About Ayodele

Ayodele Casel is an award-winning artist, performer, choreographer, and writer celebrated for her transformative contributions to tap dance and contemporary theater. A Doris Duke Artist in dance and one of the New York Times’ “biggest breakout stars of 2019,” Casel's work centers powerful, narrative-driven expressions of selfhood, culture, and legacy.

Born in The Bronx and raised in Puerto Rico, Casel is the creator of acclaimed works such as Chasing Magic (Bessie Award-winning film and stage concert), While I Have the Floor (a one-woman show), and Diary of a Tap Dancer (a theatrical and film series exploring identity through rhythm and storytelling). Her innovative storytelling earned her six nominations at the 42nd Annual Elliot Norton Awards (2025)—more than any other artist that year—including Outstanding Musical, New Script, Lead Performance, Ensemble, Featured Performance, and a win for Outstanding Choreography for Diary of a Tap Dancer.

Her most recent work,Ayodele Casel: The Remix, was named a New York Times Critic’s Pick and selected for the Best of Dance 2025 list. In fact, nearly every major work Casel has created since 2019 has been recognized on the Times’ annual Best of Dance list, underscoring her lasting impact on the form.

Casel is currently developing the second part of her critically acclaimed piece Freedom…In Progress, a work featuring the music of Max Roach and Cecil Taylor. This next chapter will be created through upcoming residencies at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park and Guggenheim’s Works & Process, continuing her exploration of liberation through rhythm, form, and history.

On Broadway, she served as tap choreographer for the 2022 revival of Funny Girl, earning a Drama Desk nomination for Outstanding Choreography. A frequent collaborator with New York City Center, she was a featured 2023 “Artist at the Center” and created an original interactive show for their inaugural “On the Move” borough tour. She's also served as choreographer for their Really Rosie (2017) and Wonderful Town (2025) Encores! productions. She has been described as "a tap dancer of fine grained musicianship", "a force of wit and wonder", with "unparalleled tap dancing skills". Her vibrant partnership with Grammy-winning Latin jazz composer Arturo O’Farrill has been hailed by the New York Times as “next level” and “thrilling.”

Casel is a former Radcliffe Fellow at Harvard University and has held residencies at Harvard and Little Island. Her honors include the United States Artists Fellowship, the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts, a Broadway Inspirational Voices Inspiration Award, Hoofer and Flo-Bert Awards, and a U.S. Postal Service Forever Stamp representing the art of tap dance in 2021.

Collaboration with Torya Beard

Casel’s artistic journey has been significantly shaped by her multiple collaborations with renowned dancer and Director Torya Beard. Together, they have created works that blend dynamic tap rhythms with intricate storytelling, creating an entirely new language for the dance form. These collaborations have not only pushed the boundaries of traditional tap dance but also explored themes of identity, culture, and the African American experience. Their shared vision has earned them recognition across the industry, with their performances being lauded for their emotional depth and technical brilliance.

Their work together has included pieces such as “Chasing Magic and “Diary of a Tap Dancer,” both of which have been featured in major performance venues like American Repertory Theater and The Joyce Theater. They also co-directed “Rooted”, a film for PBS ALL ARTS that reflects on the historical figures and events that have shaped society. The project blends oral history—featuring civil rights lawyer Sherrilyn Ifill—with original performances by dancers, composers, and writers, exploring lineage, justice, and creative expression. These pieces are a testament to the power of their partnership, with Beard’s direction complementing Casel’s virtuosity in a way that resonates deeply with audiences and critics alike.

 

A proud alumna of NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts and The William Esper Studio, Casel has been an educator for over 25 years. She is the co-director of Operation Tap, the DLNY Tap Dance Project, and serves on the board of New York City Center.