Riley Watts

Riley Watts, CLI Conservatory’s Director of Concert Dance, is a graduate of the Juilliard School who has gained worldwide recognition professionally dancing with Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in NYC, Bern Ballet in Switzerland, Netherlands Dance Theater 2, and The Forsythe Company in Frankfurt, Germany. He has danced almost exclusively with choreographer William Forsythe, staging “Duo (Extended)” at the Venice Biennale. Riley has made a name for himself touring internationally with Sylvie Guillem, acting as performance curator and community organizer in Portland, Maine, and receiving awards such as the Princess Grace Award and Leonide Massine/Positano Prize Contemporary Dancer of the Year in Italy! His class focuses on the fundamentals of ballet and improvisation techniques.