Connor Cornelius (she/her) is director and choreographer of GRIT, her personal dance project. Connor is a choreographer, performer, and teaching artist based in the Chicagoland area. In February 2023, she  produced her third GRIT evening length concert titled Sportz. Besides GRIT, she was honored to have choreographed the Illinois All-State Theatre Festival Musical, Shrek, at the same time. In spring 2023, Connor was selected to present her new physically-integrated piece for MOMENTA Dance Company, Dandelion, for See Chicago Dance's Chicago Dance Month at Navy Pier. Previously, she was selected to present work in Chicago Live at Navy Pier for MOMENTA Dance Company, CounterBalance, and in the 2022 Delve Choreographer Showcase. In MOMENTA’s fall 2021 season, Connor Artistic Directed the evening concert as well as produced a piece for the Oak Park Art League’s Art for Social Change performance collaboration. That fall, she was also selected to present work at the Simantikos Choreo Kick-Off. Connor has choreographed the musicals: Hadestown, Cinderella, Mamma Mia, Sister Act, Working, Newsies, Chicago, Hairspray, Addams Family and Mary Poppins at OPRF High School. In 2018 and 2017, Connor was selected as one of two artists commissioned for the Going Dutch Festival. In 2016, she was commissioned to choreograph for Simantikos as a choreography competition finalist and selected for the Delve showcase. In 2015, she was selected as one of four choreographers for Dance Chance Redux: 6.0 and chosen as one of ten finalists for Met Dance’s Emerging Choreographer Competition. That year, Connor was also chosen as one of four Chicago-based choreographers for DanceWorks Chicago’s DanceMoves Choreography Competition. Connor's work has been commissioned for Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Project Bound, Evanston Township High School, MOMENTA, and among others. Connor has danced in Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre and Project Bound Dance for two seasons each. Connor also served as DanceWorks Chicago’s Administrative support for three years during that time. Previously, Connor graduated as the Presidential Scholar of the Department of Dance at Western Michigan University, (BFA cum laude, 2014).  At the 2013 American Dance Festival, she was chosen to perform in Martha Graham's Helios as well as present her choreography in the student concert. She also performed historical work by Loïe Fuller, participated in a cultural exchange trip to China and Taiwan, and a Student Immersion Trip to Montreal. Connor's choreography was also chosen for American College Dance Festival Association's East Central Conference Gala, the WMU Winter Gala Dance Concert, Western Dance Project's repertoire, and Orchesis Dance Concerts.