BRIAH Danse

Presenting Denver would like to shine the spotlight on Jayne Persch and BRIAH Danse!

Choreographer Name: Jayne Persch
Company Name: BRIAH Danse
Hometown: New Haven, CT
Current city you live in: Boulder, CO
Education: Master of Art Dance / Dance in Education; Master of Arts Psychology; ABT Certified National Training Curriculum; UNESCO-Council and International Dance
Website: www.briahdansecompany.com

Presenting Denver: Can you describe an aspect of your work and/or creative process?

Jayne Persch: I work with the dancers I have in front of me, bringing out the best of each; physically, mentally, and emotionally, in relationship to themselves and others. I explore the human condition, that which is universal, which in turn resonates with each viewer. I work with both set movement and improvisation to make sure the movement is true to each dancer, so it will then speak clearly and truthfully to each witness. Dances are a conversation between the mover and the observer. A piece can be contrived, but I strive to be truthful in each movement.  

PD: How would you briefly describe yourself?

JP: Speaking through the arts.

PD: What’s the most meaningful thing an audience member has asked or told you?

JP: That they have walked out provoked, changed, and shifted because of what they saw. 

PD: What is the best piece of dance career advice you’ve ever been given, and by whom?

JP: Margot Fonteyn told me when they hired me at the Royal Ballet that they were hiring me as an artist of the company, not as a mechanic of movement. That I had to bring my life experiences into the studio to fully embody the dance. It’s actual emotion, real responses to life, that affects the movements and tells a much stronger story. 

PD: Besides physical locomotion, what is movement to you?

JP: Movement is expression of soul and spirit. Dance is a blending of all the arts; locomotion is just the mechanics, but dance is more. It is tone, color, shape. All of those are expressed through the body, so it becomes more than just the movement.  

PD: Please list any upcoming events, programs, classes or shows that you would like Presenting Denver and our audiences to know about. Thank you!!

JP: BRIAH Danse Project 2020 commences in January. Please visit www.briahdansecompany.com for full listing of ongoing classes, outreach programs and performances.