About Joe González

Kaskon Photography

Artist’s Background

Joe González is a Afro-Latino American Dancer and Choreographer. Born and raised in Boston Massachusetts, González started dancing at a young age before he understood what dance meant. Before taking his training serious, as a young boy, Joe was selected for Boston Ballet’s City Dance year long Program and received a scholarship to join the Boston Ballet School and summer program immediate after. When Joe went to middle school (Jr. High) he signed up to became a camper at the Ailey Camp Boston and their after school program Act II. In late 2001 González Enrolled at the Roxbury Center for the Performing Arts founded and directed by Andrea H. Major. After his first year of taking dance serious at Roxbury Center, he decided to apply for a performing arts high school called Boston Arts Academy. In his 4 years there, Joe has done works by Nathan Trice, Pedro Ruiz Jr. (Ballet Hispanico), Sean Currán, Ronald K. Brown, and the dance department’s faculty. In 2006, he received the Boston Arts Academy’s Dance Award and the Young Arts Merit Award (National Foundation Advancement for the Arts). He then became a graduate dance major with high honors. During his training, Joe has participated in programs on scholarships such as; Boston Conservatory’s Summer Intensive (2006), American Dance Festival (2004), Bates Dance Festival (2005) and SpringBroad Danse Montréal (2010 and 2011). at these Programs Joe has done works by RUBBERBANDance Group, Cas Public, and William Forsythe, to name (but) a few. Joe had the honor of receiving funding for his programs from Boston Arts Academy, Celebrity Series Boston, and the programs themselves. After graduating high school, Gonzalez went on to the Boston Conservatory where he was featured in many of the conservatory’s performances which included master works such as; Anthony Tutor (Continuo & Dark Elegies), José Limón (There is a Time, Messa Brevas, Psalms & Moor’s Pavane), David Lichine (Graduation Ball), Alwin Nikolais & Murray Louis (Mechanical Organ & Tensile Involvement), Anna Sokolow (Rooms & Kafka) and many from the conservatory’s Faculty. Thanks to Erin and Dana Brayton, Nikolais and Louis funds, Christo and Eva E. Pappas Foundation, Joe received his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts from the Boston Conservatory and has premiered many works in their choreography showcases and produced an evening performance and dance installation.

González’s Professional Background

González has toured and performed national and internationally as a full time performing artist to Scotland with Anna Myer and Dancers (2005-2014), north/south India and Mexico with Deborah Able Dance Company (2011-2014 & 2017-2019), USA with Prometheus Dance (2011-2014) and “A” Major Dance Company (2005-2014). Gonzalez has also danced with DMB|#DBdanceproject, Putty Dance Project, Dance IQUAIL, Zoé Dance, Danza Orgánica, Waheed Works and David Dorfman Dance. As well as his traditional holiday performances of the Urban Nutcracker and every year since 2005 with Black Nativity Boston. Joe currently tours nationally and internationally as performing artist with Philadanco! (The Philadelphia Dance Company) and Jo-Mé Dance Arts Inc as Co-Exectuive Artistic Director and Choreographer. Performing and Choreographing has taken Joe to Chile South America, London/Leicester UK, Netherlands, Germany, Canada, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and USA. As González continues to be a performing artist and choreographer, he adds on to his career by becoming Artistic Director of Philadanco’s 3rd Company (D/3) since 2017 and as a dance professor at Temple University since 2018, Goregian Court University and will continue to perform, create work and co-directed Jo-Mé Dance.

Choreographic Bio

Joe Gonzalez was first giving the opportunity to choreograph on “A” Major Dance Company and Boston Arts academy where he premiered Nevaeh/Nirvana in 2007. From having the pre-mature opportunity, González was inspired to continue to study choreography and added a choreography course to his curriculum at the Boston Conservatory. There he was was able to submit his works and were selected in the conservatory’s choreography showcase. González presented works such as Silent Tears (2008), Ne Me Quitte Pas and Given Identity (2009), Detached (2010) and co-Produced an evening of dance called, “Opposites Attract” with Katie Latenham (from The People Mover). This included a pre-perfomance dance installation and then the performance where he showcased his own pieces titled To Build and To Hold and Over Our Shoulder. In 2012 May-Lisa Chandler and Joe González Co-Founded Jo-Mé Dance Arts inc. Where he started creating for teens then established a professional company and has created work on them since 2013. When going joined The Philadelphia Dance Company he created many works for Philadanco’s choreography showcase such as Rain from the Eyes (2014), A Conversation at Midnight (2016), The Other Half (2017), Left Here (2018), Sitting Here (2019) and few more on the 3rd company (D/3). Joe Has also commissioned 3 works at Bryn Mawr College in 2018 and F.E.A.R. in 2020. González was also commissioned 2 works at Boston Conservatory in 2020 and 2021 and at Rowan University in 2021. As an emerging choreographer Joe seeks to create more space for choreography, as he continues his dance career as a performing artist.

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