Rennie Harris

Rennie Harris is a renowned choreographer known for his groundbreaking work in bringing social dances to the concert stage. He is credited with coining the term “Street Dance Theater” and has been instrumental in setting works on ballet-based companies including Ballet Memphis, Colorado Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AADT).

Harris’ achievements include being the first street dancer commissioned to create an evening-length work for AADT and to serve as a resident artist at the company’s school for dance. He has been recognized with numerous awards and honors, including five “Bessie” Awards, five Black Theater Alvin Ailey Awards, the Herb Alpert Award, and a Lawrence Olivier Award nomination. And he was voted one of the most influential people in the last 100 years in Philadelphia.

Harris has received Guggenheim, PEW, and USA Artist of the Year fellowships. He has been honored with lifetime achievement awards by Dance Magazine and Palm Desert Dance Festival. He’s received honorary doctorate degrees from Bates College and Columbia College Chicago. Additionally, he has served as a cultural ambassador for the U.S. Embassy Tour and was invited to the White House by the Clinton administration to recognize African American artists making a difference in the world, and he has performed for the Queen of England and the princesses of Monaco. He was chosen as one of four hip-hop cultural ambassadors for President Obama’s Dance Motion USA, and he has toured various countries including Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Japan, China, Gambia, and Kazakhstan, among others. His awards include the Doris Duke Artist Award, the Andrew W. Mellon Grant for Building a Legacy of Street Dance, the Hermitage Greenfield Award, and the Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award. He is widely recognized as a leading ambassador and influential figure in the world of hip-hop.