Studio Stories: NEW BREED series with Ruby Josephine Smith - Season 15, Episode 166

Ruby Josephine Smith is a contemporary dance artist, choreographer, and founder of new company Ruby Josephine Dance Theater (RJDT). She is passionate about movement as a form of emotional expression, story-telling, and language. This passion was molded from having two artist parents, getting involved in both theater  and contemporary dance in her early years, and by her unconventional dance training, traveling around the world from the age of 20 to learn from a variety of artists at intensives and residencies. In 2014 she landed in Tangier, Morocco which became her home for the next 7 years, working with contemporary dance as an emerging art form in the city.  

In Tangier, Ruby’s choreography was commissioned and sponsored by the US Embassy of Morocco,  l’Institut Français, the American Language Center Network, and the American Legation. She also had opportunities to perform and work with international artists at festivals around Europe. 

Ruby returned to her hometown of Minneapolis, MN in 2020 and has since choreographed works for Collab Arts, Zenon Zone, Threads Dance Project, and more recently two full-length productions under her company’s umbrella. She performs with Analog Dance Works and has appeared in work by Jennifer Mack and Jagged Moves. 

Ruby has been a teaching artist for over 10 years and currently teaches regular contemporary classes at Hothouse and WestMet Classical Training. She also offers artist residencies and dance program consultation to the American International School Network where she has taught in France, India and Vietnam. 

Throughout all of this work, Ruby believes strongly in the power of dance to tell stories, explore personal processes, and form strong human connections.