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{{Short description|American choreographer}} |
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{{AfC submission/draft}} |
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{{Infobox person |
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| name = Diane Jacobowitz |
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Diane Jacobowitz is an American choreographer, dancer, teacher, director and the founder of Dancewave. |
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| image = DIANE JACOBOWITZ.jpg |
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| birth_date = * October 30,1952 |
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| birth_place = [[Manhattan]] |
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| citizenship = American |
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| education = *Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Ohio State in 1974 |
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*Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance Connecticut College 1984 |
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| occupation = *Choreographer |
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| known_for = The founder of [[Dancewave]] |
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| spouse = Richard Merle |
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| children = Eliana Merle |
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| mother = Celia Dorothy |
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| father = Judah Jacobowitz |
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| website = |
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}} |
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'''Diane Jacobowitz''' (born 30 October 1952) is an American choreographer, dancer and the founder of [[Dancewave]]'''. <sup></sup>'''<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite web |title=Hip-Hop, Folk and Karate Through a Strainer on a Hot Afternoon |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/15/arts/dance/downtown-dance-festival-opens-review.html |website=nytimes.com |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="nypost.com">{{cite web |title=Dancewave troupe wows them in Scotland |url=https://nypost.com/2010/08/10/dancewave-troupe-wows-them-in-scotland/ |website=nypost.com |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="broadwayworld.com">{{cite web |title=Founder Stepping Off As Executive Director Of Dancewave After 25 Years |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwdance/article/Founder-Stepping-Off-As-Executive-Director-Of-Dancewave-After-25-Years-20200212 |website=broadwayworld.com |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref> |
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== Early Life and Education == |
== Early Life and Education == |
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Jacobowitz was born on October 30,1952 on the [[Lower East Side]] of [[Manhattan]]. Both her parents were [[Jews|Jewish]] and first-generation Americans, whose parents had immigrated from [[Poland]] and [[Lithuania]]. Jacobowitz’s father Judah Jacobowitz, was a civil engineer who worked for Mobil Oil Corporation, and her mother Celia Dorothy Goldstein was employed as a secretary for various firms. <ref name="centraljersey.com">{{cite web |title=Kingston poet lived life on his own terms |url=https://archive.centraljersey.com/2006/01/12/kingston-poet-lived-life-on-his-own-terms/ |website=centraljersey.com |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref> |
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Jacobowitz was born on October 30,1952 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.n. Both her parents were Jewish and first generation Americans, whose parents had immigrated from Poland and Lithuania.Jacobowitz’s father Judah Jacobowitz, was a civil engineer who worked for Mobil Oil Corporation, and her mother Celia Dorothy Goldstein was employed as a secretary for various firms including her last position working for the President of Princeton University. Her older brother, Elliott Jacobowitz is a pianist and composer who lives in Andover, Massachussetts.s. When Diane turned 4, her family moved out of New York City to Elmsford, NY.From a very young age, she had a great passion for dance.She took lessons at a local dance studio in Greenburgh, New York under the direction of Greta Levart where she was exposed to the teachings of Donald McKayle and Percival Borde, husband of the famous Caribbean dancer Pearl Primus . When she was 9, her family moved to White Plains, NY. She attended the Westchester Music and Arts Camp in Croton-on-Hudson, and studied with Charlotte Walsh a dancer with the Charles Weidman Company and Anabelle Gamson , who had danced both on Broadway and with American Ballet Theater . Gamson founded Westchester Dance Theater, a small pre-professional company for talented young teen dancers. Jacobowitz danced in this company under Gamson’s direction until she graduated from White Plains High School in 1967. Several times weekly, Diane commuted to New York City to study at the Martha Graham Center for Contemporary Dance and at Preparatory Division of the Juilliard School. She attended the Ohio State University in 1970, where she majored in Dance. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Ohio State in 1974 and moved to New York City. During this time in New York, she produced over a dozen concerts with friends and continued to take dance classes in the Merce Cunningham technique with Viola Farber and Dan Wagoner. She danced with several modern choreographers including Grethe Holby, Kathy Duncan, Marta Renzi and Kenneth King. With Kenneth King, Diane appeared in the Michael Blackwood 19 film, ‘Making Dances, his performances at Battery Park, the Museum of Modern Art , the Cooper Hewitt Museum and at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Her hour-long improvised duet with King was mentioned in the book Terpsichore in Sneakers by Sally Banes . From 1982-84, she attended Connecticut College under a full fellowship and received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance. |
