JCE Magazine
Home from Home: A Love Letter to Ghana
In 2019, Kenya Joy Gibson, the Founder and Artistic Director of TORCH Dance Theatre, traveled to Ghana and immediately felt at home. The Ghanaian community welcomed her with kindness, openness, and friendliness, making Gibson feel accepted, acknowledged, and included. Their warmth and strong sense of community inspired Gibson to turn her experience into a new dance piece titled “Home from Home,” which will premiere at The JCE Jazz Dance Project this April.
Fun, Funk and Classic Jazz Phrases with Quinnipiac University Students
JCE hosted the Honors Program students of Quinnipiac University’s mini-course “A Signature Experience in Jazz Dance” for a master class in jazz vocabulary, choreography and history on Sunday, October 22nd, at Pearl Studios in New York City.
A Talkback with JCE Choreographers and Fatima Logan-Alston
On Sunday October 29th, Jazz Choreography Enterprises presented the second showing of the JCE Jazz Dance Project at KnJ Theater at Peridance. Following the performance, Fatima Logan-Alston, Artistic Director of VashtiDance Theater, moderated a talk-back that featured seven of the fourteen choreographers who had pieces in the program. She began by asking the group what inspired their work and what dance legacies they drew on when choreographing.
A Variety of Jazz Styles and an Emphasis on Youth: A Review of the October 2023 JCE Jazz Dance Project
On October 28th and 29th, 2023, JCE presented their biannual JCE Jazz Dance Project at the KnJ Theater at Peridance. The Fall 2023 concert featured fourteen pieces with a talkback following Sunday’s performance. The audience tasted a wide array of jazz idioms, including but not limited to Afro-Latin, contemporary, swing, and musical theater.
Cory “Nova” Villegas Homes in on Authenticity to Keep Jazz Dance Relevant
Cory “Nova” Villegas, Artistic Director of Soul Dance Co.: The Soul Experience, is no stranger to the Jazz Choreography Enterprises community. This native Bronxite has showcased her works in the JCE Jazz Dance Project several times and was also on a panel for the JCE talkback with Fatima Logan-Alston after the April 2023 performances. Her work has been exquisitely performed with a mission to represent Afro-Caribbean culture on the concert stage.
A Talkback with Fatima Logan-Alston on International Jazz Day
On April 30th Jazz Choreography Enterprises held the second performance of its spring concert, which was followed by a talkback with Fatima Logan-Alston, Artistic Director of VashtiDance Theater. A dancer, choreographer, and teacher, she is also an alum of past JCE concerts and was part of the jury that selected the pieces for this spring concert.
Many Meanings, Histories, and Futures: A Review of the JCE Jazz Dance Project
Jazz Choreography Enterprises’ (JCE) Spring 2023 Jazz Dance Project was the perfect way to close April, which happens to be Jazz Appreciation Month. Fourteen jazz pieces in a variety of styles filled the KnJ Theater at Peridance on Saturday, April 29th, and Sunday, April 30th.
Behind the Applause: Thoughts Behind the Fall 2022 JCE Jazz Dance Project
On October 22nd and 23rd, JCE successfully held the Fall 2022 JCE Jazz Dance Project, finally back on stage after a two-year pandemic hiatus. The Jazz Project showcased a wide range of jazz dance styles to celebrate JCE’s 15th anniversary and was curated by the powerhouse duo of Merete Muenter and Marian Hyun.
