	"The Garden"—Mirah
5	LVW	All Dancers	"Great DJ (Calvin Harris Remix)"—The Ting Tings
2	Melissa Sandvig
Ade Obayomi	"24 Hours" (The Aston Shuffle A-Bomb Remix)—Terry Poison
4	Kayla Radomski
Kūpono Aweau	Contemporary	"Eyes On Fire"—Blue Foundation
7	Janette Manrara
Evan Kasprzak	Jazz	"Move" (Metronomy Remix)—CSS
8	Top 3 male	"True Romance"—She Wants Revenge
Top 3 female	"Kick It (Stereoheroes Remix)"—Nina Martine
9	Jeanine Mason
Evan Kasprzak	"Heartbreaker"—MSTRKRFT featuring John Legend
Talia Fowler	"Shot You Down"—Audio Bullys	Guest Dancer
Result Show
6	MT20	Mollee Gray
Pauline Mata
Ellenore Scott	"On a Cloud"—Platinum Pied Pipers
1	Ellenore Scott
Ryan Di Lello	Contemporary Jazz	"Arcadia"—Apparat
5	Kathryn McCormick
Jonathan "Legacy" Perez	Jazz	"So Deep"—Hot Chip
Ashleigh Di Lello
Jakob Karr	Lyrical Jazz	"Time Flies"—Lykke Li
6	Ellenore Scott
Jakob Karr	Contemporary Jazz	"Tore My Heart"—OONA and Dave Tweedie
7	Top 8	Jazz	"Pon de Floor" (Samantha Ronson remix)—Major Lazer feat. Vybz Kartel (Jazz	Result Show
8	Ashleigh Di Lello
Russell Ferguson	Lyrical Jazz	"Angel Standing By"—Jewel
7	MT11	Courtney Galiano
Ashley Galvan
Neil Haskell
Robert Roldan
AdéChiké Torbert	Jazz	"Freak"—Estelle feat. Kardinal Offishall
1	Mark Kanemura
Cristina Santana	"Starstruck"—Santigold
Allison Holker
Alex Wong	Contemporary	"Hallelujah"—Jeff Buckley
2	Top 10	Jazz	Royal T"—Crookers feat. Róisín Murphy (Jazz	Resul Show
3	Courtney Galiano
Robert Roldan	"XXXO"—M.I.A.
6	Allison Holker
Jose Ruiz	Contemporary	Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind theme—Jon Brion
Kent Boyd
Kathryn McCormick	Jazz	"Tightrope"—Janelle Monáe
8	MT20	Jordan Casanova
Marko Germar
Missy Morelli
Clarice Ordaz	"Vanguardian"—Steed Lord
Top 10 girls	"Pop Drop & Roll"—Chonique Sneed & Lisette Bustamante
1	Caitlynn Lawson
Robert Roldan	"In For the Kill" (Skream's Let's Get Ravey Remix)—La Roux
Top 20	"XR2"—M.I.A.	Result Show
3	Ashley Rich
Chris Koehl	"Lights Go Down" (District 78 remix)—Telepathe
Ryan Ramirez
Ricky Jaime	Contemporary	"With Every Heartbeat" (Acoustic)—Robyn
6	Allison Holker
Marko Germar	"I Know It's Over"—Jeff Buckley
Melanie Moore
Sasha Mallory	Jazz	Game On—District 78
7	Tadd Gadduang
Ellenore Scott	"The Gulag Orkestar"—Beirut
Marko Germar
Caitlynn Lawson	Lyrical Jazz	"Heavy in Your Arms"—Florence and the Machine
8	Sasha Mallory
Mark Kanemura	Jazz	"Raise Your Weapon"—Deadmau5
9	LVW	All Dancers	"Freak Out (Gold Chains Panique Mix)"—My Brightest Diamond
MT20	Audrey Case
Tiffany Maher
Janelle Issis*	"Sail"—Awolnation
Top 10 guys	"Precognition" (Steed Lord Machine Mix)—Steed Lord
1	Tiffany Maher
George Lawrence Jr.	Contemporary	"Turning Page"—Sleeping At Last
2	Amelia Lowe
Will Thomas	"3326"—Ólafur Arnalds
Audrey Case
Matthew Kazmierczak	Jazz	"Hear Me Now" (Dri, Lind and Likka Mix)—Steed Lord
6	Allison Holker
Cole Horibe	Contemporary	"Possibly Maybe" (Instrumental)—Björk
Lindsay Arnold
Alex Wong	Jazz	"Somebody That I Used to Know"—Gotye feat. Kimbra
7	Top 6	"Scream"—Kelis
8	Tiffany Maher
William Wingfield	"Time is Now"—Moloko
Cyrus "Glitch" Spencer
Chehon Wespi-Tschopp	"Fangs" (District 78 remix)—Little Red Lung
9	Tiffany Maher
William Wingfield	"Time is Now"—Moloko
Cyrus "Glitch" Spencer
Chehon Wespi-Tschopp	"Fangs" (District 78 remix)—Little Red Lung
Top 20	Contemporary/Hip-hop	"Torn"—Nathan Lanier	Sonya Tayeh
Christopher Scott
10	LVW	All Dancers	Jazz	"Latch"—Disclosure (band)
MT20	Jasmine Mason
Amy Yakima	"Enjoy"—Björk
Top 20	"Ghost of Sky" (Epic Dub)—Steed Lord
1	Jasmine Harper
Aaron Turner	"Bottom of the River"—Delta Rae
Amy Yakima
Du-Shaunt "Fik-Shun" Stegall	Contemporary	"Elsa"—The Valerie Project
3	Top 18	Jazz	"Pretty Face" (Nathan Lanier remix)—Sóley	Christopher Scott
Sonya Tayeh
Malece Miller
Marko Germar*	Contemporary	"In the Embers"—Sleeping at Last
5	Top 14	Jazz	"Dimman Kryper Sakta In"—District 78	Dmitry Chaplin
Sonya Tayeh
Alexis Juliano
Nico Greetham	Contemporary	"Ashes"—The Bengsons
Makenzie Dustman
Paul Karmiryan	Jazz	"You'll Find a Way" (Switch & Sinden Remix)—Santigold
11	LVW	All Dancers	"F for You"—Disclosure feat. Mary J. Blige
MT20	Top 20	"Stalker Ha"—Kingdom
Jessica Richens
Ricky Ubeda	Contemporary	"Vow"—Meredith Monk
1	Tanisha Belnap
Rudy Abreu	Jazz	"You Need"—Bengsons
Carly Blaney
Serge Onik	Contemporary	"Latch (Acoustic)"—Sam Smith
3	Jacque LeWarne
Zack Everhart Jr.	Jazz	"Back to Black"—Beyoncé feat. André 3000
Brooklyn Fullmer
Casey Askew
Emilio Dosal
Emily James
Serge Onik
Tanisha Belnap
Valerie Rockey
Zack Everhart Jr.	Contemporary	"So Broken" (Live)—Björk
5	Zack Everhart Jr.
Amy Yakima	"Europe, After The Rain"—Max Richter
10	Top 10
All-stars	Contemporary/Hip-Hop	"Sweet Disposition"—The Temper Trap	Sonya Tayeh
Christopher Scott
12	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA	TBA

