Martell Ruffin

Martell Ruffin (Chicago, Illinois) began his formal dance training at the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago in 2009. He attended Chicago High School for the Arts under Lisa Johnson-Willingham, former Ailey dancer and current director of the Ailey Extension, who served as director at the time. Ruffin has been awarded dance scholarship to intensives at Joffrey Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Complexions, and received first place in the all-city NAACP ACT-SO Competition 2011. Ruffin trained at The Ailey School as a scholarship student and has performed works by Alvin Ailey, Robert Battle, Matthew Rushing, Lisa Johnson-Willingham, Earl Mosley, George Faison, Darrell Grand Moultrie, and Jae Man Joo. Martell can also been seen in the “Poison Girl” Christian Dior commercial for women’s fragrance and the Urban Outfitters commercial for music artist Samantha Urbani. Martell has completed his two years with Ailey II and currently is a freelance dancer around the world.