Today we’d like to introduce you to Kevin Jenkins.
Kevin, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started dancing at Grossmont College when a wrist injury kept me from doing gymnastics. I wanted another activity in the morning to wake me up before my academic classes and spontaneously decided to try a dance class. After that, I was hooked.
I quickly starting taking only dance at school and was also awarded a scholarship to study at the Academy of Performing Arts. Between those two locations, I was dancing 8-10 hours a day, 6 days a week. I rapidly progressed and was given opportunities to perform with San Diego Dance Theatre, Butterworth Dance Company, Alpha Omega, and others around town.
After dancing for some time I decided to shift my focus to choreography and started a project based company with a fellow choreographer. We created and produced shows for six years throughout San Diego.
Since then I have lived in Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Boston. I have choreographed for companies across the country including State Street Ballet, St. Louis Ballet, Big Muddy Dance, Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and many others. My work has been presented at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the oldest and most prestigious festival in the country and I’ve traveled all the way to Alaska to teach my ballets.
I now live on the road, only coming back to San Diego every few months to see family and friends. I live out of a suitcase and hotels are my permanent residence. It’s thrilling to be able to lead this life and do what I love every day, always in a new city. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being a freelance choreographer is a constant struggle to line up new commissions while preparing for existing ones. That in addition to the artistic pressure to create new work on a regular basis that is both good and also not the same as previous works.
Kevin Jenkins – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
What I do is choreograph for dance companies. They present shows throughout the year and I provide them with the material that will be performed. I show up every day to work with dancers who I then teach the “steps” to and coach them how to do them in my specific style.
The two things I’m best known for are a high level of complexity and also having intricate musicality. This sets me apart from some others in my field who opt for a simpler approach to movement. While it’s challenging to create work that is so difficult I think the effect is worth the effort.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Success is being able to work with artists of the highest caliber. Sometimes that means being in a big city, sometimes talent is found in unexpected places. So long as I can create work the way I want to, with people who inspire me and are hungry for a challenge, that’s my idea of “making it.”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kevinjenkins.org
- Email: kevin@kevinjenkins.org
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kevin_jenkins_choreographer/
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