Connecting to the earth. Connecting to oneself. Connecting to other people.
JUMP RHYTHM Company Members
BILLY SIEGENFELD is the founder, artistic director, principal choreographer, and ensemble performing member of Jump Rhythm Jazz Project, which celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2010. He is also the creator and, with JUMP RHYTHM's company members, developer of Jump Rhythm® Technique, a unique system of movement learning that transforms the dancing body, accompanied by the scat-singing voice, into a dynamically expressive, rhythm-accurate percussion instrument. This pedagogy guides students to work holistically: based on the movement-efficient, gravity-directed approach to alignment called Standing Down Straight®. it promotes connection to the earth, to oneself, and to others In 2007 he received an Emmy Award in the category of “Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera/Performer” for his work in the multiple-Emmy-Award-winning documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There, produced by HMS Media and aired on PBS. He is the 2006 recipient of Chicago's most prestigious dance honor, the Ruth Page Award, which cited him for “his vibrant dance artistry, development of a unique dance vocabulary, and the exciting choreography created in that dance technique.” In 2005 he received the Jazz Dance World Congress Award for making “major contributions to the art of jazz dance.” Also in 2005 the United States Fulbright Commission made him a Fulbright Senior Scholar, an honor that took him to Finland where he introduced the theory and practice of Jump Rhythm® Technique to the Arts Academy of Turku University of Applied Sciences, and where he now teaches the technique annually with other members of the company. In 2000 the magazine Dance Teacher placed Siegenfeld on its Twentieth Century Timeline of Choreographers and Innovators for “develop[ing] the Jump Rhythm Jazz Technique and found[ing] Jump Rhythm Jazz Project,” and in 1998 the magazine Dancer credited him with “inventing the first genuine jazz technique in forty years.” Choreographic honors include the National Performance Network Creation Award in 2003, which led to the productions of Sorrows of Unison Dancing and The News From Poems; the 1997 Ruth Page Dance Achievement Award for Outstanding Choreography, citing the pieces Romance in Swingtime and No Way Out, and the 1994 Jazz Dance World Congress Gold Leo Award for Outstanding Choreography, citing Getting There. He is also a Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence at Northwestern University where he teaches Jump Rhythm Technique; Jump Rhythm Tap; Movement Awareness; Choreographing Music; and American Rhythm Dancing and the African American Performance Aesthetic, a video-discussion course which surveys and analyzes filmed excerpts of Africanist-influenced, jazz-rhythm-, rock-rhythm-, and hop-hop-rhythm-based choreography and dancing in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. His most recent article, “Standing Down Straight: Jump Rhythm Technique’s Rhythm-Driven, Community-Directed Approach to Dance Education,” appears in the December 2009 issue of Journal of Dance Education.
BRANDI COLEMAN is Associate Artistic Director and principal performer with JUMP RHYTHM. She received an Emmy Award as “Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera: Performer” for her work in the multiple-Emmy-Award-winning documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There, produced by HMS Media and aired on PBS. She is now in her eighth year as a performing and teaching artist with the company.She serves as the leader of residencies specializing in the teaching of Jump Rhythm® Technique and the re-mounting of JUMP RHYTHM repertory to universities and dance companies across the country.Some of these include:University of Minnesota, Duluth; Western Kentucky University; Randolph-Macon Women’s College; Louisiana Dance Theatre; the University of North Texas; Ohio Northern University; Fort Wayne Ballet; and the University of Alaska, Anchorage.Brandi has also been serving as an Adjunct Lecturer with the faculty of the Northwestern University Dance Program since 2002, teaching to undergraduates from the areas of dance, musical theatre, and acting.At Northwestern, she has assisted Billy Siegenfeld in re-mounting JUMP RHYTHM repertory for concerts of the Northwestern dance company, Danceworks.She has also been a faculty member of the JUMP RHYTHM Summer Intensive in its two locations—Dance Inn in Lexington, Massachusetts and on the Evanston campus of Northwestern.In Chicago, Brandi has taught Jump Rhythm® Technique to public school students under the auspices of the Gallery 37 Outreach program.Brandi began her training at Carol Anglin Dancenter in Shreveport, LA and was a charter member of Louisiana Dance Theatre (LDT).As a member of LDT, she had the opportunity to perform at the Jazz Dance World Congress in Chicago and at Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, as well as at Regional Dance America festivals.She also received scholarships to study at the Giordano Dance Center (Chicago), Tremaine Dance Center (Los Angeles), and at the Jazz Workshop of Jacob’s Pillow (Massachusetts), where she first studied with Billy Siegenfeld.
