Max Levy

Max Masahiro Levy

Max Masahiro Levy is a choreographer, performer, and multidisciplinary artist whose work bridges choreography, sound design, and visual arts. His creative practice explores the physicality, concentration, and introspection of the human body, using dance as a primary medium to examine the dynamic between observation and participation. His performances and installations create spaces that blur the lines between artist and audience, where collaboration emerges not from a singular vision, but from the confluence of diverse, interdisciplinary inputs..

Max is dedicated to reshaping the traditional hierarchies of dance creation. By welcoming interdisciplinary contributions from the outset, he ensures that each participant has agency, holding both credit and responsibility for their actions and decisions. This collaborative approach ensures that all contributors are essential to the work’s evolution, breaking down conventional boundaries between director and performer.

His work has been performed in notable venues such as Künstlerhaus Mousonturm, Theater Nordhausen, tanzhaus nrw, STL Tallinn, Trafó House, CNDB Romania, Roxy Ulm, Eisfabrik Hannover, and PAF Berlin. As a resident artist with the MODINA Network and a recipient of multiple residencies (TakeCare, TakeHeart, Dis-Tanzen), Max's innovative approach has been recognized across Europe. His work has been a top finalist at RIDCC 2019 and the 32nd International Choreography Competition Hannover, as well as presented through film festivals TANZAHOi Hamburg, Rollout Macao Film Festival, and Moovy Festival, among others.

Max began his professional career in ballet, performing under the direction of Graham Lustig at American Repertory Ballet and Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux at Charlotte Ballet. He later became a soloist at Ballett Staatstheater Nürnberg, under the direction of Goyo Montero, where he performed key works by renowned choreographers such as Crystal Pite, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Mats Ek, and Ohad Naharin. His exceptional performances have earned him nominations, including Outstanding Performance by a Male Dancer by Dance Europe in 2015.

Since 2017, Max has worked as an independent artist, collaborating on stage and in non-traditional spaces, creating installations, and engaging in improvisational works. His extensive collaborations span artists like Fabrice Mazliah, Yasmeen Godder, Roderick George, and Taulant Shehu, and earned him Critic's Choice Dancers of the Year by tanz magazine in 2023.

Born in Tokyo, Japan, Max began his ballet training at the Haruyama Ballet Academy and Yamaji Ballet School before furthering his studies at Boulder Ballet School and the San Francisco Ballet Trainee Program. He has continued his education through workshops with influential mentors, including Amy Raymond, Peggy Olislaegers, and Angelique Willkie.

In addition to his artistic work, Max is an experienced teacher and rehearsal assistant, offering workshops and classes to both professionals and amateurs. He has taught at institutions such as the European School of Ballet, Zukunft Tanzt, Tanzplattform Rhein-Main, and Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst Frankfurt.

Currently based in Frankfurt am Main, Max continues his journey as an international artist and choreographer, expanding the boundaries of dance and artistic expression. When not in the studio, he enjoys drawing, drinking tea, and playing video games.

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