Arts Leader Molly Terbovich-Ridenhour Joins Kinetic Light as Managing Director
Following a national search, disability arts ensemble Kinetic Light has announced that Molly Terbovich-Ridenhour has joined the organization as Managing Director. An arts leader with more than 15 years of experience in the dance and nonprofit worlds, she joins Kinetic Light’s growing team of professionals working together to advance and expand the work of Kinetic Light and the field of disability arts.
Terbovich-Ridenhour has more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit leadership, organizational development, and a lifelong background as a dance practitioner, educator and performer. Prior to her role with Kinetic Light, she led the San Diego Civic Youth Ballet as the President & CEO for more than 10 years. During this time, she revitalized the company’s overall business infrastructure, established marketing and development departments, and led the organization through the challenges of the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, resulting in strong financials and substantial programming growth.
“We are thrilled to welcome Molly to Kinetic Light…Molly’s keen leadership and organizational management skills will lift and lead Kinetic Light as we continue to create accessible, equitable, world-changing work, and as we support our disability arts colleagues in their own work,” shared Alice Sheppard, founder and Artistic Director of Kinetic Light.
“I am looking forward to the opportunity to make a greater impact on the U.S. and global dance and arts field, while continuing to be challenged through new experiences,” commented Terbovich-Ridenhour. “I am most excited to join Kinetic Light’s team of visionaries who are focused on creating influential and accessible change.”
Terbovich-Ridenhour is a graduate and member of the Fieldstone Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and the Community Arts Education Leadership Institute (CAELI). She has served on the boards of Dance/USA, transcenDANCE Youth Arts Project, Balboa Park Cultural Partnership, and currently serves on the Executive Board of Women’s March San Diego. She holds an MFA in Dance from Arizona State University, a BFA from Stephens College, and resides in San Diego, CA. As Managing Director, Terbovich-Ridenhour will strengthen Kinetic Light’s internal processes, functions, and structures, while supporting the advancement and overall vision of the company.
Founded in 2016 by Sheppard, Kinetic Light is a leading disability arts ensemble working at the intersections of disability, dance, design, identity, access, and technology. The artists of Kinetic Light include Laurel Lawson, Jerron Herman, Michael Maag, and Sheppard. The administrative and production team is made up of uniquely-talented arts professionals from across the U.S. Kinetic Light also frequently collaborates with other disabled designers, composers, and artists from around the globe.
Their latest work Wired is an accessible contemporary and aerial exploration of the race, disability, and gender stories of barbed wire; it will premiere at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago in May 2022. Company member Lawson leads the development of artistically accessible approaches, software, and products including Audimance, an app offering multiplex audio description experiences. Kinetic Light’s field-building and community work includes Access ALLways, a holistic approach to artistically equitable access; a fellowship program for disabled arts workers; events aimed at supporting U.S. disabled artists in their own art-making; and more.
For more info visit https://kineticlight.org