Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
Encyclopedia
Jawole Willa Jo Zollar is an American dancer, teacher and choreographer of modern dance
. She is the founder of the Urban Bush Women
dance company.
to parents Alfred Zollar Jr. and Dorothy Delores Zollar. From age seven to seventeen, Zollar received her dance education from Joseph Stevenson, former student of Katherine Dunham
. Zollar also had early training in Afro-Cuban and other native dance forms which later helped to shape her teaching aesthetic. After high school graduation she went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and from there also received her Master of Fine Arts from Florida State University
, where she is currently a tenured dance professor.
In 1980, Zollar moved to New York City where she studied under Dianne McIntyre, artistic director for Sounds in Motion Dance Company. In 1984, she left the company and established her own, called the Urban Bush Women
, which became the first major dance company consisting of all female African American dancers.
, Cunningham
, and Limón
techniques), Afro-Cuban, Haitan, and Congolese dance. She emphasizes the use of weight and fluidity as opposed to creating clean shapes. From her Afro-Cuban dance training she employs a strong sense of dynamic timing, rhythmic patterns, and continuous flow of movement. She derives many of her movement ideas from African American culture—allowing the "church testifying, emotional energy shap[e] the form, and the rawness of that form, like you have in jazz," she says.
In her choreography, Zollar creates avant-garde dance-theater productions that speak from the black female perspective. Her pieces are collaborative performances between dancers, vocalists, artists, actors, composers and musicians, including vocalizations, a capella singing, storytelling, and social commentary. Through these mediums, Zollar pushes towards social awareness and change. Zollar also explores African American folk traditions and the reality of the black woman's experience, tackling uncomfortable and controversial social topics such as abortion, racism, sexism, and homelessness, in a hard-edged and straight-forward way. Many dance critics say that Zollar's company makes a point to show the reality of African American culture, revealing how black Americans express themselves when not in the presence of whites.
Modern dance
Modern dance is a dance form developed in the early 20th century. Although the term Modern dance has also been applied to a category of 20th Century ballroom dances, Modern dance as a term usually refers to 20th century concert dance.-Intro:...
. She is the founder of the Urban Bush Women
Urban Bush Women
Urban Bush Women is a Brooklyn, New York based non-profit dance company that was founded in 1984 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. It is an ensemble of seven women who perform very diverse pieces choreographed by Jawole as well as many other reputable choreographers...
dance company.
Biography
One of six children, she was born "Willa Jo Zollar" in Kansas City, MissouriKansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
to parents Alfred Zollar Jr. and Dorothy Delores Zollar. From age seven to seventeen, Zollar received her dance education from Joseph Stevenson, former student of Katherine Dunham
Katherine Dunham
Katherine Mary Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer, songwriter, author, educator, and activist...
. Zollar also had early training in Afro-Cuban and other native dance forms which later helped to shape her teaching aesthetic. After high school graduation she went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in dance from the University of Missouri at Kansas City and from there also received her Master of Fine Arts from Florida State University
Florida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, where she is currently a tenured dance professor.
In 1980, Zollar moved to New York City where she studied under Dianne McIntyre, artistic director for Sounds in Motion Dance Company. In 1984, she left the company and established her own, called the Urban Bush Women
Urban Bush Women
Urban Bush Women is a Brooklyn, New York based non-profit dance company that was founded in 1984 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. It is an ensemble of seven women who perform very diverse pieces choreographed by Jawole as well as many other reputable choreographers...
, which became the first major dance company consisting of all female African American dancers.
Movement style and choreography
Zollar's choreographic style is influenced by the dance traditions of black Americans—modern dance, African dance, and social dance. Her movement synthesizes influences from modern dance (a combination of Dunham, GrahamMartha Graham
Martha Graham was an American modern dancer and choreographer whose influence on dance has been compared with the influence Picasso had on modern visual arts, Stravinsky had on music, or Frank Lloyd Wright had on architecture.She danced and choreographed for over seventy years...
, Cunningham
Merce Cunningham
Mercier "Merce" Philip Cunningham was an American dancer and choreographer who was at the forefront of the American avant-garde for more than 50 years. Throughout much of his life, Cunningham was considered one of the greatest creative forces in American dance...
, and Limón
José Limón
José Arcadio Limón was a pioneer in the field of modern dance and choreography. In 1928, at age 20, he moved to New York City where he studied under Doris Humphrey and Charles Weidman. In 1946, Limón founded the José Limón Dance Company...
techniques), Afro-Cuban, Haitan, and Congolese dance. She emphasizes the use of weight and fluidity as opposed to creating clean shapes. From her Afro-Cuban dance training she employs a strong sense of dynamic timing, rhythmic patterns, and continuous flow of movement. She derives many of her movement ideas from African American culture—allowing the "church testifying, emotional energy shap[e] the form, and the rawness of that form, like you have in jazz," she says.
In her choreography, Zollar creates avant-garde dance-theater productions that speak from the black female perspective. Her pieces are collaborative performances between dancers, vocalists, artists, actors, composers and musicians, including vocalizations, a capella singing, storytelling, and social commentary. Through these mediums, Zollar pushes towards social awareness and change. Zollar also explores African American folk traditions and the reality of the black woman's experience, tackling uncomfortable and controversial social topics such as abortion, racism, sexism, and homelessness, in a hard-edged and straight-forward way. Many dance critics say that Zollar's company makes a point to show the reality of African American culture, revealing how black Americans express themselves when not in the presence of whites.
List of works
- 1984 River Songs; Life Dance…The Fool's Journey
- 1985 Working for Free
- 1986 Anarchy, Wild Women and Dinah; Girlfriends; Madness; LifeDance I…The Magician (The Return of She)
- 1987 Bitter Tongue
- 1988 Heat; Lipstick; Shelter; LifeDance II…The Papess
- 1989 I Don’t Know, But I Been Told, If You Keep on Dancin’ You Never Grow Old
- 1990 Praise House
- 1992 LifeDance III
- 1994 Nyabinghi Dreamtime; Vocal Attack
- 1995 Batty Moves; BONES AND ASH: A Gilda Story
- 1996 Transitions
- 1997 Self Portrait
- 1998 Hand's Singing Song
- 2000 Soul Deep
- 2001 HairStories
- 2002 Shadow's Child
- 2004 Walking with Pearl- Africa Diaries
Awards
- New York Foundation for the Arts fellowship (1984)
- National Endowment for the Arts choreography fellowships (1988–90)
- New York Dance and Performance Award (1992)
- Worlds of Thought Resident Scholar, Makato State University (1993–94)
- Capezio Foundation Dance Award (1994)
- Who's Who in America (1995)
- Regent Lecturer, Department of World Arts and Culture, University of California (1995–96)
External links
- Profile at Urban Bush WomenUrban Bush WomenUrban Bush Women is a Brooklyn, New York based non-profit dance company that was founded in 1984 by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar. It is an ensemble of seven women who perform very diverse pieces choreographed by Jawole as well as many other reputable choreographers...
- Faculty profile at Florida State UniversityFlorida State UniversityThe Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
- Biography at Free to Dance, PBSPublic Broadcasting ServiceThe Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
- Jawole Willa Jo Zollar in Conversation with Ananya Chatterjea, October 21, 2010 at the Institute for Advanced Study, University of Minnesota