Artists, Board & Staff
Staff List
Bill T. Jones - Artistic Director
Jean Davidson - Executive Director
Janet Wong - Associate Artistic Director
Bjorn G. Amelan - Creative Director
Bill Katz - Artistic Consultant
Claire Cholak - Administrative Assistant
David Archuletta - Program Director
Vacant - Director of Finance & Administration
Margi Briggs-Lofton - Interim Director of Development
J.J. Lind - Development Associate, Institutional Giving
Michelle Preston - Development Associate, Individual Giving
Bob Bursey - Production Manager
Daniel A. Finney- Company Manager
Kyle Maude - Stage Manager
Laura Bickford - Lighting Supervisor
Sam Crawford - Sound Engineer
Christopher Lancaster - Band Leader
Daniel Wiener - WebMaster
Real Design Associates - Identity Design Concept
Beyond the Bottom Line - Accounting Firm
Ellen Jacobs Associates - Press Representation
Board of Directors
Derek Brown, Chairman
Bill T. Jones, President
Bjorn Amelan, Vice Chairman
Daniel Nissenbaum, Treasurer
Terence Dougherty, Secretary
Jean Davidson, Ex-Officio
Claire Danes
Sandra Eskin
Stephen Hendel
Dr. Michael Lomax
Shola Olatoye
Jane Semel
Cindy Sherman
Beatrice Sibblies
Gloria Steinem
Jack Taylor
Carol H. Tolan
Ric Wanetik
Chairs Emeritus
Eric Anderson
Eleanor Friedman
Advisory Council
Jenette Kahn
Naima Kradjian
Dr. Jeremy J. Nobel
Kweli Washington
Edward M. Zimmerman, Esq.
Performers
Antonio Brown (Dancer) a native of Cleveland, Ohio, began his dance training at the Cleveland School of the Arts. He then traveled to New York City to attend The Juilliard School from which he graduated in the spring of 2007. While there, he performed works by Jose Limon, Ohad Naharin, Jiri Kylian, Eliot Feld, Aszure Barton, Jessica Lang, and Susan Marshall. Mr. Brown joined the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 2007.
Asli Bulbul (Dancer) is from Istanbul, Turkey. She started dancing when she was six years old. After graduating from Mimar Sinan University of Istanbul, Bulbul came to New York in the summer of 1997 to study modern dance. She worked with JoAnna Mendl Shaw, Guido Tuveri and various choreographers in New York City. This is her sixth season with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company and she is so exited to be a part of this beautiful group.
Peter Chamberlin (Dancer) born in Augusta, Maine, has trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts and BalletMet of Columbus, Ohio, under the tutelage of Yoko Ichino. He has performed with the Kevin Wynn Collection, Take Dance, NOA Nelly van Bommel, and Sidra Bell Dance New York and has been on faculty of Ballet International with Kazuko Hirabayashi as artistic director. He graduated from SUNY Purchase in May of 2007. Mr. Chamberlin joined the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 2007.
Leah Cox (Dancer) grew up in Houston, Texas. She received her dance training from suburban dance teachers, North Carolina School of the Arts, and Texas Christian University where she majored in Philosophy and minored in Religion. Cox's current obsessions include WG Sebald, backpacking in the wilds, the passionate Susan Sontag, French New Wave cinema, efficiency and minimalism, cooking, JM Coetzee, Asthanga Yoga, Wong Kar-wai, Agnes Martin, Peter Paul Rubens, and the idea of life spread wide. Cox began working with the company in 2001.
Maija Garcia (Dancer) is a movement artist of Cuban descent, born in Ann Arbor, MI. Currently teaching contemporary and Latin Jazz at Dance New Amsterdam in NYC, she was on faculty at Alonzo King's Lines San Francisco Dance Center, Rhythm and Motion, and Mills College in California where she performed with Printz Dance Project, Company Chaddick, Cecilia Marta and Michelle Bolong. A graduate of the California Institute of Integral Studies, this is her first season with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.
Shayla-Vie Jenkins (Dancer) began her primary dance training at the Watson Johnson Dance Theatre and the Mercer County Performing Arts School in New Jersey. In 2004, under the direction of Denise Jefferson and Ana Marie Forsythe, she graduated with honors from Fordham University with a BFA and minor in English. She has also danced professionally with Kevin Wynn's The Collection, Nathan Trice/Rituals, Earl Mosely's Diversity of Dance, and the Francesca Harper Project.
