Jackson Menard grew up in Northern Michigan and Ontario, Canada. He began dancing at seventeen, teaching himself through YouTube tutorials during lockdown. His passion and dedication quickly led him to Great Lakes Dance Academy, and soon after, he was accepted into Interlochen Arts Academy, where he trained in classical ballet and performed full-length ballets. What once seemed an impossible dream became a transformative reality, allowing Jackson to discover his artistic voice and his identity as a performer and person.
He is currently pursuing a BFA in Dance at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, where he has trained in Cunningham, Limón, Countertechnique, Horton, West African, Release Technique, and Groundwork. Jackson’s performance experience includes works by Merce Cunningham, George Balanchine, Trey McIntyre, Wesley Williams, Gaspard Louis, Gavin & Vanessa Stewart, Johannes Wieland, Jenna Riegel, and Maria Colusi.
Jackson is committed to exploring his artistry with honesty, vulnerability, community and heart. He aims to continue growing as a performer with goals of dancing abroad apart of a company while also developing his choreographic voice, contributing to a dance world that is ever-evolving and deeply expressive.