Jessica Danser/dansfolk is a contemporary dance company founded in 2005. Jessica Danser founded the company with the vision of creating socially conscious and highly personal modern dance rooted in classical modern techniques while boldly exploring the boundaries of contemporary and post-modern aesthetics. She is committed to creating work which is accessible and empowering to non-artists, particularly women and underserved populations, by utilizing abstract movement, text, and dance-theatre to express themes relevant to today’s society, and using individual experience as a microcosm of contemporary life. Jessica’s signature style bridges the gap between the personal and political through dance, text, a mix of popular contemporary music and avant garde classical and jazz works, and always, a movement style which segues seamlessly from the virtuosic to the pedestrian.
An active constituent of the Bronx dance scene, JD/dansfolk has had full evenings and individual works presented by the Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance—BAAD! and the Bronx Library Center, as well as at other NYC events including the Hammerstein Ballroom, the NuDance Festival at the Riverside Church, HATCH at The Works’ Studio, WAXworks, The Dance Gallery Intimate at University Settlement, and The Choreographer’s Canvas at the Connelly Theatre. JD/dansfolk has self-produced evenings at the Player’s Loft Theatre, City Center Studios, Synthetic Zero Art Space, and the Astoria Dance Centre. Ms. Danser received a BRIO (Bronx Recognizes Its Own) Award for choreography from the Bronx Council on the Arts in 2007. The company has received funding from the Bronx Council on the Arts, the Puffin Foundation, and the Astraea Foundation.