Portrait of a shirtless man with short curly hair, looking directly at the camera, against a dark background.

Joní McDonald (he/they) serves as Company Manager and Artist for RudduR Dance, contributing to the company both as an administrator and as a performing dancer and aerialist. On the administrative side, Joní oversees the operational, logistical, and day-to-day life of the company, acting as the primary liaison between artistic leadership, company members, venues, and international presenting partners. He represents RudduR Dance publicly as a spokesperson, cultivates relationships with touring partners and booking agents worldwide, and works alongside Executive Artistic Director Christopher Rudd to advance the company's long-term strategic vision.

As a performer, Joní brings a rich and layered artistic background to the RudduR Dance stage. A native of High Point, North Carolina, he began his training in traditional African, Caribbean, and Modern dance with the Egwynn artists of North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University, later deepening his studies in ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance. He has performed with the Jan Van Dyke Group, Kearns Dance Project, and Terrenova Dance Theater, and taught at Artistic Motion School of Arts, Dance Project: School of City Arts, and North Carolina School of the Arts.

Since relocating to New York City in 2015, Joní has been a core member of RudduR Dance. A dedicated aerial artist, he trained in circus arts with a focus on dance trapeze and lyra, debuting his first solo trapeze act in 2017. He has since performed solo on trapeze, lyra, aerial chains, aerial cube, and aerial cage. A resident Aerialist and Performer at House of Yes, he has traveled as a company member of ABCirque, performed with Company XIV and Minty Fresh Circus, and performs nationally and internationally as a solo aerialist and one half of Twin Eclipse, the premier Black duo aerialist act based in New York City.

Joní McDonald - Company Manager & Artist