The National Center for Choreography-Akron (NCCAkron) has announced choreographers Alice Sheppard (New York, NY/Los Altos, CA) and Laurel Lawson (Atlanta, GA) of disability arts company Kinetic Light as the latest recipients of the $50,000 Knight Choreography Prize.
Made possible by Knight Foundation, this award is designed to support the artistic experimentation and career longevity of choreographers in the United States. Each year the award honors a living choreographer or artist collaborative whose body of work is distinguished not only for their artistry but also for their originality of thought and impact. The award celebrates choreographers who provide significant contributions to the dance field, expand audiences for dance, and ensure the artform has a prominent place in U.S. culture. Kinetic Light will receive an unrestricted cash award of $30,000, plus $20,000 in programmatic support over two years, to be co-designed with NCCAkron.
Founded in 2016 by Sheppard, Kinetic Light is an internationally-renowned disability arts company known for ambitious, immersive multimedia performance works that emerge from disability culture and are centered in Kinetic Light’s signature approach to aesthetically and artistically equitable access. Laurel Lawson is a choreographer, designer, and artist-engineer; they lead Kinetic Light research and development initiatives in tech, access software and product development, and access education curriculum Access ALLways. Alice Sheppard is the Artistic Director of Kinetic Light as well as a choreographer, dancer, arts researcher, writer, and sought-after speaker.
“Alice and Laurel, together with Kinetic Light, have made tremendous waves across the disability arts, dance, access, design, and technology fields,” says Christy Bolingbroke, Executive/Artistic Director of NCCAkron. “They have an intentional and inventive approach to world-building through disability arts, tech R&D, administrative practices, and the accessible experiences they create for audiences. At NCCAkron, we often say ‘everything is choreography,’ and Kinetic Light truly exemplifies that principle.”
Kinetic Light’s repertory includes DESCENT (2017), Under Momentum (2018), the aerial work Wired (2022), the virtual reality experience territory (2025), and The Next TiMes (2025), created in collaboration with Kinetic Light artists and collaborators including Michael Maag, Jerron Herman, Kayla Hamilton, Tatiana Cholewa, Colin Clark, Kiira Benz, and many others. Brian Seibert of The New York Times notes “Kinetic Light, a disability arts ensemble whose work is made by and for disabled people, has an ethic and aesthetic of access that is exceptionally thoughtful and thorough.”
“Kinetic Light’s work emerges from the intersections of artistic access, disability aesthetics, and disability culture; it is connected to the rich traditions and exciting contemporary conversations of disabled artists in all artistic fields,” shares Alice Sheppard, Founder and Artistic Director of Kinetic Light. “This award enables us to deepen and expand. Our work is possible due to the contributions of the entire Kinetic Light team, and we are grateful.”
“We are honored to receive this award in recognition of Kinetic Light’s choreography of performance, which in addition to dance encompasses design, access, tech, research, product development, and audience experience. Access is multifaceted and ever expanding. Access is art,” comments Laurel Lawson, Kinetic Light Access & Technology Lead.
Founded in 2015 with a $5 million investment from Knight Foundation, NCCAkron connects choreographers with Akron, OH’s vibrant cultural scene and supports dance nationwide. Having engaged over 800 artists across 100 U.S. cities, it received an additional $1.5 million in 2022 to establish the annual Knight Choreography Prize. This award fosters artistic experimentation and career longevity by providing choreographers time, space, and resources for creative exploration. NCCAkron collaborates with artists as equal partners, prioritizing equity and underrepresented voices. Nominations come from dance communities nationwide, with a committee selecting finalists based on set criteria. Miami’s Rosie Herrera won the inaugural prize in May 2024, followed by Shamel Pitts (Brooklyn, NY) in October 2024. The prize is now awarded annually each fall.
For more information, visit nccakron.org.
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