Joshua L. Ishmon was born and raised in Gary, IN. Josh discovered his attraction to dance at a young age and studied African dance and musical theater at the West Side
Theater Guild under the instruction of Toni Washington Simpson and Mark Spencer. He is a 2007 graduate of Emerson School for the Visual and Performing Arts (EVPA) where he studied under Larry Brewer, Michal Davis, and Porsha Woodson-Reese. Josh also studied under the teachers of Ballet Chicago and M.A.D.D. Rhythms during his time at EVPA.

 

In 2005, Ishmon discovered that his love and passion for dancing was shared with choreographing. Since then, he has choreographed for EVPA, South Shore Dance Alliance (Griffith, IN), Dancexcel (Gary, IN), Ballet Chicago, and Deeply Rooted Productions (Chicago, IL). After graduating, Ishmon joined Deeply Rooted Dance Theater 2 where he performed works choreographed by Kevin Iega Jeff, Gary Abbott, Elana D. Anderson, Brian Brooks, and Nicole Clarke-Springer. In 2009, he matriculated into the 1st company in which he is still a current member. In an effort to stay connected with his beginnings, Ishmon joined the staff at the current incarnation of his high school alma-mater (Wirt/Emerson VPA Academy) in 2013 and is the Horton-based Modern Instructor for South Shore Dance Centre. 

 

In 2012, Joshua and Adriene Barber co-founded Deeply Rooted’s Emerging Choreographers Showcase of which he is the Artistic/Producing Director. Ishmon is also a current member of Winifred R. Harris’ Between Lines, Seamless Dance Theater (directed by Erin Lustig), has danced as a guest artist with Ballet Chicago, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and shared the stage with Bobby McFerrin. Ishmon has taught as an Artist-in-Residence at Kansas Wesleyan University (Salina, Kansas), Swamp Gravy (Colquitt, GA), Choose Dance (Gillette, WY), Purdue University's Jahari Dance Troupe of the Black Cultural Center (West Lafayette, IN), and Collage Dance Collective (Memphis, TN). Ishmon served as Dance Captain/Rehearsal Director/Assisstant Choreographer for the revue Rhapsody in Swing's tour of China and has accompanied Deeply Rooted to South Africa as US Representatives in the Jomba! Contemporary Dance Frestival. Joshua has also graced televisions around the country as part of the nationally syndicated commerical for Memphis the musical and as a guest on Good Morning America. 

 

Joshua is always in a constant pursuit of deepening his artistry, continuing to grow, and must pay homage to the amazing people whose shoulders’ he stands on.