Renee Danielle Smith

Renee Danielle Smith Dance's mission is to create meaningful work authentically representing the human experience through the medium of dance. RDSD focuses on creating collaborative and adaptable works in interactive spaces to engage audiences throughout the community with an athletic, fiery, and gestural contemporary dance style. Renee Danielle Smith is a Columbus based free lance solo artist. Originally from Hilliard, Ohio Renee trained at Columbus DanceArts Academy and Dublin Dance Centre under the direction of Artistic Director Robin Smith in Ballet, Pointe, Tap, Jazz, Modern, Lyrical and Hip Hop. After high school she attended Point Park University where she graduated with a BFA in Dance with a jazz concentration in 2008. While at PPU Renee trained with Kiesha Lalama, Jason McDole, Doug Benz, Judith Leifer, Ron Tassone and Susan Stowe. She performed in several faculty and guest artist works including Heidi Latsky, Whitney Moncrief, Kiki Lucas, Karen Prunczik and Brenda Bufalino. Renee spent summers training in Chicago on scholarship at Lou Conte Dance Studio as well as attending the RiverNorth Dance Chicago's summer intensive. In 2008 Renee received her first professional dance job as the lead dancer in Latshaw Production's Swing City Orchestra where she performed in multiple productions touring the area of New England. She danced with several Pittsburgh based companies from 2009-2015 including Staycee Pearl Dance Project, Attack Theatre, Shana Simmons Dance, Continuum Dance Theater, and the Pittsburgh Opera. In 2011 Renee Co-Founded the project based company Murphy/Smith Dance Project alongside Jamie Erin Murphy after receiving a joint residency at the Kelly-Strayhorn Theater for upcoming choreographers. They went on to have many successful seasons and performed at a variety of festivals and venues in Pittsburgh including: SWAN Day Pittsburgh (New Hazlett Theater), Pittsburgh Fringe Festival, newMoves Contemporary Dance Festival (Kelly-Strayhorn Theater), Relative Positions (The Union Project) and many more! They also traveled to Brooklyn, NY to perform an excerpt of their 2011 work "Much More Than Bones" at the Dumbo Dance Festival. Renee was nominated for the Carol R Brown Achievement in the Arts Award alongside Jamie Erin Murphy in 2014 as a Choreographic Duo. While in Pittsburgh Renee instructed Jazz class for the Grad Students at Pittsburgh Ballet Theater for 6 years. She was also the Co-Artistic Director of DanceExplosion Arts Center. Upon returning to Columbus, Renee joined the staff of her home studio Columbus DanceArts Academy where she is currently the Co-Artistic Director. Renee is currently working on a solo project and is excited to return to the world of dance performance.