John Parks

John Parks, a native of New York City, began his dance studies at age five. His formal dance studies were at the Mary Bruce Dance School, Syvilla Fort Dance Studio, High School of Performing Arts, Juilliard, Jacob’s Pillow Teachers Workshop, New Dance Group, Clark Center, Martha Graham School, and others.

He trained and performed in the companies of Alvin Ailey, Talley Beatty, David Wood, Norman Walker, Joan Peters, José Limón, Donald McKayle, Anna Sokolow, Pearl Primus, Percival Borde, Mary Anthony, Eleo Pomare, Ruth Currier, Rod Rodgers, Sun Ock Lee, Louis Johnson, Martha Clarke, Baralunda Olatunji, Nina Popova, Joan Miller, June Dunbar, Chuck Davis, Lucas Hoving, Alfredo Corvino, Billie Kirpitch, Norman Walker, and others.

Parks’ film, television, and Broadway credits include Rage in Harlem, Rosewood, Malcolm X, The Wiz, Bill Cosby Christmas Special (featuring members of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater), and The Strolling '20s with Langston Hughes, Sidney Portier, Harry Belafonte, and Duke Ellington. On Broadway he also served as assistant to the choreographer and dance captain for the Tony Award-winning play The Wiz.

Before joining Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Parks formed his own company, Movements Black Dance Repertory Theatre, whose works focused mainly on the systemic and endemic racism of Black people that was and is so prevalent throughout the world.

He has performed, taught and lectured throughout the United States, Europe, Africa, and China. Parks has been teaching at the University of South Florida for the past 30 years. He established The Parks Institute, dedicated to promoting dance as a healing modality. The Institute works with The Peabody Institute, Valencia College, The Arts Legacy, TapRoot Cultural Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and International Arts + Mind Lab of the Brain Science Institute.