Jacob Jonas is Tired of Dancers Being Judged By Their Paychecks

Matthew Brush, Courtesy Jonas

When we named Jacob Jonas one of our "25 to Watch" two years ago, he was turning heads with his innovative #CamerasandDancers Instameet series and the high-profile collaborations it earned him. #CamerasandDancers is still going strong—in fact a few months back Jonas celebrated his 50th meet—as is Jonas' savvy social media presence. But let us not forget that Jonas also has a sleek L.A.-based contemporary dance company which has also made exciting leaps in the past few years, performing in increasingly impressive venues—including Beverly Hills' Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, where they are currently the company-in-residence—as Jonas continues to refine his dynamic choreography.

We caught up with Jonas for our "Spotlight" series:

What is the most common misconception about dancers?

How their economic worth determines their value. The people I know that enter this medium do it to grow, inspire, connect and share. Not for a paycheck.

What other career would you like to try?

I would be interested in architecture. I enjoy looking at architecture and thinking about physical spaces. How people and nature coexist with these spaces and how to manipulate light and scale. I think this would be the closest thing to choreography but using materials instead of bodies.

What was the last dance performance you saw?

Merce Cunningham's Night of 100 Solos at CAP UCLA. Was very inspired.

What's the most-played song on your phone?

I most often throw on a playlist. Rarely listen to the same songs repeatedly unless I am in a process.

Do you have a pre-performance ritual?

My company is very family-oriented. We warm up as a group and before the show like to huddle up and share any messages of motivation.

What's your favorite book?

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein.

Where can you be found two hours after a performance ends?

Hopefully in a jacuzzi.

Where did you last vacation?

We recently toured Hawaii and I stayed a few extra days exploring the island.

What app do you spend the most time on?

Instagram. I enjoy seeing the unique perspectives of the world from all my friends. I mainly follow photographers and culture outlets so it is a great form of inspiration. I also enjoy sharing my photos and receiving support and feedback.

Who is the person you most want to dance with—living or dead?

Lloyd Newson or Jim Carrey.

What's the first item on your bucket list?

Spend time in Ireland. I watched a film called Ondine that featured the south of the country and I would love to spend a month or two there.

What's your go-to crosstraining routine?

In the summers, I swim a mile in the ocean every Saturday morning. During the rest of the year, I enjoy going to the gym, weight training and playing basketball. Basketball is especially fun for me as it has the same physical demand as dance without the creative expectations.

What's the worst advice you've ever received?

I had a teacher who told me to stick to street dance when choreographing as that was how I started dancing. The teacher had his MFA, and assumed his degree meant his experience was greater than mine. I held on to this advice for a few years until I met my mentor Donald Byrd who helped introduce other vocabularies into my work. Oftentimes, people who you think are teaching you can be hurting you.

If you could relive one performance, what would it be?

Performing on the Venice Beach Boardwalk where I first started as a street performer.

Amber Gray and Patrick Page. Photo by Matthew Murphy, Courtesy Hadestown

There's a rare moment in Broadway's Hadestown where the audience is able to breathe a sigh of relief. The smash-hit success is not well-known for being light-hearted or easy-going; Hadestown is a show full of workers and walls and, well, the second act largely takes place in a slightly modernized version of hell.

But deep into the second act, the show reaches a brief homeostasis of peace, one of those bright, shining moments that allows the audience to think "maybe it will turn out this time," as the character Hermes keeps suggesting.

After songs and songs of conflict and resentment, Hades, the king of the underground, and his wife, the goddess Persephone, rekindle their love. And, unexpectedly, they dance. It's one of the most compelling moments in the show.

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Sponsored by NYCDA





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Amber Star Merkens, Courtesy Mark Morris Dance Group

There's always been something larger than life about choreographer Mark Morris. Of course, there are the more than 150 works he's made and that incisive musicality that makes dance critics drool. But there's also his idiosyncratic, no-apologies-offered personality, and his biting, no-holds-barred wit. And, well, his plan to keep debuting new dances even after he's dead.

So it should come as little surprise that his latest distinction is also a bit larger than life: The New York Landmarks Conservancy is adding Morris to its list of "Living Landmarks."

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Sponsored by Harlequin Floors


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