Lola Lola
a multi-media dance theatre comapny
Jessica Bonenfant is Creative Director of Brooklyn, NY based Lola Lola Dance Theatre and is one half of the performance duo
Greenfield & Bon: Purveyors of Fine Dance Theatre.
She is currently pursuing her MFA in Choreography at the University of Michigan, where she is focused on creative process, interdisciplinary collaboration and dance for the screen.
She is currently pursuing her MFA in Choreography at the University of Michigan, where she is focused on creative process, interdisciplinary collaboration and dance for the screen.
Contact Jessica at:
heylolalola@gmail.com
or
jessbon@umich.edu
or
jessbon@umich.edu
ABOUT JESSICA BONENFANTCreative Director
Jessica's choreography has been seen outdoors, through windows, on film, in kitchens and in a reflecting pool, as well as onstage at numerous venues in New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Ohio, Michigan and Colorado. She holds a bachelor’s degree in dance from Marymount Manhattan College and is a second year M.F.A. in dance student at University of Michigan where she is studying choreography, creative process and interdisciplinary / multi-media performance. Upon graduation she hopes to pursue a doctoral degree in Performance Studies.
Prior to graduate school Jessica was an arts administrator, a dance curator, and a bookkeeper in Brooklyn, NY. Her work in higher education has included being a visiting lecturer, choreographer and graduate student instructor at Baruch College, University of Toledo and University of Michigan. As a performer Jessica has appeared with Dixie Fun Dance Theatre and Bronwyn Sims.
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
I aim to create stimulating works of multi-media dance theatre and performance art, which maintain a contemporary relevance, particularly relating to the current social consciousness. My work develops from historical research, the written word, images from fashion, photography and popular culture, and music ranging from original compositions to pop music. Feminist theory and gender studies are of particular interest to me. Both the cerebral and kinesthetic properties of performance are paramount, and creating an integrated whole is a priority.
My work is often collaborative and performers and designers are integral to the process from the initiation of each concept. I strive to challenge myself, and my collaborators, with the exploration of new mediums, concepts and structures in each production. I feel that creating a safe environment to experiment and cultivating a sense of play are integral to collaboration. Often play takes the form of improvisation. I find improvisation inevitably invites collaboration as bodies are experimenting in a shared space, and often offers surprises that become seeds for setting material. Collaboration is intriguing to me because it asks participants to arrive at a common vision, and when effective, honors the strengths and creativity of those involved in the art making. The product is something beyond my singular vision.
I am a process-oriented artist and am cultivating my ability to take risks and embrace the potentiality of failure. I am committed to developing my work in dialectic with my peers, audiences and mentors rather than in isolation, as I believe that shaping and revision are important parts of most creative endeavors. Developing performances is essentially making a series of decisions and reexamination of a work allows me to evaluate those decisions I have made. I do value the end product, but I trust that the integrity of the process will yield interesting and exciting results.
- Jessica Bonenfant