McKinley Danielle Willis

A native of Dallas, Texas, McKinley Willis is a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.  She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Modern Dance Performance with a minor in Health and Exercise Science from The University of Oklahoma. During her time at OU, her choreography was featured in the Young Choreographer’s Showcase, paving her journey to creative discovery. As a senior, McKinley collaborated with composer Leah Kennedy for the production of "Not Buying It", a show reflecting the dark reality of the human trafficking system in America. McKinley’s Capstone Project, The Experience: Love, Life, Light, was a 45 minute, one-act show created in collaboration with various artists - it was this production that sparked her fiercest desire to collaborate, in turn leading to the development of her arts organization The Artist Kinnection. 

McKinley has performed with 6 O’clock Dance(2015), Bruce Wood Dance Project(2011 & 2015), and Dallas Black Dance Theatre (2015-2023), where she as worked with choreographer Bruce Wood, Matthew Rushing, Christopher Huggins, Tommie Waheed-Evans, Hope Boykin, Stephen Mills, and Dianne McIntyre. 
She’s had several choreographed works featured in DBDT’s annual Black on Black series, premiering works such as  “Black Angels”, “Gus” and “A Suite Christmas”. McKinley has also been commissioned to choreograph for several special events including weddings, birthdays, and various corporate events throughout the DFW metroplex. In 2019 she choreographed Arts Visions’ production of “Hair Spray Jr.” under the Direction of Fran Anderson and in the midst of the pandemic in 2020, she choreographed and organized Arts Visions’  virtual edition of “The Wiz Jr.,” recognized for its creativity and ingenuity.  Most recently She has choreographed on Houston Contemporary, Mutual Dance Theater, and Dallas Black Dance Theatre.
McKinley’s  invigorating take on movement defines dance by way of the human experience and encourages connections to happen - creating space for vulnerability, exploration and authenticity. Her goal is to cultivate spaces that encourage the dancers to put themselves in it.