Joe Celej

Joe Celej is a New York City-based creative artist whose career spans nearly fifteen years of professional concert dance performance, choreographic investigation, and sharing his experiences and passion for art in a range of classroom settings. 

As a senior company member of over 8 years, Joe performed extensively throughout the US and Europe with the critically acclaimed concert company Elisa Monte Dance, most notably meeting and performing for the Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg. Through the EMD choreographic initiative, Joe has enjoyed collaborating and creating six works for the company, and was honored to have his Joyce Theater choreographic premiere in 2011.  Most recently, Joe premiered their roots rest in infinity to critical acclaim in EMD’s 2014 NYC Season.   

Previously, Joe danced with the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, where he served as the company’s Resident Choreographer and worked with artists such as Robert Battle, Kate Skarpetowska, Peter Chu, Mario Zambrano, and Eddy Ocampo.  Joe continues his relationship with HMDC as a guest choreographer/teacher and member of their advisory board, and was an honoree at HMDC’s 15th Anniversary Concert. Most recently, Joe’s newest creation for the Met, primed, premiered in June of 2014.       

With nearly twenty years of teaching experience, Joe is a master teacher throughout the US and Europe. He has been a guest teacher/choreographer at a variety of educational institutions including Steps on Broadway, SUNY Buffalo, Rice University, Salve Regina University, the High School for Performing and Visual Arts Houston (HSPVA), Episcopal High School, St John's School, and the Hetrick-Martin Institute.  Joe is proud to be a mentor to current students/graduates of the Juilliard School, Point Park University, SUNY Purchase, SUNY Buffalo, Chapman University, University of Arizona, SMU, and many other secondary educational institutions.  Joe is an honored recipient of a 2010 Presidential Scholar Teacher Recognition Award from the US Department of Education. 

Joe holds a BFA in dance performance from SUNY Buffalo, where he was a performing and creative arts honors scholar and supplemented his training with scholarships to Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago, The Edge, and the Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles. Joe’s commercial credits include Levi Strauss and Company, Wal-Mart, and the City of Houston. As an independent artist, Joe has presented his choreography at numerous venues including the Reverb Dance Festival/APAP, the Dance Gallery, the Pink Ribbons Project, the Big Range Dance Festival, the Great Friends Dance festival, Zodiaque Dance Company, Extensions Dance Company, Dance Harlem, American Dance Guild, Vision of Sound, Dumbo Dance Festival, The Tank, Pushing Progress Showcase Series, Cool NY Dance Festival, and the Solar Powered Dance Series.