From the NYCI: Fall 2025
See the films and hear from the artists of the most recent Institute session
, January 16, 2026
Since its founding in 2000, the New York Choreographic Institute has helped foster the creativity and innovation of countless choreographers, each of whom brings their personal history, perspective, training, and vision to the studio. In just two short weeks, the most recent session's artists—Julia Weber (formerly Ciesielska), Brett Fukuda, and DaYoung Jung—worked with New York City Ballet dancers on pieces, filmed in collaboration with Quinn Wharton, that represent the freedom to experiment and space to focus on the future of the art form.
See Through
Choreography by Julia Weber
"My choreographic voice is rooted in translating the inner life of music into physical form. Music is the foundation of my process; I listen deeply for its emotional architecture and allow it to shape movement, rhythm, and dynamic contrast. My work bridges classical and contemporary forms, honoring tradition while reimagining it through a contemporary lens. I place strong emphasis on musicality, nuance, and clarity, while leaving space for instinct, individuality, and emotional intelligence.
I was drawn to Franz Schubert’s Four Impromptus, D. 899 (Op. 90): No. 3 in G-Flat Major, Andante, for its delicacy, emotional range, and quiet romanticism. The music resonated deeply with me and invited a clear physical response—it allowed me to see and experience the score through movement.
Working with the Choreographic Institute offered a rare space to articulate my choreographic voice and bring new ideas into the studio with the dancers of New York City Ballet. Exploring different movement languages within this environment marked an important moment of growth in my practice. I was most excited by the dancers’ extraordinary intelligence and sensitivity—the way they listen, respond, and embody movement with such clarity and depth. Creating within that level of artistry was profoundly rewarding. It was especially meaningful to have the chance to create on my husband Cainan—my fiancé at the time—which added a personal and unforgettable layer to the experience."
—Julia Weber (formerly Ciesielska)
DIVING INTO THE WRECK
Choreography by Brett Fukuda
"Being chosen to create work during a time of ongoing threats to artistic expression felt like a call to action. I couldn’t create a ballet that focused on prioritizing refinement and masking struggle; it would’ve felt completely disconnected from our charged historical moment. Sometimes beauty lets us escape, and that has value. But sometimes we need art that reflects the chaos we're feeling, that validates our sense of upheaval. I felt compelled to create something that captured the 'charged' feeling of right now—something loud, effortful, unwavering, and confrontational.
I'm interested in making work with dancers, not just on them. I had to remind myself that sometimes sacrificing rehearsal hours for exploration—for play or trial and error—is what actually makes the work meaningful. Those hours live under the surface of the finished product but they're essential to it. For me, the process matters as much as the product. The vibes in the studio, the quality of collaboration—that's not separate from the work, it is the work.
I’m trying to think of my creations as a continuum. Just because one project ends and another begins doesn't mean you're starting from scratch. Each process feeds the next—it's constant research. It's like gardening: what can I nourish my work with, and what unexpected conditions might challenge or influence my voice in surprising ways? Every piece is part of an ongoing conversation I'm having with choreography, with dance. I think Diving into the Wreck touches on a sense of power and defiance I want to continue exploring."
—Brett Fukuda
A SOLO PIANO
Choreography by DaYoung Jung
"My work A Solo Piano is set to two tracks, including a piece by Alfonso Peduto that deeply moved me. I couldn’t believe how a solo piano could feel so full and powerful—like it carried the weight of an entire orchestra. It’s simple, honest, and completely exposed, with nowhere to hide. That’s the energy I wanted in the room with the dancers. I wanted them to embody that same quiet strength—the resilience, vulnerability, and determination that come from stepping into the unknown, leaving what is familiar behind, and finding your own voice.
Coming from a Russian training background, I’ve always been fascinated by the Balanchine technique—the speed, musicality, and dynamism in movement. The NYCB dancers brought all of that, along with their own individuality, which gave my piece both unity and depth. The most interesting part was seeing the movement I created filtered through their Balanchine training and color. The choreography itself didn’t change, but the way they interpreted it was completely different from what I expected. It was exciting in such an unexpected way.
