Past selection panelists for the McKnight Choreography Fellowships

• 2025 Panel

  • Barak adé Soleil, Contemporary Artist & Director (Saint Paul, MN) 

  • Jinza Thayer, Choreographer, performer, teacher, and professional movement therapist (Saint Paul, MN)
    Rika Lin - (Yoshinojo Fujima), Artist, Dancemaker, Shubukai Program Director (Chicago, IL)
    T. Ayo Alston, Executive Artistic Director, Ayodele Drum and Dance (Chicago, IL) 

• 2024 Panel

  • Debby Kajiyama, Co-director, NAKA Dance Theater (Alameda, CA) 

  • jess pretty, Assistant Professor of Dance, UMN Twin Cities (Minneapolis, MN)

  • Josette Wiggan, Artistic Director, Josette Wiggan Present (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Patrick Makuakane, Director, Nā Lei Hulu i ka Wēkiu (San Francisco, CA) 

• 2023 Panel

  • Michele Byrd-McPhee, Executive Director, Ladies of Hip-Hop (Jersey City, NJ)

  • Silvana Cardell, Artistic Director, Cardell Dance Theater (Philadelphia, PA)

  • Dante Puleio, Artistic Director, Limón Dance Company (New York, NY)

  • Darrius Strong, Artistic Director, STRONGmovement (Burnsville, MN)

• 2022 Panel

  • Stefanie Batten Bland, Choreographer & Movement Director (New York, NY)

  • Andrew Chiang, Executive Director, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company (New York, NY)

  • Adam W. McKinney, Co-Artistic Director, DNAWORKS (Fort Worth, TX)

  • Taja Will, Choreographer, Performer & Healing Justice Practitioner (Minneapolis, MN)

• 2021 Panel

  • Adesola Osakalumi, Choreographer, NYTW (New York, NY)

  • Dianne McIntyre, Independent Choreographer (Columbus, OH)

  • Julie Warder, Choreographer/Dancer (Minneapolis, MN)

  • Phil Chan, Co-Founder, Final Bow for Yellowface (New York, NY)

• 2020 Panel

  • Marc Bamuthi Joseph, Vice President, and Artistic Director, Social Impact at The Kennedy Center (Wash DC/Oakland, CA)

  • Megan Mayer, Choreographer (Minneapolis, MN)

  • Julie Nakagawa, Co-founder and Artistic Director, DanceWorks Chicago (IL)

  • Deneane Richburg, Choreographer, Brownbody (St. Paul, MN)

• 2019 Panel

  • Charles O. Anderson​, Choreographer/Head of Dance UT Austin (Austin, TX) ​

  • Yolanda Cesta Cursach​, Independent Curator, Artistic Director of High Concept Labs (Chicago, IL) ​

  • Sam Kim​, Choreographer (New York, NY) ​

  • Kathleen Spehar​, Director, The O'Shaughnessy at St. Catherine University (St. Paul, MN) ​

• 2018 Panel

  • Gabri Christa, Filmmaker, Choreographer and Assistant Professor, Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Dance (New York, NY)

  • Miriam Must,Cofounder, Red Eye Theater (Minneapolis, MN)

  • Lionel Popkin, Choreographer and Professor, UCLA (Los Angeles,CA)

  • Sixto Wagan, Director, Center for Art & Social Engagement, University of Houston (Houston, TX)

• 2017 Panel

  • Judith Howard, Choreographer/Dancer (Minneapolis, MN)

  • Li Chaio-Ping, Artistic Director, Li Chaio-Ping Dance (Madison, WI)

  • Christy Bolingbroke, Executive/Artistic Director, NCCAkron (Akron, OH)

  • Rennie Harris, Founder/Artistic Director, Rennie Harris Puremovements (Philadelphia, PA)

• 2016 Panel

  • Victoria Marks, Choreographer (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Donna Uchizono, Artistic Director, Donna Uchizono Company (New York, NY)

  • Onye Ozuzu, Dean, School of Fine and Performing Arts Columbia College Chicago (Chicago, IL)

  • Martin Wechsler, Director of Programming, The Joyce Theater (New York, NY)

• 2015 Panel

  • John Malashock (New York, NY)

  • Julia Rhoads (Chicago, IL)

  • Keith Thompson (Chicago, IL)

  • Laurie Uprichard (New York, NY)

• 2014 Panel

  • Janet Lilly (Greensboro, NC)

  • David Shimotakahara (Akron, OH)

  • Sarah Slipper (Portland, OR)

  • Eva Yaa Asantewaa (New York, NY)

• 2013 Panel

  • Sara Coffey (Burlington, VT)

  • Mark Dendy (New York, NY)

  • George Lugg (Valencia, CA)

  • Elizabeth Streb (New York, NY)

• 2012 Panel

  • Dayna Hansen ( Seattle, WA)

  • Jodee Nimerichter (Durham, NC)

  • Roell Schmidt (Chicago, IL)

  • Sydney Skybetter (New York, NY)

From 2002 - 2011 the panel consisted of 3-4 members from Minnesota, and 1-2 National members which will be specified.

• 2011 Panel

  • Cynthia Oliver ( Urbana-Champaign, IL)

  • Lisa First

  • Judith Howard

  • Daniel Stark

  • Michael Engel

• 2010 Panel

  • Chris Yon (Ames, IA )

  • Claire Porter (Newark, NJ )

  • Colleen Callahan

  • Tamara Kangas Erickson

  • Michèle Steinwald

• 2009 Panel

  • Deborah Jowitt (New York, NY )

  • Mary Easter

  • David Moore

  • Sally Rousse

  • Chris Schlichting

• 2008 Panel

  • Zvi Gotheiner (New York, NY )

  • Rebecca Katz Harwood (Duluth, MN )

  • Steve Busa

  • Linda Andrews

  • Georgia Stevens

• 2007 Panel

  • Dean Moss (New York, NY )

  • Wynn Fricke

  • John Munger

  • Barry Leon

  • Krista Langberg

• 2006 Panel

  • Tere O'Connor (New York, NY )

  • Leigh Dillard (St. Cloud, MN )

  • Uri Sands (St. Paul, MN )

  • Diane Aldis

  • Marcela Lorca

• 2005 Panel

  • Claire Bataille (Chicago, IL )

  • Gretchen Cohenour (Winona, MN )

  • Carl Flink

  • Ben Heywood

  • Laurie Van Wieren

• 2004 Panel

  • Douglas Nielsen (Los Angeles, CA)

  • Paula Mann

  • Shawn McConneloug

  • Linda Shapiro

  • David White

• 2003 Panel

  • Geol Leonard Weirs (San Francisco, CA )

  • Mary Claire

  • Lowy O'Brien

  • Lisa First

  • Ronald Tice

  • Tom Kanthak

• 2002 Panel

  • Jan Erkert (Chicago, IL )

  • Judith Brin Ingber

  • Danial Shapiro

  • Robin Stiehm

  • Roxane Wallace