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When Jacobowitz turned 4, her family moved out of New York City to [[Elmsford, New York|Elmsford, NY]].<ref name="centraljersey.com"></ref> From a young age she took lessons at a local dance studio in green burgh, New York. |
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== Choreographic Career - Diane Jacobowitz Dance Theater == |
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Jacobowitz's career in dance spans several decades, during which she has made significant contributions as a performer, choreographer, educator, and arts administrator. |
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At the age of 9, Jacobowitz family moved to [[White Plains, New York|White Plains, NY]]'''.''' She attended the Westchester Music and Arts Camp in Croton-on-Hudson and studied with Charlotte Walsh''' '''a dancer with the [[Charles Weidman]] Company and [[Annabelle Gamson|Anabelle Gamson]]''', '''who had danced both on Broadway and with [[American Ballet Theatre|American Ballet Theater]]. Jacobowitz danced in Westchester Dance Theater until she graduated from White Plains High School in 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scarsdale Inquirer 11 May 1967 — HRVH Historical Newspapers |url=https://news.hrvh.org/veridian/?a=d&d=scarsdaleinquire19670511.2.63&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN------- |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=news.hrvh.org}}</ref> |
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In 1979, Jacobowitz founded Diane Jacobowitz Dance Theater, a contemporary company known for its innovative dance theater performances. Under her leadership, the company produced numerous critically acclaimed works that have been performed nationally and internationally.. In 1984,her company was awarded a residency at the Yellow Springs Institute in Chester, Pennsylvania where she created ‘Materials for a New World’. . She continued to produce company performances at New York City dance venues including Dance Theater Workshop , (which in 2022 was re-named New York Live Arts), Danspace Project at St. Marks Church in the Bowery , Marymount Manhattan Theater and Joyce Soho. In 1986, she was invited to Taipei, Taiwan where she taught modern technique and performed several pieces from her repertory. DJDT received favorable reviews from local and international press including the Village Voice, The New York Times, Soho Weekly News and Dance Magazine. Some of Jacobowitz’s notable pieces include ‘Lecture-Dem in Geeneewannaland’, ‘Last Dance’, ‘Lir Circle’,‘Materials for a New World’, ‘Earth Murmurs’, ‘Babel’, ‘Queen of Hearts’, ‘Beach’, ‘Oranges’, ‘Operation Dance’, ‘Kroll Opera House’, ‘Paul’s Passion’, ‘Red, Ned, Ted and Ed in Bed’, ‘Fugitive of the Dance World Coolies’, ‘Film Noir’. |
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She attended the [[Ohio State University]] in 1970''',''' where she majored in Dance'''.''' She earned a''' '''[[Bachelor of Fine Arts|Bachelor of Fine Arts degree]] in Dance from Ohio State in 1974 and moved to [[New York City]]. From 1982-84, she attended '''[[Connecticut College]]''' under a full fellowship and received her [[Master of Fine Arts]] degree in Dance. <ref name="voiceamerica"></ref><ref name="dancewave.org"></ref> She is a Level 4 Certified Essentrics Teacher, Creative Aging in Dance Teaching Artist, and a certified ''' EFT''' ([[Emotional Freedom Techniques|Emotional Freedom Technique]]) [[Tapping]] Mentor specializing in healing modalities. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Guest Artists Masterclass Series – Dances For A Variable Population |url=https://www.dvpnyc.org/guest-artists-master-class-series/ |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=www.dvpnyc.org}}</ref><ref name="essentrics.com"></ref> |
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In 1986, Jacobowitz was offered both a teaching and artist in residence position at Long Island University in Brooklyn’s Dance Program. The residency offered Jacobowitz’s company both rehearsal and performance space at the Triangle Theater on campus. During this time, Jacobowitz brought her company to perform at several NYC homeless shelters, a program she felt very committed to. |
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== Diane Jacobowitz Dance Theater (DJDT) == |
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In 1990, she commissioned the renowned choreographer Anna Sokolow29 , to set ‘Steps of Silence’, a piece reflecting the horrors of the holocaust on her company. Sokolow also created a new work on DJDT entitled ‘Three Songs’. In 1994, the company performed at BAM’s LePerq Space, where she premiered ‘The Kroll Opera House’, ‘Red, Ned, Ted and Ed’ and ‘Paul’s Passion’. She collaborated with her husband Richard Merle, a conceptual artist and photographer in creating ‘The Kroll Opera House’ Despite the success of the BAM season, and discouraged by the enormous costs of running a nonprofit dance company, paying dancers, composers, musicians, and costume and set designers and producing new work, Jacobowitz disbanded her company in 1994 after the BAM season..As a new mom with a 2-year old daughter, she decided to focus on motherhood. But she wasn’t able to stop working for long. Inspired by her daughter, Eliana Merle, and passionate about supporting the training of promising young dancers, Jacobowitz founded Dancewave in 1995. With the mission of bringing dance to a broad spectrum of the city youth population, particularly to those talented dancers who lacked the means to afford pre-professional training, Jacobowitz focused the nonprofit on creating training and performing opportunities for young dancers from diverse backgrounds. Her focus was working with young people as artists in the making, connecting them early to professional artistry, and offering training and mentorship with world-renowned dance artists. |
