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Bill T. Jones

Bill T. Jones

Keynote Speaker: Multi-Talented Artist, Choreographer, Dancer, Artistic Director, Writer & Recipient of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2010

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Bill T. Jones Biography

Bill T. Jones is a multi-talented artist, choreographer, dancer, theater director and writer, and was Associate Artist for the 2020 Holland Festival. Mr. Jones has received major honors including the Human Rights Campaign’s 2016 Visibility Award, 2013 National Medal of Arts to a 1994 MacArthur “Genius” Award and Kennedy Center Honors in 2010. Mr. Jones was honored with the 2014 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award, recognized as Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government in 2010, inducted into the American Academy of Arts & Sciences in 2009 and named “An Irreplaceable Dance Treasure” by the Dance Heritage Coalition in 2000. His ventures into Broadway theater resulted in a 2010 Tony Award for Best Choreography in the critically acclaimed FELA!, the new musical co-conceived, co-written, directed and choreographed by Mr. Jones. He also earned a 2007 Tony Award for Best Choreography in Spring Awakening as well as an Obie Award for the show’s 2006 off-Broadway run. His choreography for the off-Broadway production of The Seven earned him a 2006 Lucille Lortel Award.

Mr. Jones began his dance training at the State University of New York at Binghamton (SUNY), where he studied classical ballet and modern dance. After living in Amsterdam, Mr. Jones returned to SUNY, where he became co-founder of the American Dance Asylum in 1973. In 1982 he formed the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company (then called Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane & Company) with his late partner, Arnie Zane. Mr. Jones is currently Artistic Director of New York Lives Arts, an organization that strives to create a robust framework in support of the nation’s dance and movement-based artists through new approaches to producing, presenting and educating.

His work in dance has been recognized with the 2010 Jacob’s Pillow Dance Award; the 2005 Wexner Prize; the 2005 Samuel H. Scripps American Dance Festival Award for Lifetime Achievement; the 2003 Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize; and the 1993 Dance Magazine Award. His additional awards include the Harlem Renaissance Award in 2005; the Dorothy B. Chandler Performing Arts Award in 1991; multiple New York Dance and Performance Bessie Awards for his works The Table Project (2001), The Breathing Show (2001), D-Man in the Waters (1989) and the Company’s groundbreaking season at the Joyce Theater (1986). In 1980, 1981 and 1982, Mr. Jones was the recipient of Choreographic Fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, and in 1979 he was granted the Creative Artists Public Service Award in Choreography.

Mr. Jones was profiled on "NBC Nightly News" and "The Today Show" in 2010 and was a guest on the "Colbert Report" in 2009. Also in 2010, he was featured in HBO’s documentary series MASTERCLASS, which follows notable artists as they mentor aspiring young artists. In 2009, Mr. Jones appeared on one of the final episodes of "Bill Moyers Journal," discussing his Lincoln suite of works. He was also one of 22 prominent black Americans featured in the HBO documentary The Black List in 2008. In 2004, ARTE France and Bel Air Media produced Bill T. Jones–Solos, highlighting three of his iconic solos from a cinematic point of view. The making of Still/Here was the subject of a documentary by Bill Moyers and David Grubin entitled Bill T. Jones: Still/Here with Bill Moyers in 1997. Additional television credits include telecasts of his works Last Supper at Uncle Tom’s Cabin/The Promised Land (1992) and Fever Swamp (1985) on PBS’s “Great Performances” Series. In 2001, D-Man in the Waters was broadcast on the Emmy-winning documentary Free to Dance.

Bill T. Jones’s interest in new media and digital technology has resulted in collaborations with the team of Paul Kaiser, Shelley Eshkar and Marc Downie, now known as OpenEnded Group. The collaborations include After Ghostcatching – the 10th Anniversary re-imagining of Ghostcatching (2010, SITE Sante Fe Eighth International Biennial); 22 (2004, Arizona State University’s Institute for Studies In The Arts and Technology, Tempe, AZ); and Ghostcatching – A Virtual Dance Installation (1999, Cooper Union, New York, NY).

He has received honorary doctorates from Yale University, Art Institute of Chicago, Bard College, Columbia College, Skidmore College, the Juilliard School, Swarthmore College and the State University of New York at Binghamton Distinguished Alumni Award, where he began his dance training with studies in classical ballet and modern dance.

Mr. Jones’s memoir, "Last Night on Earth," was published by Pantheon Books in 1995. An in-depth look at the work of Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane can be found in "Body Against Body: The Dance and Other Collaborations of Bill T. Jones and Arnie Zane," published by Station Hill Press in 1989. Hyperion Books published "Dance," a children’s book written by Bill T. Jones and photographer Susan Kuklin in 1998. Mr. Jones contributed to "Continuous Replay: The Photography of Arnie Zane," published by MIT Press in 1999. Jones’s most recent book, "Story/Time: The Life of an Idea," was published in 2014 by Princeton University Press.

In addition to his Company and Broadway work, Mr. Jones also choreographed Sir Michael Tippet’s New Year (1990) for Houston Grand Opera and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. His Mother of Three Sons was performed at the Munich Biennale, New York City Opera and the Houston Grand Opera. Mr. Jones also directed Lost in the Stars for the Boston Lyric Opera. Additional theater projects include co-directing Perfect Courage with Rhodessa Jones for Festival 2000 in 1990. In 1994, he directed Derek Walcott’s Dream on Monkey Mountain for The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, MN.

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Bill T. Jones Videos

Bill T. Jones & Philip Bither Discuss "Afterwardsness"
How Bill T. Jones' 'Deep Blue Sea' explores the collective 'we' of the ...
Body, Movement, Language: AI Sketches with Bill T. Jones - YouTube

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Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Bill T. Jones for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Bill T. Jones, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Bill T. Jones or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Bill T. Jones for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Bill T. Jones, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Bill T. Jones are $20,000 - $30,000 for live events and $10,000 - $20,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Bill T. Jones, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Bill T. Jones speak about?

Bill T. Jones is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Performing Arts, Writing, Television & Film, Entertainers, Celebrity, Literary, TED and Entertainment.

Where does Bill T. Jones travel from?

Bill T. Jones generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Bill T. Jones?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Bill T. Jones for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Bill T. Jones for your next private or corporate function.

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AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Bill T. Jones or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

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Bill T. Jones is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Performing Arts, Writing and Television & Film. The estimated speaking fee range to book Bill T. Jones for live events is $20,000 - $30,000, and for virtual events $10,000 - $20,000. Bill T. Jones generally travels from New York, NY, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Ruth E. Carter, Ben Vereen and Thomas Kail. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Bill T. Jones for an upcoming event.

Bill T. Jones Videos

Bill T. Jones & Philip Bither Discuss "Afterwardsness"
How Bill T. Jones' 'Deep Blue Sea' explores the collective 'we' of the ...
Body, Movement, Language: AI Sketches with Bill T. Jones - YouTube
The Human Journey: Bill T. Jones

Bill T. Jones Reviews

  • University of Kentucky - Oct 27 2022

Bill T. Jones News

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