CMC Speaker: Amy Tinkham

Amy Tinkham began as a modern dancer in New York City and soon ventured into dancing in film and television, appearing in numerous music videos, commercials, television, and films like The Big Lebowski and The Mask. After assisting such great choreographers as Vince Paterson and Keith Young, Tinkham choreographed for Madonna (the Brit Awards), The Dixie Chicks, Earth Wind and Fire, Aerosmith, and many others on various projects.

Inspired by the entire creative, visual, and visceral process of storytelling, she began directing. One of her first projects was a short film called The Acting Thing that was accepted at the Sundance Film Festival, and that won Best Comedy Short at the Houston World Film Festival. Her love of music, dance, and the live experience, however, kept bringing her back to the stage, where she became increasingly involved in conceptualizing, directing, staging, consulting, writing, and choreographing live music shows: from rock, pop, classical, and country tours, to the circus.

Tinkham just finished directing Matt Morrison of Glee on his new tour, which included joining New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys in the summer of 2011. She worked with Paul McCartney in his legendary appearance at the Apollo Theatre in NYC in December of 2010. She is artistic director for the Jai Ho world tour for AR Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire), the 2010 Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey 200th Anniversary Show Funundrum, as well as the 2008 Ringling Brothers Circus, Over the Top, Martina McBride's 2010 Shine All Night Tour, Yanni Voices World Tour, Cheetah Girls One World Tour, a collaboration as director and writer with Kenny Ortega on American Dance (world tour), Paul McCartney's world tours (co-director with Jeffrey Hornaday), The Dixie Chicks Top of the World Tour, Clay Aiken's summer and Christmas tours, the video for Britney Spears' Dream Within a Dream Tour, Earth Wind and Fire/Chicago Tour, Backstree Boys Black and Blue Tour, and Mariah Carey's Rainbow Tour (co-director with Jeffrey Hornaday). She has conceptualized performances for the Grammy Awards and the Country Music Awards as well.

Tinkham was the artistic and stage director for a production for PBS called Nights of Fire for artist Ron Benise, produced by Doc McGhee, which featured Spanish dance and music in a format similar to Riverdance. She has directed a wide range of corporate productions and videos as well, and works in development for original shows for various production companies.