Jumatatu Poe and Jesse Zaritt
Jesse Zaritt
Jesse Zaritt has performed his solo work in Russia, Korea, Germany, New York, Japan, Mexico and Israel. His solo ‘Binding’ is the recipient of three 2010 New York Innovative Theater Awards: Outstanding Choreography, Outstanding Solo Performance, and Outstanding Performance Art Production. From September 2008 through June 2011, he was an artist in residence at the 14th Street Y in Manhattan as part of LABA, a laboratory for new Jewish culture. He has created choreography for the Seminar HaKibbutzim College and the Acco Theater Festival while living in Israel as a recipient of a 2006-2007 Dorot Fellowship. Jesse was a performer with the Shen Wei Dance Arts Company (NYC/2001-2006), and the Inbal Pinto Dance Company (Tel Aviv/2008). He currently dances in the work of Faye Driscoll and Netta Yerushalmy. Jesse has recently taught at the University of the Arts (PA), the American Dance Festival (NC), Hollins University (VA), Pomona College (CA), and the University of the Americas Puebla (Mexico) as well as at festivals in Japan, Korea, and Russia. Jesse received an MFA in Dance from Hollins University/ The American Dance Festival (2008) and a BA from Pomona College (2000).
Jumatatu Poe
I was born in San Jose, California, 1982. I spent the first part of my life up and down the California coast, though now I have officially spent over half of my life living in Philadelphia, PA. After spending a significant part of my youth studying theater, I began training in dance while studying at Swarthmore College. At Swarthmore, I trained primarily in contemporary African dance and apprenticed with Kariamu & Company: Traditions in Philadelphia. Post-college, I continued my dance training in Temple University’s MFA program, mentored heavily by Merián Soto, with whom I still work artistically. My most significant training during and since has been with Rennie Harris, Anouk van Dijk, Irene Dowd, and through Philadanco’s training program.
As a performer, I currently work with Merián Soto, Leah Stein, and Shannon Murphy. Previously, I have danced with Marianela Boán, Tania Isaac, Charles. O. Anderson/Dance Theatre X, Keith Thompson, and Kate Watson-Wallace. My own choreographic work has been supported by the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage through Dance Advance, Philadelphia Live Arts Festival, Susan Hess Modern Dance Choreographers’ Project, and the Community Education Center. This work has often been performed in Philadelphia, and has also toured to Seattle, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, and New York. In 2008, I founded idiosynCrazy productions, and currently serve as one of its directors, with Shannon Murphy and Shavon Norris.
