Willie Hinton
Willie Hinton, a native of New York, began dancing at the age of 16 at Enloe Gifted & Talented Magnet High School in Raleigh, NC. He was also a scholarship student at the American Dance Festival in Durham, NC. Upon graduating Willie attended the University of the North Carolina School of the Arts where he received his BFA in Dance. Willie has toured nationally as well as internationally with The Rebecca Kelly Dance Company (NY), Jubilations Dance Company (NY), The Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco), and Dance Kaleidoscope (IN). He was also a guest dancer with Chuck Davis's African American Dance Ensemble (NC), Binghamton's New York's TriCity opera company where he was the featured dancer in their production of Samson & Delilah.
In addition to his performance career, Willie's love of teaching allowed him to teach across the US, and abroad at several colleges and universities. He was also the elementary choreographer for "Evening of Entertainment," Durham, North Carolina's annual scholarship fundraising event for high school seniors, where he worked with over two elementary students. He also taught, and choreographed on the North Carolina State Panoramic Dance Project.
Willie's passion to inspire, and motivate young people allowed him to be on staff at the School of the Richmond Ballet where he taught jazz, and modern to all the levels within the school. He also was a mentor/teacher to the trainee’s and apprentices of Richmond Ballets professional company. He was also a teaching artist for their outreach program "Minds in Motion" an affiliate of the National Dance Institute founded by world-famous dancer Jacques de'Amboise. Philadelphia's "Freedom Theater" where he choreographed and performed, and SPARC (School of the performing arts in the Richmond community).
In addition to his teaching involvement with "SPARC" he also choreographed and performed in their "Live Art" concert with several of Virginia’s leading musicians and composers. He also choreographed Chicago, Smokey Joe's Café, and Ragtime for their summer stock showcases. The University of Richmond commissioned Hinton to choreograph their fall production, RENT.
Willie has also taught at Richmond Ballet's summer intensive, Virginia Commonwealth University's summer intensive, Carolina Ballet's summer intensive, and The School of Dance Arts summer intensive. Hinton is also trained in the National Dance Institute (NDI-NM) method of teaching children, founded by world-famous dancer Jacques d'Amboise. Willie's international teaching has taken him to Bolivia, South America, where he was in charge of the jazz/modern department at The Estudio de Capezio. He was also a guest teacher at the University of Bolivia, and the American High School.
Among many of Willie's accomplishments, he was nominated and won the "Artsy" award for "best choreography" in the Richmond community given by Richmond’s VA Theater Critic's Choice members for his choreography for the African American Repertory Theater's Black Nativity. It was also awarded a citation from Christopher Newport University for being an outstanding educator. The American Dance Festival in Durham, North Carolina awarded him the 2013 Dance Professional Workshop scholarship.
Presently, Hinton is the Artistic Director of North Carolina Arts in Action, an affiliate of the National Dance Institute.