Jüri Nael (born 9 July 1975) is an

Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...

n choreographer, movement director, professor of contemporary performance and theatre pedagogue. Nael was born and raised in

Viljandi Viljandi (, german: Fellin, sv, Fellin) is a town and municipality in southern Estonia with a population of 17,407 in 2019. It is the capital of Viljandi County and is geographically located between two major Estonian cities, Pärnu and Tartu ...

. He is 1998 graduate of

Viljandi Culture Academy University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy ( et, Tartu Ülikooli Viljandi Kultuuriakadeemia) is an Estonian institution of higher education, situated in the provincial town of Viljandi, central Estonia. The UT Viljandi Culture Academy merged ...

, having majored in choreography. Between 2001 and 2005, he taught stage movement and dance and was a lecturer at the

Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre The Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre (''Eesti Muusika- ja Teatriakadeemia'') began as a mixed choir of the Estonia Society Musical Department (EMD) on the eve of World War I. The assembly of the Estonia Society created the Tallinn Higher Musi ...

. From 2006 until 2011, he was a physical theatre associate professor with the academy, and since 2016, leading professor of contemporary performance. In 2019, he created and is currently running an internationa
''Master of Art'' degree in Contemporary Physical Performance Making (CPPM)
Between 2006 and 2007, he was a lecturer at

Tallinn University Tallinn University (TLU; et, Tallinna Ülikool, ''TLÜ'') is a public research university in Estonia. Located in the centre of Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia, Tallinn University is one of the three largest institutions of higher education ...

's Department of Choreography, and head of department from 2007 until 2008, and associate professor from 2007 until 2011. He has also been a visiting Professor of Choreography at

Jacksonville University Jacksonville University (JU) is a private university in Jacksonville, Florida. Located in the city's Arlington (Jacksonville), Arlington district, the school was founded in 1934 as a two-year college and was known as Jacksonville Junior College u ...

in Florida, US. Since 2011, he is a lecturer of physical theatre at the

Royal Academy of Dramatic Art The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Sen ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Since 2019, he is studying at Estonian Music and Theatre Academy (doctoral studies). From 2006 until 2011, he was one of the judges in the

Kanal 2 Kanal 2 is a privately owned Estonian television channel. Its literal name in English is "Channel 2". The channel was established by Ilmar Taska. The channel began broadcasting on 1 October 1993. History The channel started broadcasting on O ...

television dance competition series ''

Tantsud tähtedega ''Tantsud tähtedega'' ( Estonian: ''Dancing with the Stars'') is an Estonian television reality show that aired on Kanal 2 and season six on TV3. It debuted on 8 October 2006, and it became a popular television show in Estonia. It is based o ...

''. He has also appeared as an actor in the television series ''Riigimehed'' and ''Väikesed hiiglased''. Nael is gay and speaks openly about his sexuality in hopes to foster further acceptance of the LGBT community in Estonia.

Works

* 2006: Margoshes' ja Fernandez' "Fame" (director, musical theatre, in Tallinn Linnahall) * 2010: "Naela Waiting for ..." (director, with L. Marshall, solo performance)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nael, Juri Living people 1975 births Estonian choreographers Estonian male dancers 21st-century Estonian educators Estonian television personalities Estonian male television actors Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni Academic staff of the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre Alumni of the University of Warwick University of Amsterdam alumni Academic staff of Tallinn University Estonian gay men People from Viljandi Estonian LGBT entertainers LGBT choreographers Gay dancers 20th-century Estonian LGBT people 21st-century Estonian LGBT people