Mini-Bio

From an early age, Ronald “QWNTYM” Ford Jr. set out to become a performer and has ultimately transformed into a visionary, music producer, film director, playwright, choreographer, dance teacher, and professional artist specializing in a variation of Funkateer Dance and dance music. His dance collective of 35 years, the Unstoppables, are long time torch bearers for the contemporary Funkateer style. Always striving to inspire the Detroit dance culture, QWNTYM consistently raises the bar in leadership and output of his art. QWNTYM has been a proud participant in the Detroit community-based Sidewalk Festival for two years. He is a 2018 Kresge Fellow and award recipient for Dance & Choreography and a 2019 Art X Detroit grantee for his original Detroit dance and music project- Jit the Funk Up and Dance! Also, in 2019, Ron became a Knights Foundation Fellow for his proposal to offer Funkateer dance workshops in Detroit high schools, as well as to direct and produce the documentary, Funkateer Dance: Past, Present, & Future. In 2022, he taught Detroit urban dances as a Guest Artist at Eastern Michigan University. Jit the Funk Up and Dance! Part 2 takes place July 17th, 2022 at the African World Festival in Hart Plaza, downtown, Detroit.