Director of Community Engagement
Joffrey Ballet
Linda, a native of Chicago, attended Simeon Vocational High School on the south side of Chicago. Linda completed her bachelor’s in communication arts at Loyola University and completed her master’s degree in arts education in March of 2019 from DePaul University. Linda joined Joffrey Ballet's administrative staff in 2008 and was promoted to Director of Community Engagement in 2019 were she currently oversees 30 dance education programs in Chicago Public School.
Formal ballet training began for Linda with Walter Camryn and Bentley Stone along with studying with Larry Long at Ruth Page before moving to New York to dance with the Dance Theatre of Harlem where she was a member for fifteen years. While with the Dance Theatre of Harlem she traveled extensively, both domestically and internationally. Ms. Swayze participated in the closing ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, traveled as part of a cultural exchange program to perform in the Soviet Union at the St. Petersburg and Kirov Theatres, and performed in the television ballet production of DTH’s “Creole Giselle” aired on PBS.
Due to DTH’s varied repertory Ms. Swayze has danced both classical and contemporary ballets in principal and soloist roles. After leaving DTH she returned to Chicago and taught at Homer Bryant’s Multi-Cultural Dance Center along with teaching dance in numerous Chicago Public Schools. Linda was recognized by the Chicago Defender’s Women of Excellence award for her work in dance education and her commitment to aspiring our youth to follow their passion.
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