JR “Nexus” Russ

JR “Nexus” Russ was born and raised in the traditional territory of the Pamunkey and the Piscataway, part of which many of us now call Washington, DC. He is Black and Filipino American, and a queer nonbinary man. Nexus received his Bachelor of Arts in dance from the University of Maryland, College Park and his Master of Arts in arts management from American University. And in the fall of 2022 they began a journey pursuing a PhD in Communications, Culture, and Media Studies at Howard University’s Cathy Hughes School of Communication. Since joining the workforce in 2006, Nexus has been committed to the performing arts both on stage and off. They have been Adventure Theatre’s production manager, a Story District board member, and producer of shows in seven Capital Fringe Festivals. In addition to serving as board member of Dance Place, they also volunteer on the Grants Committee for the Arts and Humanities Council of Montgomery County, and as a co-chair of Any Given Child DC’s Equity and Justice Committee. Nexus also serves as one of several Regional Contacts for the DC Burning Man. He joined the Dance Place board in 2016 and is serving his final consecutive term.

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