Lamichael Leonard (Dancer) graduated from the New World School of the Arts in Miami, Florida. He joined the Martha Graham Dance Company and danced lead roles touring nationally and internationally. He most recently danced with the Buglisi Dance Theatre. Mr. Leonard joined the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 2007.
Erick Montes (Dancer) Most recently voted one of Dance Magazine 2004's 25 to Watch, Erick is originally from Mexico City and joined the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 2003. He trained at the National School of Classical and Contemporary Dance in Mexico City. His professional career began with the Compañia Barro Rojo Arte Escenico, A-Quo Danza Contemporanea, Aksenti and Thania Perez-Salas. In 2001, he received the first prize in the Premio Intercontinental INBA-UAM. In 2002, he collaborated with choreographer Stephen Petronio in projects sponsored by Lincoln Center Out of Doors and Queens Theatre in the Park. He received grants in both 2002 and 2005 through the Fondo Nacional para la Cultura y Las Artes. In 2004, he was invited as an emerging Mexican choreographer to participate in the Festival Mexico Now in New York City. In 2005, Erick received a grant from Aaron Davis Hall for E-Moves.
Charles Scott (Dancer) studied dance at Virginia Commonwealth University from 1999-2001 before joining the Limon Dance Company in 2001. During his time there he performed works by Jose Limon and Doris Humphrey, as well as by guest choreographers including Lar Lubovitch, Jirí Kylián, and Donald McKayle. He has participated in three summer residencies at The Yard on Martha's Vineyard, working with Patricia Nanon and guest choreographers. This is his second season with Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.
Collaborators
Bjorn G. Amelan (Sculptor/Creative Director/Set Designer) was the partner of the late fashion designer Patrick Kelly from 1983 until Mr. Kelly passed away on January 1, 1990. Mr. Amelan moved to the United States to begin his collaboration with Bill T. Jones in 1993. He has designed sets for the following works by Bill T. Jones: Green and Blue (1997) for the Lyon Opera Ballet; How! Do! We! Do! (1999) for Bill T. Jones and Jessye Norman, in conjunction with the Lincoln Center's Great Performers New Visions series; We Set Out Early... Visibility Was Poor (1997), The Breathing Show (1999), You Walk? (2000), The Table Project (2001), Another Evening (2002), Verbum (2002), WorldWithout/In (2002), Black Suzanne (2002), Reading, Mercy and The Artificial Nigger (2003), Mercy 10 x 8 on a Circle (2003), Chaconne (2003), and Blind Date (2005) for the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company. Mr. Amelan is the recipient of a 2001 "Bessie" for his designs of The Breathing Show and The Table Project. View samples of Bjorn G. Amelan's sculpture here.
Wynne Bennett (Composer/Pianist/Keyboardist) has performed and appeared nationally with diverse artists such as James Carter, Konstantin Lifschitz, Philip Glass, Joan Tower, Cassandra Wilson, Beetroot, Akim Funk Buddha, Slick Rick, Little Brother, and Mobb Deep. She has co-written arrangements for Cassandra Wilson's Glamoured album and members of the Orchestra of St. Luke's recently premiered her works Insomnia for string quartet and Tiny Chapters for flute and clarinet. She made her Kennedy Center debut at the age of 18 and has since performed in various venues around the world. Ms. Bennett serves as Music Director/keyboardist for "DBR & The Mission" and is Projects Manager for DBR Music Productions. She will be featured on the legendary Pete Rock's new album to be released in Japan. Aside from performing, composing, and recording, she has accompanied dance classes for Bill T. Jones, Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Ellis Wood, and The Nest. Ms. Bennett is currently working on a solo show involving laptop, piano, keyboard, drum machine, and film.
Sam Crawford (Sound Designer/Supervisor) completed both his Associate of Science degree in Audio Technology and Bachelor of Arts in English at Indiana University in 2003. A move to New York City led him to Looking Glass Studios where he worked on film projects with Philip Glass and Björk. He currently lives in Jersey City where he works as a freelance live sound recording engineer and plays banjo and bass guitar in the groups Stereofan and The Goodwill Orchestra.
Tracy Ann Johnson (Actor) was born in Los Angeles, California, and has been a performer since the age of five. She has done stand-up comedy, theater, and is a voice-over professional and was discovered by Janet Wong at a monologue slam in New York City.
