Dedrick Gray
Spring 2026 Space Grant Resident Artist
Dedrick “D. Banks” Gray (he/him), is a dance artist, educator, and emerging creative producer. He is from Chicago, Illinois, where his creative roots first took shape and where he discovered his passion for choreography and movement. His earliest training came from his family, community, and church, environments that nurtured his interest in creating movement and performance.
After high school, he pursued his education at Columbia College Chicago and received his BA in Marketing Communications and Dance in 2015. Following graduation, he immersed himself in the Chicago dance community, working with numerous companies and deepening his commitment to dance and arts education. His advocacy led him to Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, where he served as the Education Community Programs Coordinator, a faculty member for youth programs, and a Hip Hop teaching artist. He furthered his professional training at Jacob’s Pillow as a scholarship recipient in the professional program in 2015 and 2016. Dedrick also nurtured his artistic voice serving in ministry as a devoted member and Co-lead with Yielded Vessel Dance Ministry at New Life Covenant Southeast.
He later earned his Master of Fine Arts at Florida State University in 2022, where he expanded his artistic research and choreographic focus on Black Linguistics and its social and cultural practices, where began his work on dance mixtapes. During his time there, he contributed to community building within the program and collaborated with faculty and peers to create DEI initiatives and workshops. He also served as the interim residency coordinator & graduate assistant at the Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC).
D. Banks recently served as a guest teaching artist at Bard College, initially through Gibney Dance, and continued as a guest professor in dance, teaching Hip Hop and repertory courses.
Since relocating to Brooklyn, New York in 2022, D. Banks has become an active member of the dance community. He has apprenticed with Camille A. Brown and Dancers and worked as a Production Assistant on special projects with Jawole Willa Jo Zollar and Urban Bush Women in 2023. These experiences have supported his expanding presence in the production field. He is now focused on his growing career as a choreographer, dance practitioner, collaborator, and producer as he develops his work toward a future as a Creative Director.
Dedrick’s performance credits include collaborations with artists and organizations such as Gwen Welliver, Ron K. Brown, Allison Janae Hamilton, Onye Ozuzu, Darrell Jones, Diane McIntyre, J’Sun Howard, Nick Cave, Camille A. Brown, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, BET Network, BraveSoul Movement, Muntu Dance Theatre of Chicago, Red Clay Dance Company, Bernard Brown and BB Moves, Chicago Lyric Opera, and the Metropolitan Opera.
Photo by Oliver Medus