Jonathan Phelps

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Jonathan's Life
Words by Jonathan's favorite Writer:

Courage It is in the small things we see it. The child's first step, as awesome as an earthquake. The first time you rode a bike, wallowing up the sidewalk. The first spanking when your heart went on a journey all alone. When they called you crybaby or poor or fatty or crazy and made you into an alien, you drank their acid and concealed it. Later, if you faced the death of bombs and bullets you did not do it with a banner, you did it with only a hat to comver your heart. You did not fondle the weakness inside you though it was there. Your courage was a small coal that you kept swallowing. If your buddy saved you and died himself in so doing, then his courage was not courage, it was love; love as simple as shaving soap. Later, if you have endured a great despair, then you did it alone, getting a transfusion from the fire, picking the scabs off your heart, then wringing it out like a sock. Next, my kinsman, you powdered your sorrow, you gave it a back rub and then you covered it with a blanket and after it had slept a while it woke to the wings of the roses and was transformed. Later, when you face old age and its natural conclusion your courage will still be shown in the little ways, each spring will be a sword you'll sharpen, those you love will live in a fever of love, and you'll bargain with the calendar and at the last moment when death opens the back door you'll put on your carpet slippers and stride out.
~ Anne Sexton
JONATHAN PHELPS BIOGRAPHY
Jonathan Phelps – performing credits include:
 
Off-Broadway productions of:
SEDUCTION, TORCHED, CONFESSIONS OF LOVE and WABI. Workshops of VALENTINO and AIN’T THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD. Regionally, 7 BRIDES FOR 7 BROTHERS. Mr. Phelps has performed and toured throughout the world with the acclaimed ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATRE and has also danced with THE JAMISON PROJECT, DONALD BYRD/ THE GROUP and 8 and AH I. Jonathan danced the leading role in the New York City Opera’s production of CARMINA BURANA and danced the leading role with the
Philadelphia Opera Company’s production of DEATH IN VENICE.

Television credits include:
 “DANCE IN AMERICA” “GREAT PERFORMANCES” and the
Emmy Award winning “A HYMN FOR ALVIN AILEY”

Jonathan is a founding member of WALKERDANCE and has assisted Director/ Choreographer Chet Walker on numerous projects throughout the world. In 2005, Mr. Phelps danced at
Jacob’s Pillow in the sold out production of JAZZ ON JAZZ featuring choreography of Jazz Dance legend Matt Mattox. Jonathan was a featured performer in THE DANCING MAN (A Tribute to Bob Fosse) which completed a European tour in 2006. Most recently, Mr. Phelps was a featured dancer in the Boston Early Music Festival’s production of PHYCHE’.

 Jonathan Phelps has Directed and Choreographed regional and
touring productions of ANYTHING GOES, KISS ME KATE, PIPPIN, A
CHORUS LINE, CATS, SWEET CHARITY, ON THE TOWN, FORTHY-
SECOND STREET, CHICAGO and CABARET. He has choreographed THE
SCARLET PIMPERNAL and THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM. Jonathan
choreographed and was Assistant Director for the Fulton Opera House’s production of INTO THE WOODS.

In 1998 The Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers awarded Mr. Phelps with the coveted LOEW Fellowship. Through the years, over 20 of his ballets have been selected to be presented in Regional Dance
America Festivals. Allegheny Ballet, Berks Ballet, Lake Erie Ballet, Harrisburg Ballet, Pennsylvania Regional Ballet, New Castle Ballet, South Dayton Dance Company Vineland Regional Dance Company and YouthMET have performed his ballets. In 2000, Jonathan was awarded with the National Choreographic Award. In
2005, he served as Adjudicator for Regional Dance America’s Festival (Northeast) and Adjudicated for the Southeast Region for the National Festival in 2007.

As a Master Teacher, Jonathan has traveled the United States and to
Canada, France, Greece, Serbia, South Africa and Argentina teaching Modern, Ballet,Jazz and Musical Theatre Dance. He has participated in giving scholarships to the Jazz/Musical Theatre and Contemporary programs at the School for Jacob’s Pillow. In 2005, Jonathan received a teaching residency at Interlochen Center for the Arts and
in 2007/2008 was on staff at the School for Jacob’s Pillow in the Jazz/ Musical Theatre program.