Due to a shoulder injury, Mitchell Kelly was barred from performing in his routine. He was replaced for the evening by season 7's Robert Roldan and was automatically in danger of going home.

Teaching

Tayeh is a faculty member at the Edge Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. She has also taught classes at The Hip Drop Dance Complex, Monsters of Contemporary, Broadway Dance Center, 24 Seven Dance, Hall of Fame Dance Challenge, Loyola Marymount University, NUVO, and Spotlight Dance Works.

Style and influences

Tayeh describes her choreography style as combat jazz because in her words "[i]t’s staccato, aggressive, and engaged, even when it’s slow." SanJose.com characterized it as "fearless, provocative and unique."

Awards and recognition

In January 2009, Tayeh was named one of Dance magazine's "25 to Watch". In 2010, she was honored by the Detroit Arts Council At Wayne State University there is a scholarship named after her called the Sonya Tayeh Endowment Fund that is awarded to students who want to pursue a degree in dance.

Award	Year	Category	Work
Primetime Emmy Awards	2013	Outstanding Choreography	"Possibly Maybe", "Turning Page", "Sail"
2015	"Vow", "So Broken", "Europe, After the Rain"
Tony Awards	2021	Best Choreography	Moulin Rouge

References

Montemurri, Patricia. (March 20, 2014). "Choreographer Sonya Tayeh rockets to top of dance world". USA Today.
(September 27, 2021). "The Best and Worst of the 74th Tony Awards". The New York Times.
(October 28, 2009). "Television's Hottest Choreographer, Sonya weiners Tayeh, Brings it to the El Portal Stage". TolucanTimes.info.
"Interviews: Sonya Tayeh". TheHipDrop.com.
Jones, Jen. (December 1, 2012). "Combat Force". Dance Teacher.
Smith, Tony. (September 8, 2011). "In-Depth with Sonya Tayeh". SanJose.com.
Camus, Renee. (September 16, 2013). "Choreographer Sonya Tayeh's Passionate Honesty". Los Angeles Magazine.
"Sonya Tayeh". HFCC.edu.
"Sonya Tayeh". SonyaTayehDance.com.
"Choreographer Profile - Sonya Tayeh". MSAAgency.com.
"Sonya Tayeh". 24SevenDance.com.
McQ, Jeff. (August 26, 2013). "The MIMO Interview: Lucy Schwartz Talks about "Timekeeper"". RecordingConnection.com.
Gordon, David. (April 10, 2013). "The Last Goodbye, a New Musical Fusing Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet With Songs of Jeff Buckley, Will Open Old Globe Season". TheaterMania.com.
Thompson, Candance. "Quick Q&A: Sonya Tayeh". Dance Magazine.
"Sonya Tayeh - Contemporary Jazz". EdgePAC.com.
"Faculty". TheHipDrop.com.
"Sonya Tayeh". BroadwayDanceCenter.com.
(January 2009). "25 to Watch". Dance Magazine.
(December 1, 2010). "December 2010". Dance Teacher.
Lara, Maria Mercedes. (July 18, 2013). "Announcing the 2013 Primetime Emmy Nominees!". BuzzSugar.com.
McPhee, Ryan. (October 15, 2020). "2020 Tony Award Nominations: Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge!, Slave Play Lead the Pack".

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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