jhon r. stronks

Met Too Pre-Professional Company Director

Choreographer

jhon began his dance training with Sue Sampson- Dalena at the Dance Studio of Fresno, Studying Jazz with Sue as well as Ballet and Hip Hop. jhon continued his dance training and education at California State University, Fresno, and graduated with a BFA in Performance and Choreography form California State University, Long Beach. While at CSULB jhon worked as rehearsal assistant to Bernard Johnson and studied with Michele Simmons, Keith Johnson, Susan Smith, Della Davidson, Lane Sayles, and Andrew Milhan. Jhon also holds a teaching certificate from the Teacher Training Institute in Atlanta, Ga. Founded by Several Dancers Core, Dance Educators of Georgia, The Atlanta Ballet, and Moving in the Spirit. As a performer he has danced with Winifred R. Harris’ Between Lines (Los Angeles), Keith Johnson and Dancers (Los Angeles), Duende Dance Theater (Atlanta), Coriolis Dance Project (Atlanta), Sandra Organ Dance Company (Houston), Travesty Dance Group (Houston), Leslie Scates (Houston), Pink Aware (Houston) and Spent Five Seasons as a Member of Core Performance Company. jhon’s choreography has been commissioned by The Houston Metropolitan Dance Center, Several Dancers Core’s MFA Houston Projects, California State University, Fresno, Moving in the Spirit, UNC Greensboro, and spent 5 years as the resident guest artist/ choreographer for Spelman College’s Dance Theatre. He is the Artistic Director of “there… in the sunlight.” Contemporary Dance, a project heading that functions as a vehicle for jhon’s independent choreography. He is a founding member of Atlanta ’s collaboratively produced dance event, The Nerve Series now in its sixth season, and sat three years as Artistic Director for Africa to A Train and Story Catcher, a series of Music and Dance Collaborations between The Neighborhood Music Schools of Georgia State and Moving in the Spirit. As an instructor jhon strives to connect the practical elements of technique to the magic and humor of life and performance. He has taught Jazz and Modern dance on the faculties of California State University, Fresno, Ballethnic Academy of Dance, Moving I the Spirit, In Motion Dance/ Bermuda Summer Intensive, BalletForte Summer intensive, Studio Dionne, Several Dancer Core’s Dynamic X Change Program and the Houston Metropolitan Dance Center. Jhon I setting a new work on HMDC in the Spring, 2009.