Art Under Construction: WATERWORKS Fellow Derick McCoy Jr.

At a time of big transition, becoming a WATERWORKS Fellow gives me the freedom to focus on what I truly have to offer the world through my art and leadership. It feels like I am standing at the edge of a new beginning, grounded in purpose, grateful for the recognition, and open to whatever is next. - Derick McKoy, Jr.

Derick McKoy, Jr. (he/him) is an award-winning choreographer, educator, and arts administrator, as well as the Founding Artistic Director & CEO of McKoy Dance Project (MDP).

A Glorya Kaufman Scholar, he holds a BFA from the Ailey/Fordham program and an MA in Performing Arts Administrtion from NYU. McKoy has performed with Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Nimbus Dance, and Jeremy McQueen’s Black Iris Project.

He has brought to life the work of renowned choreographers including Alvin Ailey, Crystal Pite, Jiří Kylián, and Marco Goecke, and made appearances in both opera (Pelléas et Mélisande, The Dallas Opera) and television (POSE on FX).

His choreographic voice is bold, emotionally resonant, and socially engaged. His work has appeared on major stages such as Ailey Citigroup Theater, NJPAC, Moody Performance Hall, and Battery Dance Festival. He was commissioned by the Joffrey Academy of Dance in 2022 and his work has received Emmy nominations, a Telly Award, and a Hermes Creative Award.

In 2025, McKoy was selected as a WATERWORKS Commissioning Fellow by Harlem Stage, in collaboration with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and The Ailey School, recognizing his voice as part of the next generation of leading choreographers of the Global Majority. Through MDP, McKoy champions dance as a vehicle for equity, visibility, and systemic change—centering the voices of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities.

His mission-driven work spans performance, education, and cultural programming, amplifying underrepresented stories from the street to the stage.