2026 Adjudicators

Toronto-born JENNIFER ARCHIBALD is the founder and Artistic Director of the Arch Dance Company and Program Director of ArchCore40 Dance Intensives. Archibald has choreographed for the Ailey II, Atlanta Ballet, Ballet West, Grand Rapids Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, Oregon Ballet Theatre, Pittsburgh Ballet, Sacramento Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, among others. She has worked commercially for NIKE, MAC Cosmetics, Tommy Hilfiger, as well as chart-listed artists. She will return to the Crypto Arena to choreograph the opening for KCON's KPOP annual conference. 

She was appointed as the first female Resident Choreographer in Cincinnati Ballet’s 40-year history. Jennifer has been commissioned by the National Ballet of Canada, BalletMet, Grand Rapids Ballet, The Washington Ballet, Smuin Contemporary Ballet and the Kennedy Centre’s Pathways to Performance program for the 24/25 season. She will be setting new works for Canada's Pro Arte Danza and San Diego's The Rosin Box Project in 2026. Ms. Archibald was the acting Movement Director for Michael Kahn’s The Oresteia at the Shakespeare Theatre Company. Her directorial debut WeAight was named the Official Selection of the 2022 Dance on Camera Festival.  She creates a "Documentary Ballet" format, in which she creates works rooted in historical history bringing communities together. Her documentary ballets are theatrical engagements that evolve beyond the stage and rely on historical education as an integral part of the creative process.  Her projects in this space include - Breakin’Bricks which honors the community of Black Wall Street produced by Tulsa Ballet; Sounds of the Sun which honors the life of dancer Florence Waren exploring her experience during the holocaust produced by the Pittsburgh Ballet and Seven, a biographical work about Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee commissioned by MADCO Dance Company.

She was awarded a Choreographic Fellow for Ailey’s New Directions Choreography Lab under the direction of Robert Battle and is a Joffrey Ballet Winning Works Choreographic Competition recipient. Her commissioned work "DIRT " was presented at TED TALK by St. Louis-based MADCO Dance Company. She is currently an Acting Lecturer at the David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University and appointed as dance faculty for the University of South Florida. She is a returning guest choreographer for the School at Jacob's Pillow. www.Jennniferarchibald.com    @jarchdance