JAMAL JACKSON
DANCE COMPANY

846

NOVEMBER 11-13, 2021

846 reimagines The Rite of Spring in our current day USA. This work, composed by Igor Stravinsky and choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky for the 1913 Paris season of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets depicts rituals celebrating the advent of spring, after which a young girl is chosen as a sacrificial victim and dances herself to death.

846 reflects upon our “everyday” filled with love, loss, appropriation, fear, and judgment, and interrogates our nation’s compulsion with sacrificing black bodies in order to thrive. 

This story centers the viewpoints of those individuals that have historically been pushed to the margins. 846 is the amplification of voices that have been muffled as well as a driving force for us to question our complicity in a system that simultaneously brings prosperity and pain.

“The Talk”

The essential knowledge that black parents pass down to their children about the dangers they face due to racism or unjust treatment from authority figures and law enforcement and how to de-escalate them, was secretly embedded into a new genre of music called Rap by the A.P.B.B. in the late 1970s. The tradition of call and response would covertly save the lives of so many.

Can I just do me?

A collection of events carried out by Eric Garner, Ezell Ford, Michelle Cusseaux, Tamir Rice, Walter Scott, Philando Castile, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Eric Reason, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd, immediately before we lost them.

Okay

Motivate

Lots to accomplish today
So, let’s get underway

Start with a stroll in the neighborhood
Get a breath of fresh air
Cardio is always good

Head back and fix this door lock
It’s only
8 o’clock
So can take a sec to watch the kids pop and lock in the park

Shit
Got lost in thought
And now I see these two young cats about to throw hands
Let me step in and reason with you fam

See, this is the reason I need to get outta dodge
But in order to do that, I need to fix the dodge

So, I head to the local garage
To get some spare parts
And update my inspection

I look down at the pool of leaking oil and see my reflection


But there’s no time to reflect on the time I have left
Remember, there’s a lot to accomplish today

I still have to watch baby sis’ son at 1
The one who plays violin a ton
And who Ma says is going to be the next Yo-Yo Ma

For the hundredth time I explain that he plays cello not violin
With a grin
She retorts it’s not about the instrument it is about salvation

Before I deal with the never-ending symphony, I need to eat

My prayers are answered
because right across the street
I see Church’s
Where I can get a four piece
Legs and thighs
Always dark meat

A few hours later, I’m staring at my watch
Counting the seconds to the end of the concert
From this introvert

Getting ready to flirt


Cause I got a date at 8
And we hit it off great
Now my game just rewind
Cause it’s half past 9
And we are cruising back
In my newly repaired compact

Drop her off with a kiss
What a night
Last stop hit the ShopRite
Pick up a pint of cookies n cream
And start to dream of the future I’m destined to meet
I wish I could sleep in my bed under the sheets
But I guess I’ll settle for resting in power on these streets

The Company

Jamal Jackson Dance Company (JJDC) was founded with the purpose of fusing various Traditional African dance styles with Modern techniques and diverse contemporary music styles to create a new, unique technique that is relevant to a multifarious community. The movement and storylines of JJDC choreography focus on redefining ideas of community and blurring divisive lines, while still celebrating the beauty of individual cultures.

The company’s work has been presented at venues including: Mark Morris Dance Center, Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out, NYC Summerstage Concert Series, Dance Now Festival, Triskelion Arts, Battery Downtown Dance Festival, Brown University, the Brooklyn Museum, Equality Now’s 20th Anniversary, Big Range Festival in Austin, TX, The Yard in Martha’s Vineyard, MA, Performance Spaces for the 21st Century in Chatham, NY, Kelly Strayhorn Theater, Pitt., GSUSA National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, Abundance Festival in Karlstad, Sweden, 92nd street Y, and Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Jamal Jackson - Artistic Director

Jamal Jackson, was born in Brooklyn, New York and began his formal studies of movement with the Harlem based Batoto Yetu Dance Company. His pursuit of dance led him to Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he received the Weston Award for his contribution to the Fusion Dance Company and New Works/ World Traditions African Dance Company from 1996-2000. Jamal studied with Michelle Bach-Coulibaly, Seydou Coulibaly, and Fred Benjamin and worked under M’ba Coulibaly, Salimata Soumare from Kelete Dance Theatre, and Ba Issa Diallo, director of Troupe District du Bamako in Mali, West Africa. Jamal choreographed for the New York Arts Festival and Inaya Day in 2002, marking the beginning of his African based, modern technique. Jamal performed with Ballet International Africans for two seasons as a principal dancer and in 2004 he founded the Jamal Jackson Dance Company. Jamal Jackson Dance Company has established a strong presence in and out of New York City, performing year-round in festivals, self-produced shows, community outreach programs and private events. 

