Janis Brenner & Dancers

JANIS BRENNER is a multi-award-winning dancer/choreographer/singer/teacher and is Artistic Director Janis Brenner & Dancers in NYC. She has toured in 36 countries and is recognized as a “singular performer” with a multifaceted artistic range. Honors/grants include: 2018 "Best Production" award for the interdisciplinary dance-opera-play Inheritance: A Litany at the United Solo Theatre Festival Off-Broadway as well as the 2019 Critics' Choice Award,  2017 "Best Choreography" for Eva Petric's eden, transplanted at the United Solo Theatre Festival, “Bessie” for her performance in Meredith Monk’s The Politics of Quiet, Lester Horton Award for Choreography in L.A., Copperfoot Award for Lost, Found, Lost at Wayne State in Detroit, NY Foundation for the Arts Fellowship, O'Donnell-Green Music and Dance Foundation, The Fund for US Artists at International Festivals, the U.S. State Department, Asian Cultural Council, The Trust for Mutual Understanding, UNESCO, US Embassies in Bosnia, Moscow, Jakarta and Dakar, and a commission for the interdisciplinary work, The Memory Project, from the Whitney Museum of American Art. Her work has been commissioned/restaged on more than 50 companies and colleges and she performed with Meredith Monk and Vocal Ensemble from 1990 -2005, 2014 (recording on ECM Records). She is on the faculty at The Juilliard School. Ms. Brenner was with the Murray Louis Dance Company from 1977-84, working with Rudolf Nureyev, Placido Domingo, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Joseph Papp, Bat Sheva Dance Company in Israel, and Alwin Nikolais. Known for its “meticulous artistry” (The Village Voice), Janis Brenner & Dancers has performed throughout the U.S., Asia, and Europe since 1989 and has been presented by leading NY theaters and organizations. The company has served as Cultural Ambassadors on numerous tours.