Christopher Antonio William Lancaster (Cello) is a composer and performing artist living in New York. His live and recorded music is created by the processing of acoustic cello sound through real-time samplers, audio effects and filtering. He composes predominately for Theater, Dance and his band "The Black Sounds". His compositions have been performed at U.C. Irvine; U.C.L.A.; U.C. Berkeley; the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C.; the Biennale De La Danse, in Lyon; Bellevue Teatret; Kanon Hallen in Copenhagen; the Kaleidoscope Festival and Sergio Porto in Rio de Janeiro; Dance Theater Workshop; Symphony Space; the 42nd Street Duke; the New Victory Theater; Tisch School of the Arts at NYU; the Joyce and Joyce Soho, in New York; and the American Dance Festival at Duke University. Currently Mr. Lancaster is working on commissions from, Staccato Movimento, Palindrome Inter.media, Colleen Thomas, Sean Curran, and making videos for You Tube. He can be contacted at ChrisLancaster [at] mac [dot] com.
Jennifer Jade Ledesna (Vocalist), a trilingual New York City native, is an alumnus of The New School University Jazz Conservatory and the LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts. She placed 3rd in the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival International Voice Competion 2007. Ms Jade has been featured on "The Nueva Estrella Awards" as a Latin Idol Semi-Finalist (CBS), France 2's "Envoye Special" Broadway Documentary, NY1, and The New York Times Article "In The South Bronx, The Arts Beckon." She has toured nationally with Theatreworks USA (Corduroy), and has performed at the Salvador Dali Jazz Festival (BR), the US-Brazilian Consulate, Fete de la Musique (Paris), and Lincoln Center's Kaplan Penthouse. Some of her favorite roles include: Dorothy (The Wiz), Marta (Company), Julie Jordan (Carousel), and Maria (West Side Story). Ms. Jade has also had the grand privilege of performing with Reggie Workman, Candido Camero, Junior Mance, Dave Valentin, Eric Lewis, Wycliffe Gordon, Sekou Sundiata, and Wynton Marsalis, among others.
Jim Lewis (Dramaturg) received "Best Book for a Musical" TONY and Drama Desk nominations for Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Broadway, 1995). He worked with Graciela Daniele on Dangerous Games (Broadway, 1990) and Tango Apaisionado (Westbeth, 1988). He conceived and wrote the libretto for Ballet Hispanico's Nightclub and "Titles and Narration" for Philip Glass' Les Enfants Terribles. Translations: Ionesco's The Chairs; Ibsen's Lady from the Sea. Production Dramaturg: White Oak Dance Project's PastFORWARD with Mikhail Baryshnikov; Anna Deavere Smith's House Arrest; Bill T. Jones' Dream on Monkey Mountain; the WOZA AFRIKA Festival at Lincoln Center; the OBIE-winning revival of Granville-Barker's Waste and Shakespeare's Cymbeline, both with director Bartlett Sher. Jim was Program Director at the American Center in Paris and Resident Dramaturg at The Guthrie, Second Stage Theatre, and INTAR Hispanic-American Theater. He is an on-going collaborator with numerous theater and dance companies, including The Civilians, Jane Comfort, Shapiro and Smith, and the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, where he helped re-imagine STILL/HERE for their 20th Anniversary production of The Phantom Project at BAM. Jim recently wrote the libretto for The Tyrant, a new opera with composer Paul Dresher and sung by John Duykers which toured nationally in 2006-07. Mr. Lewis is currently at work on two commissions: a new play about the Evangelical Christian community in Colorado with The Civilians (premiere February 2007), and a new musical with Bill T. Jones about the Nigerian superstar and political activist, Fela Kuti.
George Lewis Jr. (Composer/Saxophone/Guitar/Concertina/ Vocals) is a Dominican born songwriter and performer. In addition to his composing credits with the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company, Isabel Lewis (The Labor Union), and theater companies in Copenhagen, Denmark, he plays rock & roll music with his friends under George Lewis, Jr., and a band called DRUG RUG. His music can be heard at www.myspace.com/georgelewisjunior.