Dana Thomas - Associate Artistic Director

Dana Thomas was raised in Centreville, Virginia and graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. Dana has performed at various venues such as Lincoln Center, Kennedy Center, The Joyce, Ailey Citigroup Theater, Wolf Trap, (le) poisson Rouge, La MaMa, Triskelion Arts, Skirball, Symphony Space, and Jacob’s Pillow. She has had the privilege of performing works by Mark Morris, Gus Solomons Jr, Susan Marshall, and Brian Friedman. In addition to working with JJDC, she has toured with David Dorfman Dance and worked with Debbie Allen, Douglas Dunn and Dancers, Malcolm Low/formal structure, skybetter & associates, and dendy/donovan projects. Dana has performed with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in productions of Faust (Kelly Devine), Les Troyens (Doug Varone), and Parsifal (Carolyn Choa). She has been in residency in Sweden and Cuba. AGMA Union Member.

Rebecca Greenbaum - Artist

Rebecca Greenbaum was born and bred in Brooklyn, NY.  She holds a Masters in Fine Arts in Dance Performance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts and Bachelors in Science from Skidmore College. She has previously performed with XAOC Contemporary Ballet, Maverick Dance Experience, Brooklyn Contemporary Ballet Collective, INSPIRITdance/Christal Brown and apprenticed for ZviDance/Zvi Gotheiner. She has also presented work at Dixon Place in NYC, and in the Florence Dance Festival in Italy. She is a certified classical Pilates instructor and trains clients privately in NYC.

Dianna Anderson-Guerrero - Artist

Dianna Anderson-Guerrero began dancing in New Jersey at the age of four. She has a BA in English Literature from Brown University, an MFA in Dance from New York University and a MST in Special and General Education. She has performed works by David Parsons, José Limón, Kangi Segawa, Sean Curran, Shani Collins and, Lisa Race. She has also participated in repertory with Ronald K. Brown, Keith Thompson, Dianne McIntyre and, David Dorfman. A mom of two not so little ones, Dianna is currently a Principal at a high school in Trenton, NJ and enjoys the time she gets to spend in the studio and on stage with the company.

Michele Lee - Artist

Michele is a New York based dancer, teacher, and all-around performance artist. She began her career as a young dancer in a small town in Pennsylvania. Her love for dance flourished and she continued her studies at The Hartt School where she studied under alumni from ABT, Limon, and Martha Graham Dance Companies. As she explored New York, Michele took opportunities to work in all types of creative spaces from concert dance with Dance Theater Of Harlem, performing with burlesque companies, dancing at The Metropolitan Opera, musical theater at The Kennedy Center, touring with artists like Solange Knowles, and dancing in feature films and on television. Michele is more than a performance artist; she believes in supporting the community by pushing for arts education in all communities. As her career continues to flourish, Michele remains focused pushing herself to new and exciting extremes on/off the stage and screen. Michele continues to work towards new ways to combine her talent of performing and teaching as a way to create change for her community and future generations. 

Emily Pacilio - Artist

Emily Pacilio is a New York based performer, dance maker, dance educator, and certified yoga teacher. In addition to JJDC, Emily is an ensemble member with Designated Movement Company, CabinFever, Emily Craver & The Little Streams, Saint Fortune, and Trainor Dance, for which she is also a board member. She is a co-founder of The Basics, a performance duo expanding dance audiences through multidisciplinary experimental comedy, which has been presented across New York City. Emily is honored to be a part of JJDC’s 846.

Lai-Lin Robinson - Artist

Lai-Lin Robinson is a Dancer, Model, Performance artist and Creative Producer. She hails from Washington, DC now living in New York City. She has had extensive dance and performance training from the Alvin Ailey School, Orlando Ballet and Broadway Dancer Center. Lai-Lin has had the pleasure of working with FUBU, Century 21, Malia Mills, Theatre XIV, ES Collection, New York Fashion Week, Jack Daniels, John Legend and NYC FREE on Little Island. As a Performance Artist and Creative Producer, she continues to dedicate her work to cultivating and nurturing a deeper relationship of trust and communication with Artists and Art Presenters specifically for BIPOC Artists.

Maurice Ivy - Artist

Maurice Ivy graduated from Duke University with a major in Critical Media Theory, a minor in Dance, and a certificate in Film in 2016. Upon graduation, he attended the American Dance Festival on scholarship where he collaborated with choreographers Lee Sher and Saar Harari (LeeSaar The Company). Maurice has spent summers at Virginia School of the Arts, The Ailey School, Point Park University, Summer Stages at Concord Academy, and the Nederlands Dans Theater in 2015. He has performed in works by Seán Curran, Lightfoot/León, Darshan Bhuller, and Gerald Arpino in addition to producing original film and choreography. In New York, he has been an artist with VESSELS, Drigg Productions and The Orsano Project. He was an apprentice at Nimbus Dance Works before joining the Seán Curran Company. This fall he joins the Berklee School of Music NYC Class of 2022 as he pursues a Master’s Degree in Creative Technology: Live Experience Design.

