kNoname Artist | Roderick George
explorations of queerness, blackness, & human rights through dynamic movement from a princess grace award-winning choreographer
kNoname Artist | Roderick George is a dance collective that strives to use art as a form of protest and healing method to find agency. Founded by American choreographer and dancer, Roderick George, the company invests in reflecting the times, both past and current events, and using the culture of origins as a vessel for creative expression.
A 2024 Princess Grace Award recipient, in recent years George has brought his work to global dance centers including Festival Quartiers Danses, Suzanne Dellal, Zurich Tanzhaus, Hollins University, New York Live Arts, Pavilion Noir| Ballet du Prejlocaj, Sophiensæle Festspiele, Pocantico Art Center, Fall for Dance North/ NIGHTSHIFT, and Kaatsbaan Cultural Park. In each of these spaces, George and kNoname Artist have gained international recognition for their unique movement style: a layering and blending multiple forms ranging from classical ballet to breakdance to acrobatics.
George spent his formative years training at Houston Ballet Academy, The Alvin Ailey School, and the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (HSPVA). As a rising dancer, George was a YoungArts Winner and Presidential Scholar of the Arts. He danced for Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Basel Ballet/Theater Basel, GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, and The Forsythe Company. Since beginning his choreographic career, he was nominated in the Emerging Choreographer Series for the 2012 YAGP and was selected as an Emerging Choreographer for Springboard Danse Montréal 2013. George has been commissioned by dance companies and institutions, including Bodytraffic, Los Angeles Contemporary Dance Company, Ballett Basel, Boston Conservatory at Berklee, SUNY Purchase, University of Utah, Canadian Contemporary Dance Theatre, and The Juilliard Summer Intensive.
Under the moniker kNoname Artist, Roderick George has developed multiple evening-length works, including The Grave’s Tears and The Missing Fruit. With a striking voice, these pieces meld dynamic movement, music, and scenic landscapes to explore themes of queerness, blackness, and human rights. In 2024, Roderick George received the inaugural Jacob's Pillow Men Dancers Award.
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George's latest work, The Grave's Tears is inspired by the lasting impact of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic and the present events of the erasure of the LGBTQIA+ community. The Grave's Tears exposes how the queer community faced silencing, isolation, being forced into hiding, and death through fear, media, and ‘God’s reckoning.’ As a queer Black man from Houston, Texas, George recognizes that his existence lies on the backs of these individuals and pays homage to his community in its ability to uplift each other using the underground nightlife as a sanctuary.
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CREDITS
Artistic Director, Choreographer & dancer | Roderick George
Lighting Designer | Tanja Rühl
Costume Design | Roderick George, Lauren Carmen
Rehearsal Director | Daniel Harder, Dominic Santia
Worldwide Representation | Pomegranate Arts
The first iteration of the production was commissioned by Gibney as part of the organization’s DoublePlus program for the 2023-2024 Season, curated by Gibney Center Artistic Director Nigel Campbell and Kyle Abraham.
The Grave’s Tears was developed as part of the Guild Hall William P. Rayner Artist-in-Residence program and the support of New York Live Arts, Williams College and the Schwarzman Center at Yale University and Pomegranate Arts. Additional residency support provided by La Villette - Paris.
The production received support from the National Performance Network Creation & Development Fund.
The Grave’s Tears is commissioned by Le Manège, Scène Nationale - Reims.
Produced by kNoname Artist.
Duration | 50 mins approx
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The Missing Fruit explores how the manifestation of racial and public health violence affects Black Americans and other Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities through an interdisciplinary artistic production rooted in contemporary dance. First conceptualized during the most recent #BLM protests, The Missing Fruit examines the experiences of BIPOC communities, particularly addressing their struggles to combat oppression and death, financial insecurity, and health vulnerabilities while making space for Black joy to thrive.
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CREDITS
Artistic Director, Choreographer & dancer | Roderick George
Original Music | slowdanger
LX Designer and Production Manager | Connor Sale
Costumer Designer | Roderick George
Worldwide Representation | Pomegranate Arts
The Missing Fruit is a YoungArts Artist Fellowship project, supported by the Rockefeller Brothers Fund. The work was developed and previewed during a creative residency at Kaatsbaan Cultural Park in September 2023. Additional residency support provided by New York Live Arts and Guild Hall in September 2025.
Commissioned by New York City Center and Pomegranate Arts.
Produced by kNoname Artist in collaboration with Pomegranate Arts.
Duration | 60 mins approx
Photos courtesy of New York City Center
“QUOTE.”
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