Over the past decade, Canadian born choreographer Jennifer Archibald has punctiliously plotted the course of her career and has become the first Black female resident choreographer of a ballet company with Cincinnati Ballet. Her hard work has led her everywhere from center court at Madison Square Garden to the proscenium stages of the Kennedy Center. Theresa Ruth Howard spoke with Jennifer on behalf of ICONS about her inspiration and her wisdom gained in the field.

Read the Full Interview with JENNIFER ARCHIBALD 

ICONS INSPIRE is a monthly digital portrait and a one-on-one interview with a groundbreaking choreographer. Get the insider point of view on an important dancemaker creative process, background and training to inspire, provoke and challenge your intellectual repertoire.

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Welcome to ICON SMART! We are happy to announce the recent creation of the first ever Choreographic Institute here in Washington, D.C. USA --- a long needed educational platform to foster creativity and develop professional skills specifically for emerging choreographers. Our Info Pack is available to download here.

ICONS NEXT STEP is updated monthly with national and international listings featuring the latest choreographic residencies, creative opportunities, world premieres, events, trends, new books, movies, videos, and choreographic topics. 

• How do we teach choreographic craft?
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Your responses...

• Melissa K. - Choreographers first need to learn the basics -- time, space, force. Then tackle more complex issues -- form, style, abstraction, compositional structures, and choreographic devices.
• Julia G. - Perhaps compositional techniques are a craft, but choreography encompasses more than composition. Trial and error, an openness to ambiguity are necessary ingredients. Teaching is presenting tasks with the aim to explore process and create art.
• Mimi N. - ... a combination of learning directly from choreographers, an understanding of the theories and building blocks of choreography, and just doing it.

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