AMANDA BENZIN is a native of Buffalo, New York. She graduated summa cum laude from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and a minor in Business Administration. During her time at SUNY Buffalo, she performed with the celebrated Zodiaque Dance Company and the Zodiaque Studio Dance Ensemble. In addition to performing with Zodiaque, she was chosen to choreograph for many departmental productions, including the Tenth Anniversary of Young Choreographers' Showcase. Upon graduation, Amanda moved to New York City and performed professionally with the Vissi Dance Theatre and modern choreographer, Brandon Ellis. Amanda has taught dance to children of all ages in local studios and public schools in Buffalo, NY and NYC, including a pre-school for developmentally and physically disable children. She is currently teaching at Kaleidoscope Dance and Movement Center in Skokie, Illinois. Throughout her career, Amanda has studied all forms of dance under many renowned choreographers including Bill T. Jones, Doug Varone, Denise Vail, In Young Sohn of Korea, Eager Artists of South Africa, etc., but after her first exposure to Jump Rhythm in their annual Chicago intensive, she was hooked. As a company member with JRJP, she has performed and taught the renowned Jump Rhythm® Technique at universities, schools, and dance studios nationally and internationally. She received an Emmy Award as “Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera: Performer” for her work in the multiple-Emmy-Award-winning documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There, produced by HMS Media and aired on PBS. Amanda has always followed her passion for life, dance and education, and she sincerely thanks Michael and her supportive and loving family for keeping this passion alive and growing.
KEVIN DURNBAUGH is a Chicago area native and is very pleased to be a member of JUMP RHYTHM. His rhythmic studies began at the age of 10 when he studied percussion and drumming with Paul Kairis. He began dancing during productions of musicals during high school. As a theater major at Northwestern University, Kevin studied Jump Rhythm® Technique for three years.He was also a member of Boomshaka, an on campus rhythmic performance ensemble.His love of rhythm led him to become a scholarship student with JUMP RHYTHM post graduation. After completing his tenure as a scholarship student and apprentice, he joined the JUMP RHYTHM family as a company member. Kevin is also the Associate Artistic Director of Be the Groove, a Chicago based rhythm ensemble.
PETER HAMMER began dancing at the age of 14 in Laurel, Montana.From there he went on to graduate from Hope College with a degree in Dance Performance and Choreography.During this time Peter had the opportunity to dance with Chicago Tap Theatre. It was this Chicago connection that eventually led him to dancing with Jump Rhythm Jazz Project.Along with working with Jump Rhythm, Peter teaches in the greater Chicago area, from Joel Hall, in Chicago, to Dance Theatre of Northern Illinois, located in Gurnee. Peter is excited to have another year with Jump Rhythm.
JEANNIE HILL is a company member and artistic advisor with Jump Rhythm Jazz Project.Since the company’s founding in 1990, she has toured nationally and internationally with Siegenfeld, performing the duo’s chamber jazz musical Romance in Swingtime as well as ensemble work in full company performances. She received an Emmy Award as “Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera: Performer” for her work in the multiple-Emmy-Award-winning documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project:Getting There, produced by HMS Media and aired on PBS.In 2004, Hill joined the faculty of the Department of Theatre and Dance at University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point, where she teaches tap, jazz, Jump Rhythm® Technique, musical theatre dance, and composition.She received a BA in Theatre from the University of Vermont and an MFA in Dance from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, Peck School of the Arts. Celebrating Jump Rhythm’s unique rhythm-first approach to movement learning, Hill continues to perform with, teach and choreograph for the company.As a tap soloist Hill has studied and shared the stage with numerous tap luminaries including Bob Audy, Brenda Bufalino, Jeni LeGon and late greats Jimmy Slyde and James Buster Brown.Additional performance opportunities with superior jazz dancers and musicians include the Discover Jazz Festival, Sculler's Jazz Club, Zinno’s, New York’s Tap City at the Joyce Theatre and the Duke Theatre, Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall, Chicago Human Rhythm Project, St. Louis Tap Festival, Southern California Tap Festival and The Saco River Grange Hall. While living in New York she worked with Manhattan Tap (Heather Cornell, artistic director) and was introduced to the ever-expanding international community of rhythm tap dancers.Her varied performance career has included international touring as a Noh dancer with Robert Wilson and David Byrne’s the Knee Plays (Suzushi Hanyagi, choreographer); originating the role of Clara in the world premiere of Drika Overton’s jazz-tap Nutcracker, Clara's Dream; touring with Mike Gordon (Phish) as a tap dancing, jam-band member; a featured dancer and singer in a five month run of A 40s’ Review with the Tony Corbiscello Big Band at The Supper Club in New York, and performing with comic country band, The Chalks (including an appearance on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and co-authorship of a sit-com pilot script for Big Ticket Television).In addition to the yearly UWSP faculty concert Danstage, she has choreographed Rent, Hair, Urinetown, Fiddler on the Roof, Crazy For You, and Pirates of Penzance. Hill has been commissioned to create dances for Decidedly Jazz Danceworks (Calgary), Point Park University, The Legacy Dancers, Step Aside, Tappers With Attitude, Manhattan Tap, Northwestern University's Danceworks and Jump Rhythm Jazz Project.
