photo taken by Jamscid Ebrahimzadeh © 2009

Hello and welcome to my website!

I'm a professional choreographer, dancer, teacher, actor, and singer in New York City. I primarily live as a freelance artist by creating my own work, teaching, and guest performing with other artists across the globe. I'm originally from Denver, Colorado, and have attended the University of Utah (1996 MFA Dance Program).

I'm a current company member of Keith Johnson/Dancers. They're all wonderful artists and are certainly a privilege to work with!

As a former member of Doug Varone and Dancers (2001-08), some other performance credits include: Company XIV, Shapiro and Smith Dance, Brian Brooks Moving Company, ARENA: Dances by Mathew Janczewski, Gallim Dance, the Aquila Theatre Company, the Music Theater of Wichita, and The Metropolitan Opera.

I've had the pleasure of staging dances made by Joanie Smith, Daniel Shapiro, Rob Scoggins, and Doug Varone.

As a choreographer, I aspire to create work that reverberates and awakens the senses; to give audiences an introspective look into their own subconscious. I want to encourage the masses to ask themselves questions about their own perceptions of their own realities within their own communities.

Why does an artist choose to make the dances that he or she creates? Also, what is dance-making's social connection and how does the process hold its own relevance in the world? Is product really important? If so, why? What responsibilities do we have as artists to help ensure that dance continues to have a voice? These are but a few things that hold a lot of weight for me. The joy for me in the creative process is in making discoveries, whether they're isolated or collaborated processes, and then seeing them unfold. As we continue journeying into the 21st century, it's my hope that my dances will help bring people together and to create a bridge for those that may not be so inclined to be involved and/or support the arts. Whether if you're a politician, an athlete, a school teacher, or a fork-lift driver, there's always something to learn from a beautiful (and not so beautiful sometimes) piece of art, especially when movement is used as an expressive medium. The question is, are you open enough to see it?

In regards to teaching: I hold classes at various universities, festivals, and studios throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. I've also had the pleasure of serving on faculty for the University of Minnesota's dance program in the twin cities (St. Paul/Minneapolis).

In the classroom, I always encourage students to play while maintaining a large respect for technical discipline. I emphasize expansive circular movement concepts with constant shifts of direction to help bring awareness and efficiency with one's dancing. Attention to detail is complimented through the integration of breath and musicality. In a culmination to an end, simple-humanness is casted off the ground with a sense of physicality that holds no boundaries.

For each student that I have the opportunity to teach, my hope is that he or she will not only gain a more physical sense of a stronger self, but also develop a truer understanding of their own potential and value to the world as a unique creative artistic being.

I'm extremely humbled to be doing what I love for a living.

While you're here, please make sure to visit my "photos" page from the tab listed above.

Peace and best wishes,

John

Member of:

MSA

Fractured Atlas

AGMA 

Dancenow/NYC

DNA

The Field