51²è¹Ý

Alvon Reed is the Artist in Residence in Jazz at 51²è¹Ý. Reed holds a degree in Spanish from Coe College and an M.F.A. in Dance with an emphasis in Choreography from the University of Iowa. 

As a professional artist, Reed’s performance credits include Nike, PUMA, Levi’s Jeans, Microsoft, Norwegian Cruise Lines, Inland Pacific Ballet, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Opus Dance Theatre and Jennifer Muller/The Works. He performed in Arena Stages' first multi-ethnic production of Oklahoma under the direction of Molly Smith. Additional performance credits include Iphegenia with Marion Schoevaert and Othello with Eloy Barragán. As an instructor, Reed has taught at prestigious dance institutions both nationally and internationally. Institutions include The Milwaukee Ballet School, The Ailey School, Butler Ballet, and Tanzprokjekt München and Theaterakademie Prinzregenten in Munich, Germany. 

He has choreographed musicals for Theatre Cedar Rapids, the Department of Theatre Arts at Coe College, Revival Theatre Company, Department of Theatre at the University of Iowa, and the Department of Theatre and Dance at Cornell College. Musicals include Shrek the Musical, The Little Mermaid (awarded Best Choreography in 2016), Sister Act the Musical, Peter Pan, Newsies, American Idiot, Big Love, Hattie Mae’s Juke Joint (an original musical about juke joint life in post-war America), EVITA, Ragtime, 9 to 5, Rent and Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Reed is a proud member of the Actor’s Equity Association (AEA).