Ronald K. Brown

Dancer and choreographer Ronald K. Brown founded the Brooklyn-based contemporary dance ensemble Evidence, A Dance Company, in 1985. Evidence focuses on the seamless integration of traditional African dance with contemporary choreography and the spoken word. Music and text fuel Brown's storytelling, which uses a broad range of musical forms from classical and world music to pop and hip-hop. Two of his many works include Come Ye, inspired by the work of jazz singer Nina Simone and the events of September 11; and Grace, a spiritual journey set to the music of Duke Ellington, Roy Davis, Jr., and Fela Anikulapo Kuti, originally choreographed for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Brown also has created work for the African American Dance Ensemble, Philadanco, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and Jeune Ballet d'Afrique Noire, among others. Among his many honors are a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in Choreography, a National Endowment for the Arts Choreographer's Fellowship, and a Black Theater Alliance Award. Brown was named Def Dance Jam Workshop Mentor of the Year in 2000 and received the United States Artists Rose Fellowship in 2006—one of only four choreographers out of 50 artists to receive the inaugural award.