Jodie Randolph
I have two things going on: I am a freelance artist, and I have my own company. As a freelance artist, my income is gone. All my shows were cancelled, and impacted my income. For the company, we are operating off of our reserves. I think we can make it for the next couple of months, but if we have to shut down fundraising events in the future, that will be very hard. The fundraising piece is the hard part. I reached out to professional companies in Michigan and started a fund for all the professional companies on Facebook. Dancers who are not on payroll are suffering. There are no performances or classes, and there is no money coming in unless it’s from an online fundraiser.
I hope so. I’ve talked to my friends, students, and employees, and for the most part it seems that there is a positive outlook—that this has changed and shifted peoples focus inward. We are asking ourselves: what do I want to do with my life? [The pandemic] has reminded us that we are all connected. Most of us are going through a similar experience, and the whole world is dealing with this. There is a real sense of unity in that. There is potential for people to come out of this more socially conscious.
Jodie Randolph is a choreographer and dance educator based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She is a graduate of Jacksonville University where she received her MFA in Choreography. Jodie has studied under many notable artists including Frank Chavez (River North Dance Chicago,) Pilobolus, Alonzo King (LINES Ballet), and Marianela Boan (National Contemporary Dance Company of the Dominican Republic). Jodie served as an adjunct lecturer of dance at Eastern Michigan University and teaches master classes throughout the country. She has taught for many companies, colleges, conventions, and festivals including Platinum Dance Experience, Versatile Dance Company, Michigan Dance Project, Detroit Dance City Festival, Brighton Dance Festival, Wayne State University, and Escuela Nacionale de Danza (Santo Domingo). Her students have gone on to study at The Juilliard School, Marymount of Manhattan, Indiana University, Point Park University, University of Michigan, Western Michigan University, and Eastern Michigan University. Her students cane be seen working on Broadway, Sleep No More, and in notable companies like Batsheva Dance Company and The New York City Ballet.