French Twist

Inspired by the American cartoon Tom & Jerry the piece uses contemporary movement set to five musical selections by French composer Hugues Le Bars. Highlights include a section of two couples dancing with chairs, and a fantastic trio. This work was a favorite of San Francisco audience in 2010.

"French Twist" showcases the rising talent of Cong..." - The Examiner, San Francisco, USA
"Ma Cong's French Twist was an audience favorite in 20..." -Arts America, USA
"French Twist is a piece that's packed with movement, wit, and quirky humor. Set in ballet flats, there's a momentum that's outwardly horizontal with a radiating energy, rather than elevated and vertical as in classical ballet. There's always something to s..." -Saturday Matinee, San Francisco, USA

Original Created: National Choreographic Initiative, Orange County, CA 2008
Recreate & Commissioned by Smuin Ballet, San Francisco, 2010
Music: Hugues Le Bars
Costumes: Ma Cong
Lighting: Monique L'Heureux
Numbers of Dancers: 8 dancers (4 women, 4 men)
Total Length: 21 minutes

Temporal

Temporal is inspired by Mediterranean life and culture; it is a study of love and spirituality and speaks sensually about human condition. The work reveals both the softness and strength of dance, set to rhythmic compositions of vocals and electric jazz and with costume inspired by East Indian body art and textiles.

"French Twist" showcases the rising talent of Cong..." - The Examiner, San Francisco, USA
"Choreographer Ma Cong that addresses love and sensuality, femininity and masculinity..." "the work is elegantly crafted, a grown-up valentine to the extraordinary dancing of the BalletMet company, whose combination of athleticism and sophistication are perfect for the work..." -The Columbus Dispatch, USA

Created: 2010
Commissioned by Ballet Met Columbus Ohio
Music: Dhafer Youssef, Anouar Brahem
Set Design: Ma Cong, Jamie Gross
Lighting: John Bohuslawsky
Numbers of Dancers: 10 dancers (5 women, 5 men)
Total Length: 22 minutes

Ershter Vals

Ershter Vals, inspired partly by Hollywood films about World War II and partly by music originating in the Jewish ghettos of the time, uses engaging choreography to portray the light people find in relationships and communities and celebrates the moments of brightness that can still shine in the midst of dark times.

"This is a touching, full-bodied, inventive piece..." - Wendy Perron, Dance Magazine, USA
"... reveling in rich, delicious partnering, tossing off fascinating inflections - the women undulating through jumps like shaken ribbons, the men surging low and fast through the space and then offering a flash of upturned throats, vulnerability and power juxtaposed throughout" - Style Weekly, Richmond VA, USA
"Ma Cong's Ershter Vals (2009). Fantastic music. Fantastic combination of light and solemnity." - Richmond Arts Review, USA

Created: 2009
Commissioned by Richmond Ballet
Music: Klezroym
Costume: Tamara Cobus
Lighting: MK Stewart
Number of Dancers: 8 Dancers (4 women, 4 men)
Total Length: 20 minutes

Tethered Pulse

Tethered Pulse is a ballet about the ways couples maintain a connection, the various forms that a romance can take, set to music by cellists Zoe Keating and Joan Jeanrenaud that is founded on heartbeat-like rhythms, there are 5 movements; three couples present three aspects of the main theme.

"...delicate and fresh, with amplitude and an emotional multi-dimensionality... It's a ballet that captivated you from first moment to last, and when it was over, I almost wished that the company would dance it again before the night was through. It's that good." - Jim Watts, Tulsa World, USA

Created: 2011
Commissioned by Tulsa Ballet
Music: Zoe Keating, Joan Jeanrenaud
Costume: Jo Wimer
Lighting: Les Dickert
Number of Dancers: 12 Dancers (6 women, 6 men)
Total Length: 30 minutes

Luminitza

This work is inspired by Romanian culture and musician Balanescu, it's a work to encourage people to keep little light in their hearts and never give up hopes and love. Costume design is inspired by beautiful colors and patterns on traditional Romanian eggs. The piece is made up of four different movements, including double trios in the second movement, and a very sensual, passionate pas de deux in the finale to end the ballet.

"...a passionate, reverent ballet that borrows from disparate cultural motifs and sculpts them into a breathtaking contemporary ballet." - Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA
"Cong's intimate sequences bring alive a sphere which rolls and breathes with the dancers while they move..." - Style Weekly-Richmond, USA

Created: 2012
Commissioned by Richmond Ballet
Music: Balanescu Quartet
Costume: Rebecca Turk
Set   Lighting Design: MK Stewart
Number of Dancers: 8 Dancers (4 women, 4 men)
Total Length: 24 minutes

Blood Rush

This work is inspired by the "blood rush" experienced when dancing the passionate, sensual movement of tango. It uses ballet language, image and technique to intertwine tango steps and movements, fully expresses the sensual motions and passionate feelings, and rich Argentina culture. This work highlights two lead principal couples, plus a section danced by 5 women with a drum rhythm, flat Tutus and hair down.

"Blood Rush brings us to another lever altogether... Every movement is surprising!" - Dance Insider, USA
"Cong is a painter of minimalist dance, rich in mood and movement." -Ballet~Dance Magazine, USA
"Blood Rush delivered all the pleasures..." "One of the pleasures afforded by Tulsa Ballet's annual program of world premiere ballets is watching the creative evolution of principal dancer and resident choreographer Ma Cong" - Tulsa World, USA

Created: 2008
Commissioned by Tulsa Ballet
Music: Astor Piazzolla
Costume: Jo Wimer
Lighting: Les Dickert
Numbers of Dancers: 12 Dancers (6 women, 6 men)
Total Length: 25 Minutes

Carmina Burana

This work was commissioned to celebrate Tulsa Ballet's 50th anniversary and is to Carl Orff's thrilling, passionate musical masterpiece. The complex are both primitive and sophisticated, and the elemental power of the poems, about all aspects of life and fate, are stirring and beautiful. The choreography follows the emotions of the music rather than the letter of the text. The vision of the piece touches on the themes of Spring's awakened and the earthy emotions that can be found "In the Tavern". It is not so much a love story but a meditation on the stages of love. The underlying and universal theme of the undeniable power of love and the unexpected discoveries it brings are explored using Chinese folk dance, classical Spanish steps and even Egyptian movements. Some steps could be described as erotic and earthy, but they were balanced with the religious symbolism of crosses, robes, praying hands and uplifted arms and shyly held flowers representing yearning and the wonder of young love. In the final scene when the dancers return on stage for the last time, they are clothed in robes with the strip off and defiantly brandish out of rebellion and redemption. The dancers stomp their feet, resolving to have what they desire. The piece ends with a tower of bodies stretching and reaching to the sky in a dramatic plea for forgiveness.

"Stunning from start to finish." - Jim Watts, Tulsa World, USA
"...A mega hit...Cong's "Carmina Burana" is beautiful, powerful and provocative." - G. G. Collins, criticaldance forum and ballet-dance magazine, USA

Created: 2006
Commissioned by Tulsa Ballet
Music: Carl Orff
Costume: Jo Wimer
Lighting: Les Dickert
Numbers of Dancers: 20 Dancers (10 women & 10 men-2 leads couples, 8 corps couples)
Total Length: 56 minutes