Julia Rhoads is the Artistic Director of Lucky Plush Productions, a MacArthur Award-winning ensemble recognized for its unique blend of dance, theater, comedy, and socially relevant themes. Lucky Plush has toured to 80+ venues worldwide, including the Kennedy Center (DC), Joyce Theater (NYC), Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston, Wellesley Center (Auckland), and Teatro Las Carolinas (Cuba). Additional choreography credits include works for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and River North; productions for Court Theatre, Steppenwolf Theatre, Milwaukee Rep, South Coast Repertory, and Lookingglass Theatre; and a commission for Art on the Mart, the world’s largest digital installation. Julia is the recipient of an Alpert Award in Dance, fellowships from Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography and Chicago Dancemakers Forum, and creation awards from National Dance Project, National Theater Project, and National Performance Network. She is the Director of Dance and a Senior Instructional Professor in Theater and Performance Studies at the University of Chicago.