The signature dance style of the Joel Hall Dancers (“JHD”) incorporates ballet, jazz, modern, funk, and “street dance” using contemporary jazz and house music to create an innovative and continuously evolving dance style that is appealing, relevant, and approachable for those frequently underserved by the arts. Both JHD and its audience exhibit a rare diversified spectrum of cultural, ethnic, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds.
The Joel Hall Dancers maintain a city-wide, national, and international reputation not only for their diversity and innovation but also for their substantive sociological content and engaging aesthetic style. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Joel Hall, the Joel Hall Dancers have carried their unique yet universally accessible voice to venues that span the world. In June of 2010, the Joel Hall Dancers presented “Here’s to Life” which included six premiere works in addition to the re-staging of multiple works, including the critically acclaimed piece Y2Day.
In September of 2010, the Joel Hall Dancers performed at the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton, United Kingdom at the invitation of Merseyside Dance Initiative. The Joel Hall Dancers presented “In the Shadow of Nina Simone,” which once again received extraordinary reviews and feedback from both the public and the dance world. Just as Nina Simone always searched for new ways to present her music, the Joel Hall Dancers mirrored this quest for novel presentation, building upon their original unique style rooted in traditional jazz dance. The Joel Hall Dancers also performed several other staples from their repertoire, including “El Gato Negro” and “Compassion of the Sorceress.”
Watch the Joel Hall Dancers at work below, rehearsing “We The People”:
And here’s a finished result – JHD performing “Y2Day” in 2010:
And check out this video of JHD performing in 2009:
Photo by Dean Paul
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