Bill t.

jones
Dancer/Choreographer

Biography
Bill T. Jones also known as William Tass Jones was born on
February 12, 1952 in Bunnel, Florida.
He was the 9th child of 12 children from a family of migrant
farm workers.
At the age of 3 his family relocated to Wayland, New York,
where he attended Wayland High School.
Began his dance training at the State University of New York at
Binghamton
He studied classical ballet and modern dance
At SUNY Binghamton he met his longtime business and life
partner Arnie Zane
Received honorary doctorates from Yale University, Art
Institute of Chicago, Bard College, Columbia College, Skidmore
College, the Juilliard School, and Swarthmore College

Career
He returned to SUNY Binghamton in 1973 and teamed with
Lois Welk and Jill Beaker to form the American Dance Asylum.
Surprised audiences by partnering male dancers and
addressing subjects like racism and AIDS.
Performed as a soloist and as a duo with Arnie Zane.
Incorporated multimedia elements like spoken word and
videotape into pieces.
In 1982 Jones and Zane founded Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane &
Company; later called the Bill T. Jones/ Arnie Zane Dance
Company
Arnie Zane's Death in 1988 from AIDS inspired Jones to make
his most powerful work like Last Supper at Uncle Toms
Cabin/ The Promised Land (1990), Still/Here ( 1994), and
Absence a piece dedicated to Zane.
Company merged with Dance Theater Workshop and formed
New York Live Arts

Awards
Dorothy B. Chandler Performing Arts Award in 1991
1993 Dance Magazine Award
1994 MacArthur Fellowship
1979 Creative Artists Public Service Award in Choreography.
2003 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize
2005 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for
Lifetime Achievement; Harlem Renaissance Award in 2005;
2005 Wexner Prize.
2007 Tony Award for Best Choreography in the musical
Spring Awakening

Won the 2010 Jacobs Pillow Dance Award; 2010 Kennedy

Center Honors

New York Dance and Performance Awards or Bessies for

Choreography
Intuitive Momentum (1983)
Virgil Thompson (1986)
It Takes Two (1989)
Broken Wedding (1992)
Love Re-Defined ( 1996)
World II ( 18 Movements to Kurtag) (2002)
Chapel/Chapter ( 2006)
A Quarrelling Pair (2007)
Between Us (2010)
Fondly Do We Hope Fervently Do We Pray (2009)
Body Against Body (2011)

Pictures

videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
OXnEPwOahqQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGvfK_MuhQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
S6IlcwCRXR8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
BjxFOyJu0oU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
FZg_q3CDNOM

Personal STATEMENT
I enjoy Bill T. Jones choreography for
addressing controversial issues through
dance. He shows that the art community is
more than just expressive but a socially aware
and conscience community of individuals . His
choices have truly tested the boundaries of
modern dance from his acceptance of a
variety of dancers disregarding size or
sexuality. His magnificent choreography is full
of dynamics and emotion that inspires me to
improve as a dancer technically but also
emotionally and mentally.

Questions
Who is the co-artist director and co-founder in
Bill T. Jones dance company?
A: Arnie Zane
Where did Bill T. Jones start his dance training?
A: The State University of New York at
Binghamton or SUNY Binghamton
What were some of the controversial topic Bill T.
Jones and Arnie Zane addressed in their pieces?
A: Racism and AIDS

INFO
Partnership with Bard College: Offers technique classes
to university students

Performance:
Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company A Rite
UCLA/Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA
Tickets: $19-$69
March 6 & 7 @ 8:00 p.m.

Summer Workshop
June 23-28, 2015 at New York Live Arts

REFERENCE
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1106720/Bil
l-TJones
http://www.newyorklivearts.org/programs/engage/
workshops.php
http://www.newyorklivearts.org/company/upcomingperformances.php
http://www.newyorklivearts.org/about/bill-t- jones.php
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/freetodance/biographies/
jones.html
http://cap.ucla.edu/calendar/details/ a_rite