The Vivid, Vibrant Dance Career of USF Dance Professor John Parks - Creative Pinellas

Dancer and educator John Parks worked with Alvin Ailey’s company, was in the original cast of The Wiz on Broadway and performed, taught and lectured across the country and in Europe, Africa and China. He’s now a professor at the University of South Florida School of Theatre and Dance, and works with veterans to create performances hosted by the Straz.

In a potent conversation ranging through his fascinating history, John talks with Barbara St. Clair about his experiences touring the South with the Jose Limón Company during segregation,  the creative revolution of the 1960s and his own response with Movements Black Dance Repertory Theatre, how the early AIDS epidemic changed the Broadway we see today – and how he helped the undervalued dancers in the movie version of The Wiz go on strike for equal pay and credit. . .  and win.

View the full article on Creative Pinellas.