Grace Yi-Li Tong

2024 Fellow, NYU Artist Development Program for Dance

Grace Yi-Li Tong (BFA, Dance Tisch, 2021): With a child-like glee, Grace Yi-Li Tong (she/her) is a Chinese-American movement artist originally from Seattle, WA. Influenced by make-believe, clowning, and contemporary dance theater, her work ridiculously collages “regular” events to decontextualize bodily and social identity, fairytale, and comedy. In 2021, Grace earned her BFA in Dance and a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She now works as an independent, New York-based choreographer, performer, educator, and arts administrator.  As a choreographer, Grace has recently developed and presented work at: Flushing Town Hall, Triskelion Arts, ReMo Studios (Amsterdam) Devising Performance Residency, Arts on Site, Art Cake Dance Series II, Laguardia Performing Arts Center, and on Governor’s Island. Her film credits include choreographic collaborations with brands Tod’s Shoes and Yayi Chen, and musicians Kevin Sun and bluetrails. Additionally, she has recently received support from the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Emergency Grant program for her self-produced show: ZOO! at Arts on Site (2023) and from the Netherland-America Foundation for her residency at ReMo Studios (2023). 

As a performer, Grace has recently been in process with Beth Gill, Luis A. Lara Malvacias, Patricia Hoffbauer, Jody Oberfelder, and more. Grace has taught at programs such as NYU Tisch Summer High School, Steps on Broadway Academy, and more, and served as Development Intern for AIM by Kyle Abraham in 2023.