Brion Vann – Artist

Brion Vann was born in Queens, NY. He began his dance, theater and instrumental training, as a four-year-old, at the Harlem School Of the arts (HSA).  At the age of eight he won a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet (SAB). As a child he danced in several professional dance companies: Renaissance II (HSA) and Batoto Yetu where he traveled the world including, Angola, China and London as well as meeting Jamal Jackson. He continued his dance training at Virginia State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Health with a minor in Dance and joined and held workshop for the campuses Dance Company SANKOFA under the direction of Benita Brown.  Upon graduation he joined the Forces of Nature Dance Company, under the direction of Abdel Salaam Brion has danced on many stages: Jacobs Pillow, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Apollo and shared the stage with: Whitney Houston, Usher, Stomp, Urban Bush Women, Chuck Davis, and countless others. Utilizing everything obtained in his twenty-six years of dance Brion created the Ugly Owl, his newest endeavor, which is a culmination of his life’s journey combining fashion and culture into tangible product. Brion is currently a member of the Jamal Jackson Dance Company (JJDC) and a teaching artist for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre.     

Birgitta Victorson - Dramaturge

Originally from Upstate New York, Birgitta studied theater and dance at Northwestern University and was an original member of Billy Siegenfeld’s Jump Rhythm Jazz Company.  She received her MFA in Directing from Brown University and her work as a director, choreographer and devisor has been seen at Trinity Rep, Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, EST, Juilliard, Two River, The Pearl, The Civilians, Second City, Steppenwolf, Chicago Shakespeare, The Goodman and Miloco Theater Company (Prague, CZ). Birgitta currently teaches theater and dance at Saint Ann’s in Brooklyn and the National High School Institute at Northwestern University. She previously collaborated with JJDC as the dramaturge for ROB DAY.

Rebecca Marcela Oviatt - Video designer 

Rebecca Marcela Oviatt/BECCAVISION is a New York City Based movement and visual artist, and educator. Becca has been working professionally as videographer, photographer, and video editor since 2017, primarily working with dancers, movement artists, and educators.  Becca earned her graduate degree in Dance Education from NYU Steinhardt in 2010, and has since been working in the education sector in addition to performing professionally and working as videographer and photographer. Becca's work ranges from dance photography and videography, to commercial and editorial portraiture, to lifestyle and influencer content creation. At the center, Becca focuses on capturing an element of storytelling, honesty, humanity, and personal connection in her work, and seeks to give the artist, and audience, yet another way to experience the art work. More of BECCAVISION's work can be found @becca.vision.

Coleen Scott - Costume Designer

Coleen Scott is the resident costume designer for Jamal Jackson Dance Company.  She has worked for over 20 years in theater, opera, film, and television. She has an MFA in Costume Design from Boston University, where she received the Kahn award upon graduation. After finishing her Graduate Internship with Academy Award winning costume designer Ann Roth, Coleen worked in television and film with designers Stephanie Maslansky and Tina Nigro. Coleen taught Costume Production and Makeup for Stage and Studio at Saint Ann's School in Brooklyn, NY from 2005-2018. She was the costume designer and technician at Ventura College in Ventura, California in 2019 and 2020, and is now full-time faculty in Costume Technology and Makeup at Santa Rosa Junior College. Coleen is the author of The Costumes of Burlesque: 1865-2018, published June 2019 from Routledge, Taylor and Francis.

Matt Morris - Lighting Designer

Matt Morris is a Brooklyn-based lighting designer with a varied pool of lighting experience including theater, dance and movement,  comedy, and even theme park design.

He has had the privilege of designing at Triskelion since 2019 and collaborating with amazing artists on projects such as Jamal Jackson's "grEeneR grASsEs", 2nd Best Dance's "Red", and Nicole Wolcott's "Luggage Lost". He is very excited to be a part of the Backyard Series and help support the artists and creative minds making great art. 

Jamal Jackson Dance Company is a 2021 NDP Finalist Grant Award recipient. Support was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts with funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to address continued sustainability needs during COVID-19 and in support of 846.

846 is made possible with the support from The Robert & Mercedes Eichholz Foundation, through the late-stage stipend with the support of the Mertz Gilmore Foundation, and through the Downtown Brooklyn Rehearsal Residency Program.

Photos by Jamal Jackson and Rebecca Oviatt.

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