Hello! I’m Erica Lynette Edwards and I was a ballerina with The Joffrey Ballet where I performed lead roles throughout a 15-year career, dancing in hundreds of performances in the United States and abroad. During that time Ebony Magazine declared me a “Young Leader in the Future of the Arts” and the Chicago Tribune gave me the title "Black History Maker." When I retired from the stage, I became Joffrey's Director of Community Engagement. Under my leadership, the department grew to support thousands of Chicago students each year through a focus on community partnerships rooted in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Because of my visionary leadership in this role, Crain's Chicago named me a member of their exceptional "40 Under 40." In 2020 I independently expanded my DEI services to captivate a wide variety of clients with authentic and innovative programming. In 2023 I had the honor of becoming Giordano Dance Chicago’s Executive Director.