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Janis Brenner

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Janis Brenner
BornNew York City, United States
OccupationSinger • Dancer

Janis Brenner is an American dance artist, choreographer, and singer. She is the Artistic Director of Janis Brenner & Dancers in New York City.[1][2]

Biography

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Brenner has performed internationally in the field of contemporary dance.[3][4] Her honors include a New York Dance & Performance Award otherwise known as the Bessie Awards for her work in Meredith Monk’s "The Politics of Quiet" and the Lester Horton Award for Choreography in Los Angeles. She has received support from organizations like the NY Foundation for the Arts, the Fund for US Artists at International Festivals, the U.S. State Department, Asian Cultural Council, The Trust for Mutual Understanding, UNESCO, and US embassies in Moscow, Jakarta, and Dakar. She has also received a commission for the interdisciplinary work, The Memory Project, from the Whitney Museum of American Art at Philip Morris.[2]

From 1990 to 2005, Brenner performed with Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble and continues to present several of Monk's solo works. She received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance from the Hollins University/ADF graduate program in 2009. She is currently a faculty member of The Juilliard School, serving as a choreographic mentor for the Choreographers & Composers' course, and teaching creative process. Brenner was on the board of The Gender Project in NY and is on the advisory board of The Yard in Chilmark, Massachusetts. In May 2006, Brenner was inducted into the Farmingdale High School "Wall of Fame" on Long Island as an honored alumna.[5]

Choreography[citation needed]

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  • Anima (1981)
  • Primadonna (1981)
  • Guilt (1985)
  • Still There (1987)
  • Suspicions (1987)
  • Pieces of Trust (1989)
  • Anticipation (1989)
  • The Shekhinah/Voices (1989)
  • Non Sinatra Songs (1991)
  • Pieces of Trust (duet version) (1991)
  • Layers (1992)
  • Ton of Led (1994)
  • Shun-Woa (Original title: Uzu Maki) (1994/2007)
  • A Matter of Time (1995)
  • What About Bob (1996)
  • Solo for Janis (created by Richard Siegal, 1997)
  • On the Rim of Thought (1998)
  • Heart STRINGS (1998)
  • The L Word (2000)
  • A Peace for Women (2000–2001)
  • The Last Ones (2001)
  • Common Ground (2001)
  • Contents May Have Shifted... (2002)
  • Lake (2004)
  • Laugh...Cry (2004)
  • The Sound of Moving (2006)
  • Natashka's Tanze (2006)
  • Room (2006)
  • The Awkward Stage (2007)
  • Lost, Found, Lost (2007)
  • Paradise Songs (2008)
  • The Memory Project (Ongoing)
  • Dancing in Absentia (2009)[6]
  • Inheritance: A Litany (2022)[7]
  • Interesting Women (final scene only) (2025)[8]

Awards

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  • New York Dance and Performance Award (Bessie Award) for Outstanding Creative Achievement in Meredith Monk's work "The Politics of Quiet", 1997.[9]
  • New York Dance and Performance Nomination (Bessie nomination) for her performance in "Solo for Janis" choreographed by Richard Siegal, 1999.[10]
  • Lester Horton Award for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography in L.A. for the collaborative work "Tom's Renaissance", 1996.[11]
  • Richard Porter Leach Fellowship for the Arts from SUNY Empire State College, 1993.
  • New York Dance On Camera Festival award, 1986.[12]

Collaborators

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Brenner has performed with Meredith Monk & Vocal Ensemble since 1990 and performs a vocal suite from Monk's "Songs from the Hill" in concert.[13] She and Theo Bleckmann recorded their work "Mars Cantata" in 1997.[14] She was also a co-choreographer for Michael Moschen and a soloist with Annabelle Gamson's company, performing historic repertory of Mary Wigman and Isadora Duncan (1984–87). Additionally, she was a soloist with the Murray Louis Dance Company, working with Rudolf Nureyev, Plácido Domingo, the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Joseph Papp, the Batsheva Dance Company in Israel, and Alwin Nikolais (1977–84).[6]

References

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  1. ^ [1] Janis Brenner (2024) Steps on Broadway Accessed: 10 January 2025
  2. ^ a b [2] Kjolley (1970) 17 Feb Janis Brenner, Regional Dance America Accessed: 10 January 2025
  3. ^ eyeondance.org February 3, 2007 - "Performing Arts: Dance - Janis Brenners and Guests"
  4. ^ "Eye on Dance and the Arts". www.eyeondance.org. Retrieved 2023-01-16.
  5. ^ "Faculty page". Steps on Broadway. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  6. ^ a b New York Public Library Digital Collections. "Janis Brenner Video Archive". NYPL Digital Collections. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  7. ^ "Janis Brenner to Perform One-Woman Show 'Inheritance: A Litany' at Trinity". Trinity College. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  8. ^ Slayton, Jeff (April 1, 2025). "Lynn Modell/Making Dances presents INTERESTING WOMEN". LA Dance Chronicle. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  9. ^ "Award Archive". The Bessies. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  10. ^ "Richard Siegal | ZKM". zkm.de. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  11. ^ Haithman, Diane (1996-06-15). "Creative risk pays off at Horton Dance Awards". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
  12. ^ Matthews-Guzmán, Jonathan; Matthews-Guzmán, Jonathan (2022-01-07). "Janis Brenner On Compiling Her Artistic Autobiography Through Visual Art". Dance Magazine. Retrieved 2023-01-10.
  13. ^ Monk, Meredith, Atlas: An Opera In Three Parts, ECM Records 1992, http://www.ecmrecords.com/Catalogue/New_Series/1400/1491.php
  14. ^ Janis Brenner and Theo Bleckmann, Mars Cantata, 1997, http://theobleckmann.com/MUSIC/music2.html Archived 2008-10-06 at the Wayback Machine
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