Derick McKoy, Jr.
Derick McKoy, Jr. (he/him), originally from Miami, Florida, is an award-winning choreographer, Fulbright Scholar, educator, arts administrator, and cultural leader whose work explores identity, belonging, memory, and human connection through contemporary dance. As the Founding Artistic Director & CEO of McKoy Dance Project (MDP), he leads the organization’s artistic vision while creating opportunities that empower artists, connect communities, and celebrate underrepresented voices through performance, education, artist development, and cultural exchange.
A Fulbright Scholar and Glorya Kaufman Scholar, McKoy earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from the Ailey/Fordham BFA Program and holds a Master of Arts in Performing Arts Administration from NYU Steinhardt. His choreography has been commissioned and presented by the Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet, Harlem Stage, NJPAC, Battery Dance Festival, Ailey Citigroup Theater, the Martha Graham Center of Contemporary Dance, the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Ades Performance Space, and Youth America Grand Prix. In 2025, he was selected as one of four recipients of Harlem Stage’s prestigious WATERWORKS Commissioning Fellowship.
As a performer, McKoy has toured nationally and internationally with Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Nimbus Dance, and Jeremy McQueen’s Emmy Award-winning Black Iris Project, performing works by Alvin Ailey, Crystal Pite, Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Matthew Rushing, Alejandro Cerrudo, Marco Goecke, and many others.
As a Fulbright Scholar pursuing an MFA in Choreography at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance in London, McKoy is expanding MDP’s international presence through new artistic partnerships, educational initiatives, and the development of The McKoy Foundation for Contemporary Dance & Culture. His vision is to build lasting pathways for artistic excellence, mentorship, and cultural exchange that strengthen the contemporary dance landscape across the United States and the United Kingdom.
Fun Facts:
- Favorite Color? Orange!
- If you know me, you know I am obsessed with gummy bears. I’m a gummy bear connoisseur.
- I learn languages very quickly. Currently, I hope to become fully fluent in Spanish, and studying Mandarin Chinese.
Every time we let a moment pass us without action or discovery, we prevent ourselves from becoming who we are meant to be.
Derick McKoy, Jr.
Header image: Founding AD and CEO Derick McKoy, Jr. Photo by Nir Arieli. Top Left: Founding AD and CEO Derick McKoy, Jr Top Center: Headshot of Founding AD and CEO Derick McKoy, Jr. Photo by Nir Arieli. Top Right: Founding AD and CEO Derick McKoy, Jr in T A B E R N A C L E by Chanel DaSilva. Photo by Micah Isaiah. Bottom Left: Founding AD and CEO Derick McKoy, Jr. Photo by Megan Maloy. Bottom Right: Founding AD and CEO Derick McKoy, Jr. in Instinct 11/1 by Francesca Harper. Photo by Micah Isaiah.