Darvejon A. Jones is a father and a dance-based multimodal artist who creates Black work. His research, deeply rooted in the phenomenological hermeneutics intrinsic to Black dance, highlights the historical context of Blackness in the United States as a Western phenomenon and mechanism.
Jones has performed works and was trained by legendary tap dancers Paul and Arlene Kennedy (Universal Dance Designs), been closely mentored and performed works by master Horton Technique teacher Ray Tadio, Kat Roman, ballet teacher Wendy Diamond, performed works by the founder of the Institute for Dunham Technique Certification, Dr. Albirda "Bird" Rose, and performed works for Emmy award-winning choreographers Ashley Roland and Jamey Hampton, as well as Brenda Way, Ar Vejon Jones, Christian von Howard, Oluyinka Akinjiola, Sara Parker, Heidi Duckler, Maya Ciarrocchi, Jose Limon, and many others. His works have been shown at the Mckenna Theater, The Black Choreographers Festival, and PUSHfest in San Francisco; La MaMa Experimental Theater, The Kraine Theater, and The Kaye Playhouse in New York City; and Headwaters Theater, Studio 2, and BodyVox in Portland, Oregon (Darvejon Jones Dance Ensemble). Jones holds a BA in Dance Performance and Choreography & a minor degree in Japanese Language and Literature from San Francisco State University as well as an MFA in Dance with multiple distinctions from Hunter College under the direction, mentorship, and tutelage of maura nguyễn donohue.
Jones's students have gone on to be accepted into the Dominican University BFA dance program, Joffrey Professional Training Programs, The Jefferson Dancers, NYU Tisch School of Dance, University of San Francisco, Oregon Ballet Theater, Marymount Manhattan College, The New School, Cornish School of Arts and Oklahoma City University, and dance professionally with companies like Robert Moses Kin and Ballet BC.
Currently, Jones is engrossed in exploring embodied liberatory practices intrinsic to Black dance. He is curious about phantasmagoria, puppetry, poetry, and the intersections of contemporary dance practices and traditional African American spirituality. In Spring of 2024 Darvejon received an appointment to a tenure-track Assistant Professor of Dance at Hunter College. For more, visit www.darvejon.com.
Photo by Jenelle Gaerlan.