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 been presented at Dance Theater Workshop, the
Battery Downtown
Dance
Festival, the Connelly Theater, The Yard in Martha's Vineyard, and 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 received an M.A. in dance from
New
York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
Meredith
A. Moore - dancer
Meredith
graduated from Georgia State University with a BA in Communications and
a minor
in Psychology in 2003. Following graduation, Meredith trained at the
Alvin
Ailey School, pre-professional division. She received her certification
in
dance education from the University of Georgia in 2006. Meredith has
had the
privilege to work with such artists as Ciara, TLC, Lloyd, and Jagged
Edge. She
has also performed new works by Camille Brown, Chase Brock and Kay
Cummings.
Meredith received an MFA in dance choreography and performance.
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.
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.