ASSOCIATE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & CCI 2.0 FELLOW

Born and raised in Brooklyn, NY, Cheri L. Stokes is a choreographer, performer, and educator whose work explores the intersections of social vernacular dance and contemporary practice. She holds an M.F.A. in Choreography and Performance from The Florida State University (2017) and a B.A. in Dance Studies with K-12 North Carolina Dance Teaching Licensure from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2005). Her performance background spans West African, Afro-Contemporary, Contemporary, and Hip-Hop dance forms.

Cheri has received numerous residencies and awards, including the Stephen Petronio Retreat and Restore Dance Residency (2021), Brooklyn Arts Exchange Space Grant Residency (2023), Hi-Arts Critical Breaks Artist in Residence (2024), Brooklyn Arts Exchange Artist in Residence (2024–2025), the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA) Support for Artists Grant (2024), and The MAP Fund (2024). Excerpts of her recent work, Da Block, were presented at the MODarts Collective Thread Festival (2021) and SummerStage at Crotona Park (2022).

Her collaborative and leadership experience includes serving as Assistant Director for "SCAT!…The Complex Lives of Al and Dot, Dot and Al Zollar" (directed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar), Producer for "Life Dance IV: The Emperor: The Old Woman Persists" (directed by Niegel Smith and choreographed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar), and Collaborative Dramaturg for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre’s "The Holy Blues" (directed and choreographed by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Chalvar Montero, and Samantha Figgins).

Cheri has over a decade of experience in dance education and arts administration, guest teaching at institutions such as The Florida State University, Elon University, Bard College, and The University at Buffalo. She was a UBW Choreographic Center Producing Fellow in 2023, and continues to develop work that bridges contemporary and vernacular dance practices.

www.cherilstokes.com