Alicia Hall Moran (Composer) holds degrees in Music/Anthropology from Barnard College and Vocal Performance from Manhattan School of Music. In concert and cabaret, past lead performances include Kennedy Center, Stamford Center for the Performing Arts, Cathedral of St. John the Divine, Cafe Sebarsky, and St. Paul's Chapel. Past roles include Mozart's Donna Anna under the guidance of Martina Arroyo; Soprano in "Rough Crossings", a recent collaboration with historian Simon Schama at Symphony Space; and Marian Anderson in "Things of the Heart" at Bermuda International Arts Festival. She sings on the 2006 Blue Note Records release "Artist In Residence", her composition for husband and pianist Jason Moran and their Walker Art Center commission. Mrs. Moran currently studies in the studio of operatic legend Shirley Verrett.
Peter Nigrini (Projection Designer) Designs in New York include: Biro at the Public Theater, Jean Genet's Elle for The Art Party, Say Goodnight Gracie on Broadway, and the world premier of Haroun and the Sea of Stories at New York City Opera. He has designed scenery for The Orphan of Zhao, at Lincoln Center, and lighting for City Voices at Het Veem Theater, Amsterdam. Fine art projects include Digital Campfires for the EXIT festival (Sweden), and Local Currencies: Diogenes/Barnum, a series of narrative photo installations, exhibited at the ICA London, the Dumbo Art Center, and the San Francisco MoMA and Cosmicomics, a new work for chamber ensemble and projection commissioned by the Sequitur Ensemble. www.nigrini.net
Liz Prince (Costume Designer) has worked extensively with Bill T. Jones since 1990 designing for his company as well as his productions on: Boston Ballet, Berlin Opera Ballet and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Other work includes designing for: Doug Varone ( Doug Varone and Dancers, Jose Limon Dance Company, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company), Trey McIntyre, Mark Dendy, Mikhail Baryshnikov's White Oak Dance Project (Meg Stuart, Lucy Guerin), Tamar Rogoff (Claire Danes), PILOBOLUS, Neil Greenberg, Jane Comfort , Bebe Miller, Ralph Lemon, Arthur Aviles, Larry Goldhuber, David Dorfman and LAVA. Her costumes have been exhibited at: The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Cleveland Center for Contemporary Art and Snug Harbor Cultural Center. She received a 1990 New York Dance and Performance Award for costume design.
Lawrence "Lipbone" Redding (Musician) is a band leader, composer, guitarist and voicestrumentalist widely known for creating trombone sounds and instrumental music with his mouth. A subway musician who has traveled and studied music in India, Europe and South America, he currently resides in New York City and can often be found causing a ruckus with The LipBone Orchestra. WWW.LIPBONE.COM
Andrea Smith (Actor) is a multidisciplinary artist and yoga instructor who made his professional debut in the title role of Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company's Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin/The Promised Land. Since then he has starred in numerous film, stage and television productions both nationally and abroad. He is honored to be celebrating the 23rd season with the company. His love and admiration for Mr. Jones is of the most profound nature of human friendship and collaboration.
Robert Wierzel (Lighting Designer) has collaborated with Bill T. Jones and Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company for over ten years, on numerous projects including Still/Here and Last Supper at Uncle Tom's Cabin/The Promised Land; Dream on Monkey Mountain at The Guthrie Theater; as well as with the Boston Lyric Opera; Lyon Opera Ballet; the Welsh dance company, Diversions; London's Contemporary Dance Trust and the Deutsche Opera Berlin. Mr. Wierzel is the recipient of a 1993 New York Dance and Performance Award ("Bessie") for Sustained Achievement in Lighting Design for his work with the Company. He has also worked with Philip Glass on 1000 Airplanes on the Roof and Hydrogen Jukebox, for which he is the 1991 recipient of the American Theater Wing Design Award; musicians Lou Reed and John Cale; The New York City Opera; The Houston Grand Opera; Glimmerglass Opera; the Canadian Opera; Seattle Opera; with choreographers Margo Sappington, Molissa Fenley and J. Fregalette-Jansen, and with artists Red Grooms and Robert Longo. Mr. Wierzel has his undergraduate degree from the University of South Florida and his MFA from the Yale School of Drama.
Janet Wong (Associate Artistic Director) was born in Hong Kong and trained in Hong Kong and London. Upon graduation she joined the Berlin Ballet where she first met Bill when he was invited to choreograph on the company. In 1993, she moved to New York to pursue other interests. Ms. Wong became Rehearsal Director of the company in 1996 and Associate Artistic Director in August 2006.
