Meet Ron’Dale Simpson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ron’Dale Simpson. 

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
A native of Saginaw, Michigan, I discovered my passion for dance early. I danced in youth dance groups and competed in local talent shows. My breakout moment was being little Michael Jackson as a tribute in my 6th-grade ice cream social blast from the past event. At the moment, I never thought I would have a life as a performer. I attended Central State University, where I participated in several extracurricular activities and clubs. I was a member of the university marching band, wherein my last year was the Drum major. I’m a member of Mu Phi Epsilon international professional music fraternity inc. And also the national president of Nu Rho Sigma Fine Arts fraternity inc. I enjoy a career as a performer and educator in hip hop, afro-fusion, modern, and other dance styles. I am the Founder and artistic director of Blakk Jakk Dance Collective. BJDC was created to allow dancers of color the opportunity to improve their skills, perform and build a network of emerging and professional dancers, as well as create works of artistic excellence and broaden the appreciation of dance in our community. I’ve done projects with the Karamu house theater, Rainey Institute, Cleveland’s Playhouse, CMSD schools, and freelance work in the community. One of my life goals is to own and operate a performing arts school and company geared towards community youth and local artists.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No, life has been anything but smooth, but it has made me the man and leader I am today. I come from a very traumatic and challenging background, so I’ve always had to hustle to survive. I am proud of my growth thus far. Having to support myself forced me to put off my dreams on hold but I was always able to dance in some capacity. The quarantine gave me the opportunity to finally focus only on dance and from there life has been a continuous improvement.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My mission is to own and operate a performing arts school and company geared towards community youth and local artists. I have always had a passion for the arts, but dance was my gift. So, I founded my own community project-based dance company named Blakk Jakk Dance Collective. BJDC allows BIPOC dancers of all levels to grow and perform and build a thriving network and positive community. Blakk Jakk Dance Collective’s vision is to preserve, transform, and unify our communities with the arts, focusing on dance in the African diaspora. To be rooted in the advancement of cultural awareness, social mindfulness, and self-empowerment. We hope to protect our culture, challenge social norms, and validate our experiences by extending, exploring, and investigating the black narrative through dance. 

Methods 

I create performances with a conceptual approach and a wide scale of subjects in a multi-layered way. By questioning the concept of movement, I cover various overlapping themes and strategies. Several recurring subject matters can be recognized, such as the relation between popular culture and media, working with repetition, and investigating the process of expectations. My work often refers to pop and mass culture. Using popular themes such as sexuality, family structure, and social justice, I discover that movement reveals an inherent awkwardness, a humor that echoes our vulnerabilities. My work directly responds to the surrounding environment and uses the artist’s everyday experiences as a starting point. Often, these framed instances would go unnoticed in their original context. 

How do you define success?
I define success as the ability to affect positive change, to leave your environment in a better condition than it was in order for the next generation to succeed. 

Contact Info:

• Email: Jakkz89@gmail.com
• Website: https://www.blakkjakkdanceco.org/
• Instagram: @urbansynthesis1031
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rondale.simpson/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQOFUnZmk_K9dYMfhtuOjPg