Artistic Director

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Kenneth Walker is Artistic Director of Kenneth Walker Dance Project (KWDP) and a 2007 Lester Horton Dance Awards Nominee for Outstanding Performance by a Company for its program, Sheer Force of Will. Mr. Walker is currently on the teaching staff at, The Wooden Floor, is an adjunct professor of dance at CSU, Dominguez Hills where he teaches Ballet and Dance Appreciation. Kenneth has worked as a rehearsal assistant for ballet companies, large scale site specific works, and as a mentor to young choreographers. He has coached ballroom dancers, ballet competition hopefuls, as a rehearsal assistant for a large scale site-specific work directed by Stephen Koplowitz and served as a adjudicator for a high school dance festival. Mr. Walker has taught master classes at Golden West College, a Regional Dance America/ Pacific festival, ACDA Baja and West conferences, studios throughout California, and college dance programs.

Kenneth holds a BA from UCLA in World Arts and Cultures, and an MBA and MA in Arts Management from the Drucker School at Claremont Graduate University. He served as Secretary for the board of directors of the Dance Resource Center of Los Angeles and was head of the Horton Viewing Committee. In addition to his work as a ballet teacher and choreographer, he has earned a reputation as a conference coordinator especially for American College Dance Association (ACDA). He has served on grant panels for Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Cultures and Arts Council for Long Beach. Mr. Walker has studied in intensive workshops with William Forsythe and Alonzo King, director of Lines Contemporary Ballet as well as one day workshops with Donald Byrd and Bella Lewitzky. He has also worked with Los Angeles choreographers Francisco Martinez, Patrick Franz and Laurence Blake. His early training was with Diane Lauridsen of South Bay Ballet and later Paul Maure, Charles and Phillip Fuller and Cynthia Young at the Pasadena Dance Theatre. His professional career began with the Sacramento Ballet under the direction of Ron Cunningham. Walker spent 3 years there and while under the direction of Cunningham, he began choreographing on the apprentices and later the company. Clark Mitzie of KXJZ hailed his How broad be thy shoulders, “…a fascinating work of several different levels. This was definitely a showpiece, not unlike those action thrillers popular in today’s movie world.”

He has performed in many of Ron Cunningham’s works, as well as those of Lisa de Ribere, George Balanchine, Lew Christensen, Willam Christensen, Molly Lynch, Bill Evans, Susan Hadley, David Allan, Jon Magnus, Jodie Gates, Patrick Franz, Ronn Guidi, Choo-San Goh, Jacques Heim, Anthony Tudor, and Michel Fokine. He has also had the pleasure of working with Anne Marie De Angelo. Kenneth has also had the privilege of dancing for the Minnesota Ballet, Oakland ballet and the now defunct Ballet Pacifica. He has performed on tour in Canada, Guatemala, El Salvador and throughout the Midwest. Kenneth has created dances for the Sarasota Ballet of Florida, Sacramento Ballet, Chico Community Ballet, Southern California Dance Theatre, San Pedro City Ballet, South Bay Ballet, Petaluma City Ballet, Dance Peninsula, DanceCorps, Dance Peninsula Ballet, and Pasadena Dance Theater. His ballet Angel’s Lament was performed at the 5th L.A. Dance Invitational. He is the recipient of the young choreographer’s award from the Southern CA Dance Theatre, and is the youngest finalist ever to compete in the Sarasota Ballet of Florida International Choreography Competition. His second collaboration with Michael Roberts was performed by members of the National Ballet of Guatemala in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of that companies founding. His third collaboration with Michael Roberts celebrated the twenty-year anniversary of Mr. Roberts’ first album for the ballet class. He has since worked with musicians Wes Hambright, Candice Davis, DJ Black Rabbit and Kena Rohi Custage on new or arranged scores for his work. His work has also been performed at the Inland Empire Dance Festival, South Coast Dance Arts Alliance, Central Coast Summer Fest, Piccolo Spoleto, Los Angeles Dance Invitational, Palm Desert Under the Stars Choreography Festival, MixMatch Festival, “Dance! Santa Monica” festival, Sacramento Area Dance Alliance, Spectrum Dance in L.A., and the Ballet Pacifica Conservatory summer intensives. Kenneth’s dances have been performed in the State of Washington, Virginia, Florida, Minnesota, South Carolina, New York, and California.