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Darvejon  Jones
MFA   Candidate & Adjunct Lecturer   | Hunter College
New York City
           
Academic  Affiliations 
Dance Studies  Association 
Mellon  Transformative Learning in the Humanities Scholar Fall 2022
Hunter College Arts & Humanities  Curriculum Committee  Student Representative

dar_vee_yawn

Biography

Darvejon (he/him), pronounced dar - vee - yawn, was dancing long before he ever stepped into a dance studio. The kitchen of his grandmother’s house was the laboratory and playground where his dancing spirit was identified and incubated. His first formal dance class was with Ms. Arlene Kennedy at Universal Dance Designs at eight years old. Upon graduating high school to attend San Francisco State University, he had already performed many historically accurate Tap and Jazz works, some of which were televised and performed on the proscenium of the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. It was also at Universal Dance Designs where Jones was first exposed to the Dunham technique by Ms. Anindo Marshall. At San Francisco State University, Jones intensively continued his dance studies taking classes at SFSU as well as at ODC and Alonzo King LINES Ballet. In San Francisco, he trained with Wendy Diamond, Ray Tadio, Dr. Albirda Rose, Linda Johnson, Kat Worthington, & Lee Wei Chao. Upon graduation from SFSU, he relocated to PDX and began to freelance and teach between Vancouver, Washington, & Portland, Oregon. While in the Pacific Northwest, Jones performed works by Oluyinka Akinjiola, Bobby Fouther (with Kemba Shannon), Tere Mathern, Ashley Roland/ Jamey Hampton, Sara Parker, and Heidi Duckler Dance NW. As a guest artist, Jones originated the role of Oberon in BodyVox’s adaption of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. As a teacher, Jones has taught young children creative movement at Casa Chapi in Chivay, Peru, and in Vancouver & Portland Public Schools. In addition to teaching eight sections of K-5th grade dance, Jones co-directed the dance program at Vancouver School of Arts and Academics with Jackie Sacks from 2016  to 2020. Simultaneously, Jones managed to teach as an adjunct at Portland State University, as a guest artist at Reed College, and hold open classes and workshops at NW Dance Project and BodyVox. His “Afro-Contemporary” class was profiled in Portland Monthly Magazine as one of “7 dance classes to take right now.” In 2019, he created Darvejon Jones Dance Ensemble as a passion project to showcase his artistic range. Darvejon is the father of a precocious 6-year-old, and an Adjunct Lecturer and MFA Candidate in Dance at Hunter College where he has mentored composition students,  taught Hip Hop, Graduate Repertory, African Diasporic Forms, Dance In Culture, Dance History, Improvisation and been a member of the Anti Racist Committee,  and  been  the student representative for Hunter College Arts & Humanities Curriculum Committee.

Education

Hunter College | NYC
MFA  Candidate in Dance 2023

San Francisco State University | SF
BA Dance Performance and Choreography 
 

Experience

Performance Experience
  2006  - Present

  • A Choreographic Offering by Jose Limon  | Hunter College, NYC 2022

  • Cypher by Christian von Howard | Hunter College, NYC 2021

  • Body Is Home by Heidi Duckler Dance Northwest | Keller Fountain, PDX    2020

  • The Reckoning by Sara Parker   |   PDX  2020

  • BodyVox | Artistic Directors  Jamey Hampton and Ashley Roland | PDX  

    • 1920 - Guest Artist 2020

    • Death and Delight | BodyVox - Guest Artist; created the role of Oberon in A Midsummer Night's   Dream | PDX  2016 & 2019

  • Edge Effects by Tere Mathern | PDX 2016​

  • Rejoice Diaspora Dance Theater directed by Oluyinka Akinjiola | PDX 2015 - 2017​​

    • Alegria; choreographer & performer   2017

    • Ancestry in Motion; choreographer  & performer  2016

    • Icons; choreographer & performer 2015

  • Black Choreographers Festival: Next Wave Choreographers Showcase | SF 2013

    • Choreographed and mounted Atonal Aves, an original work.​

  • LGBT Generations 2013 at African American Art and Cultural Complex | SF 2013 

    • performed the choreography of Ray Tadio​

  • I Look Vacantly at the Pacific... Though Regret by Kimi Okada, ODC | SFSU 2012

  • Investigating Grace by Brenda Way, ODC | SFSU 2011

  • Works in the Works | Berkeley 2010 - 2012

    • performed the choreography of Ray Tadio​

  • Kennedy Tap Company directed by Arlene Kennedy

    • Make a Wish Foundation Performer | LA  2007​

    • RFCPP High Tea at Noon Performer | LA 2007

    • ​​Dorothy Chandler Annual Christmas Show [televised] | LA 2006

    • International Tap Festival |Vancouver, B.C. 2006

Teaching Experience
2010 - present

  • Hunter College; Adjunct Professor | NYC 2021 - present​

    • Global Dance History - Fall 2022 & Spring 2023

    • Dance in Culture - Fall 2022

    • Improvisation - Fall 2022

    • African Diaspora Forms - Spring 2022

    • Hip Hop 1  - Fall 2021

    • Hip Hop 1 Early College Initiative  -  Fall 2021

    • Graduate Repertory | Faculty of Record - Fall 2021

  • BodyVox; Teacher, Choreographer, Guest Artist | PDX 2015 - 2020​

    • Jazz

    • Company Class (Professional morning class)​​

    • Adv. Beginning

    • Afro Contemporary (open level)

    • Summer Camp & Children's classes (5 - 6 years old)

    • J.A.G. Pre-professional program 

  • Vancouver School of Arts and Academics; Co-director and Academic Advisor | Vancouver 2016 - 2020

    • Delivered humanistic, interdisciplinary arts education to four levels of dance for a diverse group of students

    • Taught Modern, Jazz, and Ballet Techniques as well as conditioning and dances of the African Diaspora  

    • Co-artistic director of the Dance Department & Extended Day Dance Ensemble 

    • Facilitated guest artist experiences for all levels of dance    

    • Facilitated regional dance festivals for high schools and western regional universities. (NWRHSDF 2019; Vancouver School of Arts and Academics)

    • Designed curricula and edited state assessments (Washington Arts Cadre of Educators; CBPA)

    • Choreographed stage-ready works on students of all levels; rehearsed and coached, designed and produced evening-length dance concerts, lighting, costumes, and publicity.

