Area: Cultural Dance
About:
Jeanette is Associate Professor of Dance at Brigham Young University (BYU). She currently serves as Artistic Director of the BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble (IFDE) and BYU’s annual large scale Christmas Around the World concert. Additional Artistic Director assignments have included Traditionz Cultural Dance Outreach Ensemble and director of BYU’s annual Children’s Folk Dance Camp.
A native from Odense, Denmark she trained in classical ballet at the Ballet Academy with other early training in jazz, tap dance, and child acting roles. Her pursuit of dance brought her to the United States and Brigham Young University where she earned her BA and MA degrees in dance. As a member of the BYU International Folk Dance Ensemble she performed and toured nationally and internationally. As part of her graduate studies she traveled to Hungary to complete field research for her master’s thesis entitled: “A Comparison of Village and Staged Versions of Selected Hungarian Dance Styles.” Her dance vocabulary has expanded to include multiple traditional dance techniques and has particularly developed strong expertise in Hungarian, Danish, Irish, and Ukrainian dance. In 2016 Jeanette received her MFA in Performing Arts Dance from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, where she presented her choreographic thesis entitled: “Hungarian Dance Works.”
Invitations to perform, choreograph, and teach nationally have included International Dance Arts Collective in California, and Hungarian Connection Gala in Texas, and with IFDE in 16 states. International IFDE performing and teaching invitations include Turkey, Croatia, Italy, Mexico, Hungary, Czechia, Serbia, North Macedonia, China, Belgium, France, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Academic professional presentations and master class teaching have included Council for Traditional Dance World Congress in Russia, 2-week residency in Tianjing, China, Det Fynske Ballet Akademi in Odense, Denmark, National Folk Organization conferences, and Utah Dance Education Organization.
As Artistic Director Jeanette produces original works, conceives, and directs numerous full-length staged productions of traditional dance and music. This includes inviting and hosting guest artists and expert choreographers. She directs national and international dance performance tours, as well as local outreach and community engagement. Jeanette currently serves as vice-president of the National Folk Organization, is a member of CIOFF-USA (International Council for Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts), and is a member of the Ethnochoreology Study Group of ICTMD (International Council for Traditional Music and Dance).
Together with her husband Mark they organize and carry out monthly barn dances for the community, which includes live music.
Research interests:
Cultural representation—its preservation, adaptation and modification—lies at the heart of her academic research and choreographic interest. She investigates meanings of identity in cultural dance expression, and the impact of intent and context in traditional dance. Her goal is to continue contribution to the field of cultural dance research and choreography in search of new ways to perpetuate the authenticity and increase the power of communication of cultural dance expression.
Recent projects:
Sønderhoning dansen on Fanø, Denmark – Ethnographic Researcher
American Mosaic – Choreographer
Dance films Dulándlé & Hornpipe- Executive Producer/Concept
BYU and University of Texas Rio Grande Valley University Ballet Folklorico Collaborative Dance Project – Producer/Choreographer