CHOREOGRAPHER/ TEACHER
 
BFA graduate in Dance and dance Ed. From University of the Arts (1988)
 
CHOREOGRAPHY
 
ALLEGHENY BALLET- Debbie Anthony (Artistic Director)  
Choreographed 1 Ballet in 2003
 
AILEY ON AILEY Benefit for the Dancers of the Alvin Ailey American Dance
Theatres: Dancers Resource Fund.  
 
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE CENTER- Denise Jefferson (School Director)  
Student Summer Workshop (1996, 1998)

BERKS BALLET – Kelly Barber (Artistic Director)  
Choreographed 2 ballets (1994, 2008)
 
CANDLEWOOD INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTIONS
Choreographed: THE SCARLET PIMPERNAL (2002)
 
FULTON OPERA HOUSE  
Choreographed and Assistant Director: INTO THE WOODS (2005)
 
LAKE ERIE BALLET- Sharon Filone (Artistic Director)  
Choreographed 3 ballets (1999,2000,2001)
 
NEW CASTLE BALLET – Debbie Parou (Artistic Director)  
Choreographed 6 ballets (1990,91,98.99,01,04)
 
PENNSLYVANIA REGIONAL BALLET- Sandra Carlino (Artistic Director)  
Choreographed 15 ballets on this company 1988-2007
 
PHILADELPHIA DANCE THEATRE- Joy Delaney (Artistic Director)  
Choreographed 1 Ballet (2008)
 
SOUTH DAYTON DANCE COMPANY- Gigi Gardner (Artistic Director)
Choreographed 1 Ballet (2002)
 
VINELAND REGIONAL DANCE COMPANY – Maxine Chapman  
(Artistic Director)
Choreographed 14 Ballets on this company 1990-2008
 
DIRECTED and CHOREOGRAPHED: 

Belvoir Terrace:
 
KISS ME KATE. DAMN YANKEES, CATS, A CHORUS LINE, ON    
THE TOWN, SWEET CHARITY, THROUGHLY MODERN MILLIE, CABARET,
GUYS AND DOLLS, PIPPIN, THE ROBBER BRIDEGROOM, ANYTHING
GOES, FORTY-SECOND STREET, CHICAGO
 
 
ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR/CHOREOGRAPHER           Chet Walker
 
1999-2008 O’HENRY’S LOVERS, LIZA MINELLI TRIBUTE,
SEDUCTION,
VALENTINO (Workshop), SEVEN DEADLY SINS( ANGER),  
CONFESSIONS OF LOVE, AIN’T THAT A KICK IN THE HEAD
(Workshop), CABARET (Belgrade, Serbia), SMOKEY JOE’S CAFÉ (Bethesda,
Maryland) Conducted dance auditions and casting for productions at the FULTON OPREA HOUSE.
Michael D. Mitchell (Artistic Director)  
 
Rehearsal Director for The School at Jacob’s Pillow(Jazz/Musical Theatre Program) Assisting Choreographers: Mercedes Ellington, Dan Siretta, Chet Walker, Donna McKechnie.
 
TEACHER (Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Musical Theatre Dance)
   
Julio Bocca School ( Buenos Aries, Argentina), Ailey School, National Ballet of
Canada, Nashville Ballet, Portland Ballet, Pretoria Technikon (Pretoria, South Africa)
Soweto Township( Johannesburg), Mercyhurst University, American Hellenic Union
(Athens Greece) BalletMet, University of the Arts, Boston Summer Dance Festival,
Interlochen Center for the Arts, Regional Dance America Northeast
Faculty(2005,2008) Regional Dacne America National Festival Faculty (2007)
 
ACHIEVEMENTS
 
Winner- National Choreographic Award from Regional Dance America (2000)
 
LOEW Fellowship Recipient- Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers
Adjudicator for Regional Dance America Festival (Northeast) 2005
Adjudicator for Regional dance America National Festival (Southeast) 2007
 
5 Choreographic Grants from the Pennsylvania Council of the Arts
(1989,90,96,03,05)
 
Acceptance into The Carlisle Project (1992) Barbara Weisburger (Artistic Director)  Intensified conference on the development of choreographic skills. Tarin Chaplin –
Instructor
 
PERFORMANCE
 
WALKERDANCE .1999-Present
 
ALVIN AILEY AMERICAN DANCE THEATRE  1992-1998
 
DONALD BYRD/THE GROUP 1990-1992
 
THE JAMISON PROJECT  1988-1990

 
 
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