JORDAN KAHL graduated from Northwestern University with a BS in Dance and a Minor in Psychology in 2004.Having studied under Billy Siegenfeld at Northwestern, she fell in love with Jump Rhythm® Technique.Jordan is honored to be a part of the JUMP RHYTHM community and has been able to share her love for rhythm-teaching around the country and also abroad in Italy and Finland. She received an Emmy Award as “Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera: Performer” for her work in the multiple-Emmy-Award-winning documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There, produced by HMS Media and aired on PBS.
KRISTINA KASPERgrew up dancing and making rhythm in the Chicagoland area. After years of traditional dance training she furthered her education at the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point (UWSP), earning a BA in dance. Kristina has performed in several dance and theatre productions, was awarded the Festival of the Arts scholarship and nominated for the Chancellor's Excellence in Leadership award. She has interned with the American Dance Festival at Duke University. Her choreography has been adjudicated at the American College Dance Festival, produced in concert venues including Open House Dance Collective in Chicago and ranked highly in national youth dance competitions. Kristina was introduced to Jump Rhythm Technique through a choreographic residency at UWSP, receiving the opportunity to perform a selection of the repertory. She later moved back to Chicago to study with JUMP RHYTHM.Kristina joined the company in 2008 and now serves both as a teacher of Jump Rhythm® Technique for the company’s community classes at the Galaxie and for its master classes on tour and as a member of the performing ensemble.She received an Emmy Award as “Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera: Performer” for her work in the multiple-Emmy-Award-winning documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There, produced by HMS Media and aired on PBS.
HEIDI MALNAR joined JUMP RHYTHM in 2007 and now serves both as a member of the performing ensemble and as teacher of Jump Rhythm® Technique for the company’s community classes at the Galaxie and for its master classes on tour.She received an Emmy Award as “Outstanding Achievement for Individual Excellence On Camera: Performer” for her work in the multiple-Emmy-Award-winning documentary Jump Rhythm Jazz Project: Getting There, produced by HMS Media and aired on PBS.She has also been a company member of Chicago Tap Theatre, whose artistic director is Mark Yonally.A versatile choreographer of stage and screen, Heidi created the choreography for and starred in the short film Seduction in C-Sharp, directed by Anne Peterson.Seduction was recently offered a three-year distribution deal with the Canadian short film channel Movieola. The film also appeared at the International Film Festival England where it was nominated for Best Film in the Noir category, Landlocked FilmFestival, Reel Women International, and received a Silver Remi Award in the Student Cinematography category at the 42nd Annual World-Fest Houston.Heidi recently choreographed Throughly Modern Millie at Carthage College in Kenosha, WI and was nominated for a Kennedy Center American Theatre Festival Certificate of Merit for her choreography. Prior to that, she created can-can and cabaret delight for Columbia College Chicago's Alumni Gala, "A Night at the Moulin Rouge." Her choreography also has been seen at Bailiwick Repertory Theatre in the “Barenaked Lads" series, The Roxy Regional Theatre, youth dance ensembles and Orchesis groups, and various independent music videos and commercials.She can also be seen as an extra in the recent Michael Mann film, Public Enemies, starring Johnny Depp.In addition, Heidi is part of Carthage College’s adjunct faculty in its newly founded dance minor program teaching tap, and will be setting an original piece of choreography on the student company for this year’s annual spring dance concert. In addition to teaching at the Galaxie, Heidi also offers classes at Le Ballet Petit, and Kenosha Academy of Dance.
LIZZIE PERKINSbegan dancing, singing, and telling stories early on in her California childhood. She moved to the Midwest to attend Northwestern University as a theatre major who spent as much time in the dance department as she did the theatre department. While a student at NU, she met Billy and marveled at the similarities between the techniques of her acting classes and those of her JUMP RHYTHM classes. She put her observations into practice while performing in Danceworks, a faculty-choreographed dance showcase. Upon graduation, she gladly accepted the opportunity to continue her study of Jump Rhythm® Technique with the company, and it has been an exhilarating process thus far! In addition to JUMP RHYTHM, Lizzie is devoted to arts education and works as Lookingglass Theatre Company’s Director of Education and Community Programs.She values sharing an artistic philosophy with the individuals within the JUMP RHYTHM community, and would like to thank her dear family and friends who have encouraged and supported her along the way.
JUMP RHYTHM JAZZ PROJECT, 4109 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL 60618, phone: 773-588-JRJP (5757), fax: 773-588-5656, info@jrjp.org