    • Taught and designed curricula for Composition/ Choreographic devices and methods. 

    • Held placement auditions and assessments    

    • Differentiated instruction across a diverse student population.

    • Managed 504 plans, IEPs, parent-teacher conferences, and building keys.

  • Dance Fusion NW; Pre-professional Company Director | Vancouver 2013 - 2020

    • Jazz (all levels)​

    • Contemporary (all levels)

    • Ballet  (all levels)

    • Tap (all levels)

    • Performance group classes (all levels)

  • Portland State University; Adjunct Lecturer | PDX 2015

    • African Diaspora Dances​

  • Reed College; Guest Lecturer | PDX 2015 - 2017

    • Afro Contemporary​

  • Buckman Elementary; Teacher | PDX 2015 - 2016

    • Boys Dance class​

  • Da Vinci Arts Middle School’s Dancescape; Teacher | PDX 2015 - 2016

    • Hip Hop Level 1​

  • Grace Institute International; Dance Teaching Artist | PDX  and Peru 2014 -2015

  • Northwest Dance Project; Teacher| PDX 2013 & 2016

    • Modern - Summer Intensive 2013​

    • Adv. Beginning Jazz 2016

  • Portland Dance Center; Teacher | PDX  2013 - 2016

    • Jazz Technique​

    • Ballet

    • Tap

  • Evergreen Dance Academy; Teacher | Vancouver 2013

    • Contemporary Partnering ​

  • Berkeley High School;  Teacher and Guest Choreographer | Berkeley 2013 

  • Assistant to Dance Dept. Chair, Dr. Yutian Wong | SFSU 2011 – 2012

  • Undergraduate Teaching Assistant | SFSU 2020- 2011

    • Ballet 1   

    • Modern 1​

    • Haitian 1​

Original   Choreography
2010 - present

  • Hunter College

    • Blacklash (22 minutes) NYC 2022

      • 1/3 of MFA Thesis Project, Fall Concert, Kaye Playhouse

    • ​Blood Memory (18 minutes) | NYC 2022   

      • Spring Concert;  Kaye Playhouse   ​​

    • Atonal Aves II (7 minutes) | NYC 2022

      • Peggy Theater at  Hunter College

      • Toured NYC public schools​

    • C H A S M (15 minutes) |  NYC 2021

      • MFA student work performed at the Peggy Theater at Hunter College​

  • ​Darvejon Jones Dance Ensemble | PDX  February 2020

    • S E L F D E S T R U C T I O N. (6 minutes)

    • Buscando Amor  (7 minutes) 

    • Y’all Do Know What Gravity Is, Right ?!  (8 minutes) 

    • MODERNA (8 minutes) 

    • Allegiance revisited (25 minutes)

  • Vancouver School of Arts and Academics Extended Day Dance Ensemble

    • OBBA  (15 minutes) | Vancouver 2019​​

  • BodyVox's Junior Artist Generator directed by Heather Jackson |   PDX

    • Offering (20 minutes)    | 2020

      • BodyVox's Junior Artist Generator with music from Metropolitan Youth Symphony​

    • Apocryphal Dances (20 Minutes) | 2018

      • BodyVox's Junior Artist Generator with music from Metropolitan Youth Symphony​

    • Togetherness Suite (25 minutes) |  2017

    • The Rite  (20   minutes) |  2016

  • ​Dance Fusion NW's  Fuse Dance Force directed by Carla Kendall-Bray

    • Bang Bang | PDX 2016

    • Chairwomen | PDX 2015

    • Grief In Three| Vancouver 2014

    • Below the Surface |Vancouver 2014

  • Studio 2 Zoomtopia Artist in Residence​

    • For Mama (20 minutes) | PDX 2014

    • Allegiance (13 minutes) | PDX 2017

      • Headwaters Theater​​​

  • Yanvalloux Rendezvous (10 minutes) | PDX 2016

    • For Rejoice Diaspora Dance Theater at Reed College​

  • Threshold: Crossing   (13 minutes) | for Berkeley  High school      2013

  • PushFest 2013​

    • JAM!Suite  | SF 2013​

  • Assistant Choreographer for San Francisco State University’s Spring Awakening | 2011- 2012

  • Atonal Aves  | SF 2012

  • Mckenna Theater ​

  • Interplay | 2010

Residencies

Committee Work

  • Studio 2 Zoomtopia | PDX 2014

  • BodyVox | PDX 2019

  • Hunter College Arts & Humanities Curricular Committee Student Representative 2022 - 2023

  • Anti Racist Committee  | Hunter College 2021 -2022​​

    • Developed Anti Racist Strategic Plan​

  • Anti Racism Working Group | VSAA​   2020​​

  • Arts Cadre  of Washington  |   2016  - 2019

    • ​a coalition of fine arts teachers created by the office of the superintendent that worked to refine arts education in the state of Washington.​

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