List of Dancers - J

J

  • Janet Jackson (May 16, 1966) is an American singer and entertainer. Like her famous brother Michael Jackson, dance was a celebrated aspect of her career. Jackson's style of intricate choreography would later influence a number of female pop stars, including Britney Spears, Ciara, Aaliyah and Beyoncé. Jackson's music video dance performances has been given numerous tributes to over the years, including MTV Icon and on America's Best Dance Crew.
  • Michael Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009), often referred to as MJ and The King of Pop, was an American musician and entertainer. Among the most celebrated aspects of Jackson's career were his dance, fashion, and vocal styles, which have given rise to impersonators all over the world. The "moonwalk" followed by a tornado spin and then balancing up on his toes have since gone on to become Jackson's trademark dance piece, and is virtually synonymous with the song. The performance sealed his position as a dance legend up against the likes of Fred Astaire (who actually called Jackson the next day to congratulate him). After one of his performances The New York Times stated "The moonwalk that he made famous is an apt metaphor for his dance style. How does he do it? As a technician, he is a great illusionist, a genuine mime. His ability to keep one leg straight as he glides while the other bends and seems to walk requires perfect timing"
  • Robert Joffrey (born 1930 – died 1988) was an American dancer, teacher, producer, and choreographer, known for his highly imaginative modern ballets. Of Afghan parentage, he was born in Seattle, Washington, and originally named Abdulla Jaffa Anver Bey Khan. Joffrey studied ballet and modern dance in New York City and made his debut in 1949 with the French choreographer Roland Petit and his Ballets de Paris. From 1950 to 1955, he taught at the New York High School for the Performing Arts, where he staged his earliest ballets.In 1954, he formed his own company, which premiered Le bal masqué (The Masked Ball, 1954; music by French composer Francis Poulenc) and Pierrot Lunaire (1955; music by Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg). Joffrey's other works include Gamelan (1962) and Astarte (1967; to rock music with special lighting and motion-picture effects).
  • Sabra Elise Johnson (born July 29, 1987) is a dancer from Roy, Utah and the most recent champion of the Fox reality television show So You Think You Can Dance. She has the distinction of being the first female and person of African-American descent to win the title. Johnson started formal dance training at the age of 16 at Dance Impressions in Bountiful, Utah, under the direction of mother-daughter team Kandee Allen and Vivian Colobella and before training in dance, Johnson had a previous background in gymnastics.. She has been a fast-learner being able to win "America's Favorite Dancer" name in So You Think You Can Dance just in her fourth year of being a dancer. Her dance training consists of jazz, ballet, contemporary, and gymnastics, with some experience in hip hop, modern dance, tap dancing, and theater. Johnson's favorite style of dancing is contemporary.
  • Thomas Johnson (better known as Tommy the Clown) is an American dancer, best known as the inventor of the "clowning" style of dance, which evolved into the popular "krumping" style. Johnson invented the style in 1992, to enhance birthday party clown acts, thereby creating the concept of "hip-hop clowns". Johnson and his followers have performed at birthday parties ranging from inner city communities to celebrities like Madonna, Pamela Anderson, and Cedric the Entertainer.
  • Kurt Jooss (12 January 1901 – 22 May 1979) was a German modern dancer and choreographer mixing classical ballet with theatre; he is also widely regarded as the founder of Dance Theatre or Tanztheater. Jooss is noted for establishing several dance companies, including most notably, the Folkwang Tanztheater, in Essen. Kurt Jooss works are still performed today especially The Green Table. Anna Markard, (Jooss’ daughter) supervises companies that perform his works, conserving authenticity of the author of Dance Theatre.

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