Ikolo Griffin

Ikolo Griffin, a prodigious talent, hailing from San Francisco, began his dance journey through the San Francisco Ballet School's Dance in Schools Program. His remarkable abilities and unwavering commitment led him to become the first outreach program student to join the San Francisco Ballet company at the tender age of eighteen. That same year, Ikolo's exceptional talent was recognized with the esteemed Princess Grace Award in Dance for Ballet. Following his time with the San Francisco Ballet, Ikolo's career flourished as he went on to perform principal roles with renowned companies such as Dance Theatre of Harlem, Joffrey Ballet, Smuin Ballet, and the San Francisco Opera's Resident Dance Corps.

Throughout his impressive twenty-year performing career, Ikolo collaborated with celebrated choreographers, including Val Caniparoli, James Kudelka, Stanton Welch, Lar Lubovitch, Lila York, Christopher Wheeldon, Mark Morris, and Heigi Tomasson, on numerous world premiere ballets. He also showcased his versatility by performing leading roles in works by legendary choreographers such as Anges DeMille, Lew Christensen, Michael Smuin, Paul Taylor, Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, Anthony Tudor, and Sir Fredrick Ashton.

Currently, Ikolo is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of dancers as a teacher at the Pacific Northwest Ballet School, where he instructs students aged 7 to 19 six days a week. In 2011, he developed the innovative "Just Turns Workshop," which focuses on the art and science of turns, providing students of all ages and dance backgrounds with the tools and fundamentals needed for high-quality, confident turns. The workshop, rooted in classical ballet, has been a resounding success, with over 150 workshops conducted across the United States and around the world.