Jared Baker: Dance Education Expert and Choreographer

Jared Baker is originally from Fort Worth, TX, where he began his dance training at Dance Concept, under the direction of Debbi Jo Utter and Leslie Senevey. During his time there, he became a member of the Tremaine Performance Company, assisting and performing across the country, which helped shape his skills in dance choreography. Jared was then accepted into the School of Dance at the University of Arizona, where he earned his BFA in Dance and was honored with the 2013 Creative Achievement Award. In 2018, as he began his master’s degree at The University of Arizona, Jared received the University Fellows Award, the highest honor in the Graduate College. By 2020, he completed his MFA in Dance and was recognized as the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant for the School of Dance.

Jared has been a four-time finalist for The Choreography Festival (2012, 2013, 2014, 2019) in Palm Desert, CA, and he won the 2012 International Choreography Competition at the Jazz Dance World Congress. Additionally, he was a 2014 finalist for the prestigious Capezio A.C.E. Awards. As a performer, Jared was a founding member of Bree Hafen’s [+]Space, where he showcased his talents in Dallas and NYC, and he was a full-time company member of CORE Contemporary Dance, under the direction of Kelli Leighton, where he also served as the Assistant Artistic Director.

Since 2020, Jared has been the Artistic Director and Co-Founder of Nova Linea Contemporary Dance, Milwaukee’s premier professional dance company focused on contemporary dance. It is Jared’s mission to provide accessible and relatable stories through dance to the Wisconsin community and beyond. Nova Linea has been a three-time finalist for the Detroit Dance City Festival and was given the opportunity to perform in the New Dance Festival in South Korea. Moreover, Nova Linea has partnered with two local non-profits, Pathfinders MKE and NAMI Southeast Wisconsin, to raise awareness and support for mental health. The company has reached hundreds of students through its performances, outreach, intensives, and workshops, contributing to the future audience of dance. In addition to his work with Nova Linea, Jared also serves as a faculty member for Adrenaline and Revive Dance Conventions, where he shares his passion for modern dance with students across the country.