Shirley Jenkins

Shirley Jenkins received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Utah, majoring in Modern Dance with an emphasis in Performance, Choreography and Teaching. Immediately following her graduation in 1975 she was asked to be a founding member of the celebrated Bill Evans Dance Company. She toured nationally with BEDCo as a principal dancer and partner with Bill Evans an average of 42 weeks a year through the Dance Touring Program via the National Endowment for the Arts. This extensive touring took her to the Kennedy Center, NYC, Spoleto Festival in Charleston, Arco Sante, Chicago, San Francisco, LA, Boston, Baltimore, Phoenix, Las Vegas, San Diego, Bloomington, Ames, Portland, Minneapolis, Anchorage, and many and rural communities throughout the entire US, including Alaska and Hawaii. Jenkins eventually formed her own company, Strong Wind Wild Horses, and her choreography collaborated with many musicians, including Denny Goodhew, James Knapp, Scott Cossu, Michael Cava, Steve Kim, Tom Bergersen, Fred West, the Kinetics and many others. Ms. Jenkins also founded a nonprofit organization, Dance On Capitol Hill, for the Seattle community. As Artistic Director, she developed dance education programs for the novice to the professional, a performance venue featuring local and international choreographers and a home for her dance company. Ms. Jenkins also established out-reach programs by producing summer dance camps for homeless children. Shirley was an Artist-In-Residence at scores of universities and dance communities throughout the U.S., as well as internationally. Her choreographic/teaching/performing residencies included the University of Washington, Cornish College of the Arts, American Dance Festival, Bill Evans Summer Institutes of Dance, Penn State, University of Alabama, Middlebury College, Tennessee Arts Council, Columbia College, Kentucky Out-Reach Programs and international festivals in Bonn, Germany and Taipei, Taiwan. During her career as primarily a ‘classical modern’ dancer, Ms. Jenkins performed and continued to hone her tap skills. Performing solos of Brenda Bufalino and many duets by and with Bill Evans. Ms. Jenkins continues to choreograph for soloists & companies & teaches a Modern & Rhythm Tap Class for the Seattle community and is a well-respected Pilates Instructor specializing in athletic injury. Also, Ms Jenkins is on the Adjunct Faculty at Cornish College of the Arts.