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Dancers

Jamal Jackson, Artistic Director, 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 Mba and Bisar 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 style of movement. Jamal performed with Ballet International Africans for two seasons as a principal dancer and in 2004 he founded the Jamal Jackson Dance Company, which debuted Images of the Union at University Settlement in New York and at Westport Hall in Connecticut. The company went on to perform United We Stand at the Hudson Guild Theater, Dance New Amsterdam, Mo Pitkins, and for Jennifer Muller/The Works series. Jamal has created work for the Diversity in Dance Project at The Yard featuring Urban Bush Women and the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company and has returned to Batoto Yetu Dance Company as the Assistant Artistic Director. The company is currently performing new original works This Place Called Home, which has had excerpts presented at the Battery Downtown Dance Festival and will debut in its entirety at the Performance Space of the 21 Century in Chatham, New York.  

Jody Green – dancer
Jody hails from Long Island, New York and has been a performer with the City Kids Repertory Company in New York and a dancer/choreographer with Fusion Dance Company at Brown University. This is his third season with the Jamal Jackson Dance Company.

Tiffani Harris – dancer
Tiffani holds a B.A. from the University of Richmond where she received the Outstanding Achievement in the Arts Award for her choreography. After graduation she moved to New York to train professionally at the Ailey School, toured regionally with the Shadow Box Theater, and is currently performing with C. Eule Dance. She is currently receiving an M.A. in dance from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.

Monica Herrera – dancer
Monica’s dance career began with Fusion Dance Company and New Works World Traditions Dance Company in Providence, RI. She has danced with the Jamal Jackson Dance Company for three seasons and is a participant of Broadway Dance Center’s Intern Affiliate Program.

Kara Pressley – dancer
Kara spent the summer of 2005 rehearsing and dancing with the Ghana National Dance Ensemble under the artistic direction of Nii-Yartey and studying West African drama. She also studied traditional Ghanaian dance at the University of Ghana at Legon and is currently pursuing her masters in Africana Studies and Theater at NYU.

Asha Rhodes – dancer
At Williams College, Asha participated in ballet, modern, and African dance studies and was a member of NBC, the school's Hip Hop dance group. She also choreographed liturgical dances for the Williams College Gospel Choir Concerts. Since graduation, she has been studying Ballet, Horton and Graham at the Ailey School and teaching Hip Hop Dance to high school students in a Harlem Children's Zone after school program.

Sean Thomas – dancer
Sean is a former director of Fusion Dance Company, with which he danced for four years in Providence, RI. He has performed with the Jamal Jackson Dance Company since its inception as well as in ‘Rocket’; a modern dance piece choreographed by Jamal Jackson for the New York Arts Festival. Sean currently teaches Hip Hop Dance in New York.

Catherine Wong – dancer
Catherine hails from Fremont, California, where she studied ballet under Yoko Young. She first danced with Jamal Jackson when they were both students at Brown University. She danced and choreographed for Fusion Dance Company and is in her first season with the Jamal Jackson Dance Company.

Issa Coulibaly, Seydou Coulibaly, and Sidy Maïga– Percussionists
From Bamako, Mali, West Africa, the percussionists have performed with numerous groups including Repeat Biennale Winners, District de Bamako, and Fakoly Percussion.