2026 Adjudicators
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Jennifer Archibald
Toronto-born JENNIFER ARCHIBALD is the founder and Artistic Director of the Arch Dance Company and Program Director of ArchCore40 Dance Intensives. Archibald has choreographed for the Ailey II, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West, Grand Rapids Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, among others. She has worked commercially for NIKE, MAC Cosmetics, Tommy Hilfiger, as well as chart-listed artists. She will return to the Crypto Arena to choreograph the opening for KCON's KPOP annual conference.
She was appointed as the first female Resident Choreographer in Cincinnati Ballet’s 40-year history. Jennifer has been commissioned by the National Ballet of Canada, BalletMet, Grand Rapids Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Smuin Contemporary Ballet and the Kennedy Centre’s Pathways to Performance program for the 24/25 season. She will be setting new works for Canada's Pro Arte Danza and San Diego's The Rosin Box Project in 2026. Ms. Archibald was the acting Movement Director for Michael Kahn’s The Oresteia at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Her directorial debut WeAight was named the Official Selection of the 2022 Dance on Camera Festival. She creates a "Documentary Ballet" format, in which she creates works rooted in historical history bringing communities together. Her documentary ballets are theatrical engagements that evolve beyond the stage and rely on historical education as an integral part of the creative process. Her projects in this space include - Breakin’Bricks which honors the community of Black Wall Street produced by Tulsa Ballet; Sounds of the Sun which honors the life of dancer Florence Waren exploring her experience during the holocaust produced by the Pittsburgh Ballet and Seven, a biographical work about Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee commissioned by MADCO Dance Company.
She was awarded a Choreographic Fellow for Ailey’s New Directions Choreography Lab under the direction of Robert Battle and is a Joffrey Ballet Winning Works Choreographic Competition recipient. Her commissioned work "DIRT " was presented at TED TALK by St. Louis-based MADCO Dance Company. She is currently an Acting Lecturer at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University and appointed as dance faculty for the University of South Florida. She is a returning guest choreographer for the School at Jacob's Pillow. www.Jennniferarchibald.com @jarchdance
Susan Stowe
Known for her vibrant performance quality and clean balletic lines, Ms. Stowe’s 15-year professional career began with the Milwaukee Ballet Company under the direction of former American Ballet Theatre principal dancer, Ted Kivitt. Ms. Stowe’s performance career also included Burklyn Ballet Theatre, BalletMet, Ballet Austin, and Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. Under the artistic direction of former New York City Ballet leading ballerina, Patricia Wilde, Ms. Stowe performed many of George Balanchine’s masterworks, including: Allegro Brillante, Ballet Imperial, Concerto Barocco, La Sonnambula, Raymonda Variations, Serenade, Square Dance, Theme and Variations, Western Symphony, and Who Cares? Among her most notable performances in other ballets were leading roles in Choo San Goh’s Unknown Territory, The Nutcracker, Paquita, Sir Frederick Ashton’s Les Patineurs, and Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s Elite Syncopations.
In August of 1995, Ms. Stowe joined the dance faculty of Point Park College (now University). She served as a master teacher for the West Virginia Governor’s School for the Arts from 1995-1998 and was subsequently appointed artistic director of Point Park’s International Summer Dance program in 1998. Ms. Stowe served as chair of the Department of Dance and Associate Artistic Director of the Conservatory Dance Company from 2004-2014, leading the planning and construction of Point Park’s renowned George Rowland White Performance Center and accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Dance. In September of 2012, Ms. Stowe was promoted to the rank of professor in the Department of Dance where she continues to teach ballet technique, pointe and variations, dance composition, and ballet repertoire, in addition to staging and rehearsing repertoire for the Conservatory Dance Company. Ms. Stowe returned to the chair position in the fall of 2022.
