the mission
kNonameartist is an artistic community, where unity transcends individuality, and creativity knows no bounds. We are a collective identity, where dancers, choreographers, directors, and artists of all kinds converge in a unified space.
Boundaries dissolve as we come together, driven by the shared purpose of creating art that inspires, challenges, and transcends. The circularity of our creativity allows everyone, including the audience, to be a part of the process.
In our limitless playground of expression, every voice is heard, every movement celebrated, as we weave a tapestry of innovation and beauty. Together, we dance into the unknown, forging a path of boundless possibility and collective brilliance.
our story
kNoname Artist is a Berlin-founded, New York City-based dance company
founded in 2015. At the age of 15, George was told that he would never be a dancer if he didn’t experience a growth spurt. Dance was already a new and unconventional medium for expression outside the Black community, where basketball, football, and baseball were seen as the only acceptable outlets for Black people to express themselves, survive, and find freedom. Coming from a family of smaller stature, this news wounded his passion for dance. However, this rejection sparked a new desire in him. He began to focus his gift not on conforming to what was considered normal but on challenging leaders and directors in their ways of thinking. He wanted his talent to be a catalyst for change, influencing them to shift their narrative to one that recognized that 'different' did not have to mean 'other' but could become the new standard.
As George grew older, he recognized how rigid categories excluded artists, dancers, and individuals, making dance an exclusive practice reserved only for those who met the status quo. Being persistent and finding different outlets that fit his voice, such as moving abroad to pursue dance, he was able to catapult himself into the stratosphere and live his dream due to his determination, a supportive community, and the emotional and artistic knowledge he acquired.
George initially fled to Europe feeling silenced in his own home, both in his grassroots of Houston, TX, and in the larger world, and in 2015, while in Berlin, he first began entertaining the idea of kNoname Artist. After finding his way back to the United States following the pandemic, he landed in New York and sought to combine his experiences and knowledge from home and abroad to inject his voice into a dance world that he had felt dismissed by for so many years.
kNoname Artist strives to use art as a form of protest and healing method to find agency. The title of the company, kNoname Artist, reflects George's desire to create a structure that recognizes the artistry and identity of each individual. There is no single name behind the movement; it’s a collection of ideas where everyone can thrive and be seen, free from rigid hierarchy.
kNoname Artist has performed at festivals such as Festival Quartiers Danses, Suzanne Dellal, Kaatsbaan Cultural Park, Zurich Tanzhaus, Hollins University, New York Live Arts, Harlem Stage, Pavillon Noir| Ballet Prejlocaj, Sophiensæle Festspiele, Pocantico Art Center, Fall for Dance North/NIGHTSHIFT, and Fall for Dance at the New York City Center.
Currently, kNoname Artist has a repertoire of two works: The Missing Fruit and Venom, both developed with the support of YoungArts and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.
the founder
RODERICK GEORGE
ARTISTC DIRECTOR & CHOREOGRAPHER
AWARDS
Recipient of the 2024 inaugural Jacob's Pillow Men Dancers Award
Recipient of the 2024 Princess Grace Award for Choreography
ABOUT
Roderick George was born and raised in Houston, Texas, where he began his studies and classical training at Ben Stevenson’s Houston Ballet Academy. Roderick continued to develop his skill by exploring modern technique at The Alvin Ailey School, all the while developing a collaboration of the techniques at the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts in Houston, TX. After his general studies Roderick left his hometown and assimilated in New York City, where he began his undergraduate studies at SUNY Purchase College in 2003.
HISTORY
Before starting his professional career, he was a bronze winner of the Youth American Grand Prix competition in New York City in 2005 and was elected as a Presidential Scholar of the Arts in 2003, where he performed for the US President at the Kennedy Center. Roderick joined Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in 2005, which was very early on in his career engraving the beginning of his footprints in the dance world. Roderick explored more of New York as he danced with Sidra Bell Dance NY, and the Kevin Wynn Collection, until he decided to move abroad to Switzerland where Roderick joined the Basel Ballet/ Theater Basel in 2007 and later to guest with the Goteborg Operan DansKompani in 2012.
Beginning of February of 2014, Roderick moved on to be be under the direction of William Forsythe with The Forsythe Company in Frankfurt, Germany. His career has embraced the collaborations of his work and other great choreographers such as Marie Chouinard, Peeping Tom, Jorma Elo, Jacopo Godani, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Jiří Kylian, Sharon Eyal, Ohan Naharin, Benoit Swan-Pouffer, Richard Wherlock, and many others.
Along with his talent as a dancer, Roderick also found a passion for choreography since the early years of 2002. At the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the school enhances and coaches the dancers to work with improve studies and composition at a very young age, heightening creativity prior to university. Thus noting other prodigious achievements alongside his selection as Presidential Scholar for the NFAA ARTS competition, Roderick was named Honorable Mention for his first choreography also by the ARTS Association in 2003.
Later he was able to showcase his work at Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, in the DanceLab at Ballett Basel and one of the main choreographers with the Ballett Basel School, and The Suburbia project, with the Goteborg Operan DansKompani. Roderick was selected to be an Emerging Choreographer for Springboard Dans Montreal in the summer of 2013. Roderick was also nominated to be a choreographer and performer at the Emerging Choreographer Series for the Youth American Grand Prix of 2012, where he continues to use prior knowledge and experiences to not only improve his choreographic work but also his talent and development as a contemporary performer.
the values
COLLECTIVE IDENTITY
We believe that art is a reflection of identity, both individual and collective. Through our work, we aim to express the complexities of the human experience, creating performances that resonate with audiences on a deep and personal level.
COLLABORATION
We embrace the spirit of coming together, knowing that the best ideas often emerge through shared exploration. By cultivating an environment of trust and mutual respect, we empower artists to push beyond their limits and create the extraordinary.
INNOVATION
We are a space where experimentation is encouraged and boundaries are meant to be crossed. In this community, there are no limits to the forms that art can take. We seek to challenge conventions and redefine the possibilities of performance.
WORK IN PROGRESS
We understand that art is a journey, not a destination. Our focus is on the process—the continual development and evolution of ideas. We celebrate "work in progress" and value the growth that comes from exploration and iteration.
INCLUSIVITY
Our doors are open to all—dancers, choreographers, directors, composers, visual artists, and more. We cherish the unique voices that each artist brings and believe that every perspective enriches our collective tapestry.
