Johnnie Cruise Mercer 

Artist in Residence (2019 – 2021)

Website

Johnnie Cruise Mercer (he/him) is a queer-black think-maker, freelance-performer, educator and social entrepreneur based in New York City. A native of Richmond, VA, Mercer holds a BFA in Dance and Choreography from Virginia Commonwealth University.

As the Company Director of Johnnie Cruise Mercer/TheREDprojectNYC, hisprocesses/work has been shared and/or hosted by 92Y Harkness Dance Center, Gibney: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center, Dixon Place, Danspace Project Inc, The Fusebox Festival, Mana Contemporary, The NADA Conference, Abrons Arts Center, and most recently at The Clarice Performing Arts Center’s The BlackLight Summit.

As an educator, Mr. Mercer facilitates within the New York Public School system through The Leadership Program- a mentorship-based organization that uses art to foster/engage restorative justice, and motivate the true empowerment of self.Mercer has also been on teaching faculty/a guest artist at The American DanceFestival, Bates Dance Festival, PRATT Institute, NYU Tisch Dance Program, Gibney, University of Massachusetts Amherst, DeSales University, Muhlenberg College, and the University of Texas at Austin, University of Maryland, and The Dance Institute of Washington.

Johnnie is currently a 2020-2021 Artist in Residence at Brooklyn Arts Exchange, and New Dance Alliance (through their Black Artists Space to Create Residency curated by Angie Pittman). Follow him (and his company) on instagram to find out more about his current projects, and works.

@jcruisem / @jcm_redprojectnyc