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Marc Spaulding
Marc is a choreographer, educator, and dance artist whose passion, integrity and professionalism characterize his works. Mr. Spaulding began his formal dance training at the prestigious Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC under the direction of Lynn Welters. He later earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Ballet Performance from the University of the Arts and completed his Master of Fine Arts Degree at University of California, Irvine. With more than 20 years of professional dance experience, Marc has had a very diverse career. His noteworthy concert and theatrical performance credits include: Dreamgirls 1st National Tour, Equus- Broadway Revival, PHILADANCO (The Philadelphia Dance Company), Westside Story International Tour, Donald Byrd/The Group, Broadway’s: Gypsy of the Year Competition, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Memphis (Musical Theatre West), Eleone Dance Theatre, Raven-Symone (Undeniable Tour), and Endless Shock (Japanese Musical Series Tour). His Television and Film credits include: Nissan National Commercial, Euphoria, Brooklyn NineNine, Timeless, Hairspray (New Line Cinema), Dancing with the Stars, NBC: Today Show, Apple Inc- California Soul, Saturday Night Live, 81st Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, VH-1: Behind the Music, Good Morning Atlanta Fox 5, and MTV Asia. Mr. Spaulding’s choreographic works have been presented at numerous concerts, festivals, and universities including: The International Conference and Festival of Blacks in Dance, Point Park University, Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, Nabla Festival NYC: In the Liminal Space, Radford University, Danco on Danco- Philadanco first company showcase, Wayne State University, University of California, Irvine, Eleone Dance Theatre, AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts, and the Jikei College: Fukuoka School of Music and Dance. Mr. Spaulding is enthusiastic about sharing his wisdom with the next generation of dance artists. Marc is currently an Assistant Professor of Modern Dance at Point Park University. He has also served as dance faculty at: Orange County School of the Arts, Millennium Dance Complex- Los Angeles, and AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts. As a guest teaching artist, Marc has worked with: The International Association of Blacks in Dance, University of the Arts, The Jikei Group of Colleges in Japan, Duke Ellington School of the Arts, Collage Dance Collective, The Rock School for Dance Education, Long Island University, and Dance Masters of America.
Raymond Rodriguez
Raymond Rodriguez is the Dean of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School. He began his dance training at age 6, attended the High School of Performing Arts in Manhattan, and later studied classical ballet at the American Ballet Theatre (ABT) School on a full scholarship. Rodriguez later joined ABT as an apprentice before moving to Cleveland Ballet (Ballet San Jose), where he rose to the rank of principal dancer. During his tenure with Cleveland Ballet/Ballet San Jose, Rodriguez also assumed numerous leadership and artistic roles, including rehearsal assistant, repetiteur, regisseur, principal ballet master, associate artistic director, and managing director. In 2016, he relocated to Chicago to join The Joffrey Ballet as Head of the Studio Company and Ballet Trainee Program. He was promoted to Academy Director in 2019. Under Rodriguez's leadership, the Joffrey Academy of Dance achieved significant milestones, including the expansion into new studio facilities in Chicago's South Loop, the creation of a Contemporary Ballet Trainee Program, and the launch of Rita Finds Home, a new family-friendly ballet. He also spearheaded the formation of the BIPOC Academy Committee, fostering greater support and advocacy for students of color and their families. During his tenure, numerous Academy students were promoted to The Joffrey Ballet Company, while others joined professional ballet companies worldwide. As a principal dancer, Rodriguez performed a wide range of classical and contemporary roles and has successfully staged ballet productions internationally. He has appeared in film and television and currently serves as a judge and Master Teacher for Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) and the Universal Ballet Competition (UBC), among others. He is a member of the advisory board of Pointe Magazine and previously served as co-chair of Dance/USA's School Directors Affinity Group. Rodriguez is an ABT Certified Teacher and an international guest instructor. He earned an MFA in Dance from Hollins University in 2018. His honors include an Isadora Duncan Award (Izzie), recognition as a Crain's Chicago Business Notable LGBTQ Executive, and the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture's Outstanding Achievement in the Arts Award. Raymond Rodriguez's career is a testament to his passion for dance and his enduring impact on the ballet community.