FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music is pleased to announce the appointment of Sasha Janes, professor of music in ballet, as artistic director of the Chautauqua Institution’s School of Dance. He will continue to teach full time at Jacobs.
Janes will direct the artistic vision of the prestigious summer dance program throughout the nine-week Chautauqua Summer Assembly and promote dance residency initiatives year-round, building on over 20 years of experience with Chautauqua. In 2021, he began as a dancer with the Chautauqua Festival Ballet, then became a choreographer, artistic advisor, director of contemporary studies and interim director.
“Sasha Janes is a talented artist, nurturing teacher and experienced leader in the professional world of ballet who constantly improves our work here at the Jacobs School of Music Ballet Department,” said Sarah Wroth, department chair. “After having contributed to the Chautauqua Institution’s summer dance program for numerous years, it’s wonderful to see his gift for ballet organization and artistic programming honored through this well-deserved promotion.”
Born in Perth, Australia, Janes received his formal dance training from the Australian Ballet School. He has danced professionally with Australian Ballet, West Australian Ballet, Dayton Ballet and Hong Kong Ballet, performing principal roles in works by George Balanchine, Jean Pierre Bonnefoux, Twyla Tharp and many others.
At the invitation of Bonnefoux and associate artistic director Patricia McBride, former Jacobs School Ballet Department faculty members, Janes joined Charlotte Ballet in 2003. In 2006, he was commissioned to choreograph his first ballet and has since choreographed several works for the company as well as for IU Jacobs School of Music Ballet Theater. His “Rhapsodic Dances” was performed as part of the Kennedy Center’s Ballet Across America series in June 2013.
Janes was a principal dancer with Charlotte Ballet for eight seasons before being named rehearsal director in 2007 then associate artistic director in 2012 and adding the title resident choreographer in 2013. He joined the Jacobs School of Music faculty in 2016.
The Jacobs School of Music will premiere a new production of “The Nutcracker” with original choreography by Janes in November as part of its 2023-24 Mainstage Season.