Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
Name	Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company
Founded	1982
Founders	Bill T. Jones; Arnie Zane
Headquarters	New York City
Genre	Contemporary dance; modern dance; performance art

Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company is a contemporary dance company founded in 1982 by choreographer Bill T. Jones and photographer Arnie Zane in New York City. The ensemble became known for integrating dance, theater, visual arts, and music through collaborations with artists from Merce Cunningham, Twyla Tharp, Paul Taylor, and Meredith Monk circles. Over decades the company has engaged with institutions such as the New York City Center, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and festivals including Jacob's Pillow, Spoleto Festival USA, and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

History

The company emerged from the downtown SoHo and Lower East Side avant-garde scene where Jones and Zane met contemporaries like Dancenoise, Trisha Brown, and artists associated with Judson Dance Theater. Early seasons intersected with cultural networks around The Kitchen and PS 122, leading to commissions from venues including Walker Art Center and the Museum of Modern Art. Following Arnie Zane's death in 1988, Jones continued the company's trajectory, collaborating with presenters such as BAM and engaging international presenters including the Paris Opera Ballet, Sadler's Wells, and the Sydney Opera House.

Artistic Direction and Repertory

Under Jones's artistic direction the company blended influences from José Limón, Martha Graham, Kurt Weill, and contemporary composers like John Adams and Philip Glass. Repertory often combined live music, multimedia design by artists connected to Robert Wilson, and dramatic texts referencing writers such as Samuel Beckett, Langston Hughes, and Anna Deavere Smith. The company commissioned scores from composers affiliated with Bang on a Can and production designers linked to Tony Kushner-era theater. Choreographic language drew from and responded to works by Alvin Ailey, Pina Bausch, and practitioners associated with Graham technique training institutions.

Notable Works and Collaborations

Signature works include pieces created with collaborators like composer John Moran, librettist Eartha Kitt-era performers, and designers from the networks of Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns. Notable productions presented at major houses include performances alongside orchestras such as the New York Philharmonic, projects produced with Kennedy Center residency support, and commissions from the Dia Art Foundation. The company's oeuvre spans evening-length works premiered at Lincoln Center Festival, site-specific commissions for Dia Beacon, and interdisciplinary projects staged at festivals like Montreal International Jazz Festival and Venice Biennale.

Company Members and Leadership

Core performers and collaborators have included company members drawn from conservatories such as Juilliard School, The Ailey School, and New York University Tisch School of the Arts. Artistic leadership has worked with producers from Michael Kaiser-era presenting models, executive directors connected to Ford Foundation grant portfolios, and advisors from institutions like Rockefeller Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts. Guest artists and choreographers have been invited from ensembles including Batsheva Dance Company, Berlin Staatsballett, and contemporary troupes linked to William Forsythe.

Touring, Residency, and Outreach

Touring history encompasses North American circuits including seasons at Kennedy Center and Cal Performances, European tours visiting Théâtre de la Ville, and Asia-Pacific engagements at venues like the Hong Kong Arts Festival. Long-term residencies have been hosted at centers such as Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, and university programs at Harvard University, Columbia University, and Brown University. Outreach initiatives partnered with community organizations including (RED), municipal arts councils, and educational programs modeled after those by Dance/NYC and National Dance Project.

Awards and Recognition

Recognition includes awards and honors associated with entities like the MacArthur Fellows Program, Pulitzer Prize for Drama-adjacent composition commissions, and fellowships from the Guggenheim Foundation. The company's leaders have been recipients of honors from Obie Awards, Tony Awards-adjacent presenters, and lifetime achievement acknowledgments from organizations such as American Dance Festival and New York Foundation for the Arts. Commissions and grants have come via partnerships with the National Endowment for the Arts, Kennedy Center Honors-linked programs, and philanthropic supporters including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Category:Dance companies in New York City