For me, one of the most important things about being a choreographer is having the chance to be seen and to share my voice. I believe the arts grow when different voices are truly valued, and that’s exactly what I felt at the Institute. It was a space where my voice, and the voices of others, were respected, supported, and encouraged. It reminded me why I choreograph in the first place—not just to create steps, but to ask questions, sit with uncertainty, and feel alive in the act of making. That sense of support and trust meant a lot for me, and it’s something I will carry with me into everything I make moving forward."
—DaYoung Jung
About the Choreographers
Polish native Julia Weber (formerly Ciesielska) is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York where she received the Hector Zaraspe Prize for Choreographic Promise. While at Juilliard, she danced in works by Medhi Walerski, Johannes Wieland, Aszure Barton, Shen Wei, Raja Feather Kelly, Sidra Bell, and Caili Quan. In 2024, she performed in R.O.S.E by Sharon Eyal and Gai Behar at the Park Avenue Armory with LEV Dance Company.
Julia choreographed for Juilliard shows including Choreographers and Composers 2022 and Senior Production 2025, and was selected for Juilliard Choreographic Honors in 2023 and 2024. In 2025, Julia choreographed a three-movement piece for the Traverse City Dance Project and her choreography Everlasting Memory was selected for the 24th Annual DUMBO Dance Festival. In 2023 and 2024, she received the first place award in the Polish Choreographic Competition ZAiKS.
Julia has been named Young Dancer of the Year, Artistic Hope, and Young Talent and was honored with several awards from the Polish Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
Brett Fukuda is a classically trained dancer and choreographer born in Tokyo and raised in the US. Trained at the School of American Ballet, Kirov Academy, and San Francisco Ballet School, she danced for two years as a trainee with San Francisco Ballet and six years with Boston Ballet before joining Ballet de l'Opéra National du Rhin in Strasbourg, France, where she's currently in her eighth season. Throughout her career, she has performed works by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Lucinda Childs, John Neumeier, Jorma Elo, Sharon Eyal, Ohad Naharin, Alexander Ekman, Helen Pickett, and others.
Her choreographic work interrogates ballet's aesthetics, inspired by Maggie Nelson's assertion that "To say that X is beautiful, is murderous to beauty itself." Drawing from her American, Japanese, and French cultural perspectives, she blends balletic precision with contemporary dance sensibility to challenge classical traditions while remaining accessible to contemporary audiences. Her mainstage choreographic debut, Muse Paradox, garnered critical acclaim in France, leading to an invitation to speak at Paris's Théâtre de la Ville and earning her a spot on Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" for 2025.
Brett believes true respect for ballet comes not from blind adherence to its conventions but from the courage to interrogate its limitations and expand its possibilities. With artistic expression increasingly under threat, she is passionate about creating socially relevant work that serves as a vehicle for meaningful dialogue about our current climate.
DaYoung Jung is an award-winning choreographer, dancer, and dance educator from South Korea. Jung's choreographic works have been commissioned by companies and projects across the United States, including National Choreographers Initiative, Oklahoma City Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, and PointeWorks. Her work Vignettes, created in 2022, was chosen as the audience favorite at the Milwaukee Ballet’s Genesis: International Choreographic Competition.
She trained at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, where she graduated with honors and earned a master’s degree in Ballet Pedagogy. In 2006, she was a semifinalist at the Serge Lifar International Ballet Competition in Donetsk, Ukraine. As a dancer, Jung joined Oklahoma City Ballet in 2012, was promoted to soloist in 2014, and to principal dancer in 2017. Throughout her career, she performed leading roles in classical works including Giselle, Romeo & Juliet, Swan Lake, The Firebird, Cinderella, and The Sleeping Beauty. She also performed works by renowned choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jiří Kylián, Twyla Tharp, Stanton Welch, Septime Webre, Michael Pink, Robert Mills, and many others.
Her final performance was in May 2022 as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, after which she transitioned into her current role as rehearsal director for the company.
Header photo © Erin Baiano.
