Mimmo Miccolis

Faculty, Trainee Program Faculty, Upper Division Faculty

Mimmo Miccolis, born in Italy, is a freelance neoclassical and contemporary choreographer, primarily active as a teacher and choreographer at The Washington Ballet and the Akhmedova Academy. In 2019, he was recognized for his “Excellence in Dance” by the Italian Cultural Society of Washington (ICS). Among his numerous accolades, Miccolis received the “Outstanding Choreographer” award at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) finals in 2015 in New York City, the Indianapolis International Ballet Competition in 2017, the Washington DC Grand Prix in 2021 and 2022, and at the YAGP semi-finals in Pittsburgh in 2016. In 2011, he was also the recipient of the BBC Performing Arts Fund in London.

In recent years, his choreographic works have earned awards at various dance competitions in Europe and the United States, solidifying his influence in the global dance community.

Miccolis was invited as a speaker at the 2022 TEDx conference, where he presented the transformative power of dance as a means of expressing desires and self-discovery, confronting the prejudices often associated with the art form.

For seven years, Miccolis has served as a judge and Master Teacher for the American Dance Competition (ADC-IBC), where he has created four original works for selected competitors, performed during the prestigious Final Gala of the Stars in 2019, 2022, 2023, and 2024.

A graduate of the Italian dance academies “Fondazione Niccolò Piccinni” in Bari and “Balletto di Toscana” in Florence, Miccolis has performed as a dancer on stages across Europe, the Middle East, and the United States, gaining recognition for his versatility and technical skill. From the start of his choreographic career, his work has stood out for its innovative fusion of styles, technique, and artistic expression.

Miccolis regularly holds workshops worldwide, immersing participants in his distinctive style that blends contemporary and classical techniques. His classes offer dancers the opportunity to explore their physical limits and freedom of movement, with a strong emphasis on musicality, expressiveness, and individuality. These workshops are an essential resource for dancers preparing to navigate the competitive international dance scene.

Mimmo Miccolis has had the privilege of collaborating with renowned international music composers, including Emmy Award winner Blake Neely, as well as Jerod Tate, Francesco Germini, Masterfrenc, Francesco Lanzillotta, and JP Wogaman. These collaborations have enriched his work, blending innovative choreography with diverse musical influences and creating captivating performances that resonate with audiences worldwide.

Most of Miccolis’ choreographic work focuses on social themes and has been performed in prestigious venues such as The Washington Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Oklahoma City Ballet, the World Bank headquarters, TEDx Putignano conferences, the Dupont Underground, the Kennedy Center, the National Portrait Gallery, the Italian Ambassador’s residence Villa Firenze, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Kirov Academy, the Italian Embassy in Washington DC, the Cody Gallery at Marymount University in Virginia, Carnegie Hall in New York, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the Sustainable Brands Conference in Detroit, the European Forum and House of the European Union in Austria, the Joint Research Center of the European Commission in Italy, the Bernie Grant Arts Center, and the Camden Fringe Festival in London.

Selected credits include: (A)MORI (Milwaukee Ballet II), TIDES OF TIME (Oklahoma City Ballet), Dancing With The Future (commissioned by IIASA and Harvard University), FIRSTS, MAGNIFICA, MAMMAMIA, and ICONS (commissioned by the Italian Institute of Culture and The Embassy of Italy), END (commissioned by the World Bank), WHO WHEN WHY (commissioned by Julie Kent for The Washington Ballet), PEACE, BECOME STILL, AETERNA, and WHITE (The Washington Ballet Studio Company), Contextual Matters and IN ALL (commissioned by economist Jeffrey Sachs), InDilemma, COURAGE, and ENLIGHTENMENT 2.0 (commissioned by IIASA and the European Commission), CRISIS, DEEP BLUE, CONFLITTI, UNDERWATER, DID I?, UNSUNG HEROES, IMAGINARIUM, and HIGH TIDE (The Washington Ballet Trainee Program), *RIGHTS(?)” (Bernie Grant Arts Center in London, UK), and LUST LOST LAST (LCP Dance Theatre). Miccolis also choreographed the rebranding music video for the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).