Cheri L. Stokes, born and raised in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, received her MFA in Choreography and Performance from Florida State University (2017) and a BA in Dance Studies with a K-12 Dance Teaching Licensure from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2005). Cheri’s expertise includes over ten years of dance education and arts administration. She has been a guest teaching artist at various institutions including The Florida State University, Austin Peay State University, Elon University, Western Kentucky University, University of Tampa, Bard College, and The University At Buffalo. She is the recipient of the Stephen Petronio Retreat and Restore dance residency (spring 2021), Brooklyn Arts Exchange Space Grant Residency (2023), Brooklyn Arts Exchange Artist in Residence (2024/2025), Hi-Arts Critical Breaks Artist in Residence (spring 2024), and the New York State Council on the Arts Support for Artists Grant (2024).