Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre is lucky to have creative and talented teaching artists bringing site-specific dance to students around Los Angeles. Deidra “Krucial” Cooper-Jenkins is one of those teaching artists.
When she was very young, Deidre, an LA native, began dancing at Universal Dance Design with Paul and Arlene Kennedy. As a high school student, Deidra served as head choreographer for her school’s dance team. She continued pursuing her ‘dancerly’ ambitions in college at Johnson C. Smith University (in Charlotte, NC) where she was chief choreographer for Unparalleled Productions and choreographer for Eclypse Dance Troupe.
After college, Deidre returned home to LA where she’s both working on a master’s degree at USC and dancing in the area. A talented krumper, Deidra is a member of Demolition Crew. She performs at schools, women’s prisons and boot camps. Additionally, Deidra has performed in two Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre performances: Chinatown Blues and Brush Up.
As a teaching artist with our Duck Truck Residency Program (DTRP), Deidra provokes imagination in her students through original movement, and inspires collaboration and team building, helping students of all ages develop their communication skills.
In addition to a unique set of dance skills, Deidre brings infectious energy and enthusiasm to the Duck Truck Residency Program. We’re grateful to have her as part of our team, providing a great dance role model for her students!
Interested in learning more about Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre’s Duck Ed programs? Last week we delved into the core values that underlie the curriculum, and we introduced you to teaching artists Mercedes Ibarra and Shantel Urena!
