2011 Princess Grace Honoraria
Dance
Nominated by: Trey McIntyre Project
A native of Brooklyn, NY, Chanel DaSilva is a multifaceted artist whose work reflects her deep connection to the transformative power of the arts. Chanel is the Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of MOVE|NYC| – an arts and social justice organization with the mission of creating greater equity and diversity in the dance profession and beyond – as well as a Choreographer & Director creating new, provocative works that reflect the complexities of what it means to be human.
After being named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts and graduating with her BFA from The Juilliard School, Chanel became a member of Trey McIntyre Project. She was featured on the cover of Dance Magazine with TMP in 2011 and was a part of Brooklyn Academy of Music’s “Dance Motion USA”, touring throughout Asia with TMP as a cultural ambassador to the United States of America.
In 2016 Chanel began her career as a choreographer making work for institutions such as Gibney Company, American Repertory Theater, The Juilliard School, Parsons Dance Company, Ballet Memphis, Dallas Black Dance Theater, Booker T. Washington High School, Festival Ballet Providence, Barnard College, and The Joffrey Ballet for which she was featured in Crain’s Business Chicago as the first Black female choreographer to choreograph a work on The Joffrey Ballet.
Chanel has led master workshops and seminars for institutions such as The Juilliard School, SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, Harvard University, New York University, LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, The Scottish Ballet, Ballet Hispanico, and New Orleans Ballet Association.
Over the years Chanel has received recognition from numerous institutions including The Joffrey Ballet Winning Works Choreographic Competition, the Martha Hill Dance Fund Mid-Career Award, a 2011 Princess Grace Award, and the 2008 Martha Hill Prize awarded by The Juilliard School. She is a National YoungArts Winner, was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and was featured on the 2004 PBS Documentary “American Talent”. In 2019 Chanel received a IRNE nomination for Best Choreography for “The Black Clown”.
Chanel attributes her success and longevity in the dance field to the tribe of artists, educators and mentors that opened the doors to the dance industry for her at an early age. Including the Bernice Johnson Cultural Arts Center, Creative Outlet Dance Theater of Brooklyn, LaGuardia High School for the Performing Arts, The Ailey School, Springboard Danse Montreal and The Juilliard School.
