Clifford Williams began his dance training at F.H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and the Performing Arts. He attended the Ailey School and the School of American Ballet, both on scholarship. In 1998, he was a first-level recipient of a National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts award and attended The Juilliard School, where he danced works by many choreographers including Lar Lubovitch, Igal Perry, Hans Van Manen, José Limón, and Mauricio Wainrot. In 2001, he was invited to join the Dance Theatre of Harlem, where he danced until 2003.
In 2004, Mr. Williams joined Complexions Contemporary Ballet (New York, NY), where he has danced works by Dwight Rhoden, William Forsythe, Nicolo Fonte, and Jae Man Joo. He has also assisted Director/Choreographer Dwight Rhoden on numerous projects including ballets for North Carolina Dance Theater, Pittsburgh Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, The Diana Vishneva Project, Ballet San Jose, Israel Ballet, Teatro Dell’Opera Di Roma as well as for the television show So You Think You Can Dance. He has also set Dwight Rhoden’s works on The Ailey School/Fordham University, Boston Conservatory, Harvard University, Marymount University and NYU Tisch School for the Arts. In addition to setting works for Dwight Rhoden, Williams is certified in teaching “Nique,” the official Contemporary Ballet technique of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and continues to be a part of educational outreach for Complexions. In 2008, Mr. Williams left Complexions to dance as a Principal Dancer with Compañia Nacional De Danza under the direction of Nacho Duato, dancing many principal parts and featured in creations by Mr. Duato. Mr. Williams rejoined Complexions in 2009, where he danced as Principal until 2012 before being appointed to an Artist in Residence. In 2014 Williams was featured as the title character in Debbie Allen’s Hot Chocolate Nutcracker, which aired on BET Network.
