Studio Stories: NEW BREED series with Ruby Josephine Smith - Season 15, Episode 166

Ruby Josephine Smith is a contemporary dance artist,
choreographer, and founder of new company Ruby Josephine Dance
Theater (RJDT). She is passionate about movement as a form of
emotional expression, story-telling, and language. This passion
was molded from having two artist parents, getting involved in
both theater  and contemporary dance in her early years, and
by her unconventional dance training, traveling around the world
from the age of 20 to learn from a variety of artists at
intensives and residencies. In 2014 she landed in Tangier,
Morocco which became her home for the next 7 years, working with
contemporary dance as an emerging art form in the city.  


In Tangier, Ruby’s choreography was commissioned and sponsored by
the US Embassy of Morocco,  l’Institut Français, the
American Language Center Network, and the American Legation. She
also had opportunities to perform and work with international
artists at festivals around Europe. 


Ruby returned to her hometown of Minneapolis, MN in 2020 and has
since choreographed works for Collab Arts, Zenon Zone, Threads
Dance Project, and more recently two full-length productions
under her company’s umbrella. She performs with Analog Dance
Works and has appeared in work by Jennifer Mack and Jagged
Moves. 


Ruby has been a teaching artist for over 10 years and currently
teaches regular contemporary classes at Hothouse and WestMet
Classical Training. She also offers artist residencies and dance
program consultation to the American International School Network
where she has taught in France, India and Vietnam. 


Throughout all of this work, Ruby believes strongly in the power
of dance to tell stories, explore personal processes, and form
strong human connections.