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In 1979, Jacobowitz founded Diane Jacobowitz Dance Theater, a company known for dance theater performances.<ref name="dancewave.org">{{cite web |title=Founder & Emeritus Artistic Director |url=https://dancewave.org/diane-jacobowitz/ |website=dancewave.org |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="voiceamerica">{{cite web |title=Diane Jacobowitz |url=https://www.voiceamerica.com/guest/62105/diane-jacobowitz |website=voiceamerica |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref> The company has produced numerous acclaimed works, including ''Materials for a New World'', which was created during a residency at the Yellow Springs Institute in 1984. DJDT performed at various notable venues in [[New York City]], such as Dance Theater Workshop and [[Danspace Project]]. <ref>{{Cite web |title=Item Details {{!}} Research Catalog {{!}} NYPL |url=https://mobile.nypl.org/research/research-catalog/bib/b12167657 |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=Item Details {{!}} Research Catalog {{!}} NYPL |language=en}}</ref> |
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Jacobowitz commissioned choreographer [[Anna Sokolow]] to create ''Steps of Silence'' for her company. Despite a successful season at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)<ref name="nytimes.com"></ref> in 1994, financial difficulties led Jacobowitz to disband DJDT and focus on motherhood. |
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As Dancewave’s Founder and Artistic/Executive Director for 25 years, Diane developed innovative programming to capture the talents and imagination of young dancers from all parts of New York City. She grew the idea of Dancewave, while she was teaching modern and ballet technique as an Associate Professor of Dance at Long Island University in Brooklyn. During this time, she created Dancewave’s first Kids Cafe Festival at LIU’s Triangle Theater. She invited young dancers from Harlem, Westchester, East New York, Brooklyn and all over New York City to participate. The original festival, hosted by live musicians and professional dance emcees in an upbeat cabaret spirit, was a huge success, and brought large enthusiastic crowds cheering for the diverse group of young performers. Some of the artists who hosted the festival included the clowns, Fidget and Loon, Mecca Bodega, Circus Amok, Christalyn Wright, tap dancers and more. The Festival continued to grow and while Jacobowitz taught at LIU, Kids Cafe was presented there every year. In 1997, Kids Cafe was produced by the Kitchen, a downtown performance venue, and in 1999, it was produced at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center at Borough of Manhattan Community College. At the latter, Jacobowitz invited 2 young dance troupes from Germany–both East and West Germany to participate and perform in the Festival. On November 19, 2001, Dancewave’s Kids Company performed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art as part of the 2001 New York State Governor’s Arts Awards which was broadcast on Channel 13, WNET television. |
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== Founding of [[Dancewave]] == |
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In 1995, Jacobowitz left her position at LIU and began teaching at local dance studios and the Berkeley Carroll School, a private school in Park Slope. In 2008, she rented a small storefront space in downtown Brooklyn where she had the back office renovated into a dance studio. With support from the city (New York City Department of Cultural Affairs), Borough President Marty Markowitz and a few individual donors, Dancewave began to grow not just a nonprofit organization, but as a school for young dancers and performers. Dancewave offered classes for toddlers through adults and created 5 performing companies for different age groups.The organization took root and expanded, creating new opportunities for dancers and the New York City public to enjoy the benefits of dance training and performance. A few of the many programs Jacobowitz developed which still operate today include the Dancewave Company model, Dancewave Through College and Beyond, the Dance Career Symposium, Strategies for Young Artist Citizens, as well as the Kids Cafe Festival. |
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In 1995, Jacobowitz founded '''[[Dancewave]]'''<ref name="nymag.com">{{cite web |title=Growing by Leaps and Bounds |url=https://nymag.com/family/kids/16093/ |website=nymag.com |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="nyc-arts.org">{{cite web |title=Dancewave |url=https://www.nyc-arts.org/organizations/dancewave/ |website=nyc-arts.org |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref> an organization designed to provide pre-professional training for talented dancers from underserved backgrounds.<ref name="dancewave.org"></ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Dancewave Performs Contemporary Works at Pocantico {{!}} Rockefeller Brothers Fund |url=https://www.rbf.org/news/dancewave-performs-contemporary-works-pocantico |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=www.rbf.org |language=en}}</ref>She developed initiatives like the Kids Cafe Festival at [[Long Island University]], which became an important platform for showcasing young talent.<ref name="essentrics.com">{{cite web |title=Diane Jacobowitz |url=https://essentrics.com/instructors/diane-jacobowitz-2/ |website=essentrics.com |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="voiceamerica"></ref> |
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[[Dancewave]] Company performed at the [[Aberdeen International Youth Festival]].<ref name="nypost.com"></ref> It also expanded its arts-in-education programs in New York City public schools, providing tuition-free dance classes. <ref name="nyc.gov">{{cite web |title=News and Press Releases |url=https://www.nyc.gov/site/dcla/about/pressrelease/PR-2019-06-07-Dancewave-DDC-ribbon-cutting.page |access-date=21 November 2024 |website=nyc.gov}}</ref><ref name="nymag.com"></ref> |
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Jacobowitz’s model of pairing young dancers with world-renowned modern choreographers was a unique concept in dance education, and is now widespread amongst modern teen repertory companies. Some of the dance artists who choreographed or created excerpts of famous works on the teen dance company include Mark Morris, David Dorfman, Twyla Tharp, Doug Varone, Paul Taylor, David Dorfman, Bill T. Jones, Kyle Abraham, Ron K. Brown, Camille Brown, Meredith Monk, Annie B. Parsons, Andrea Miller (Gallim), Larry Keigwin, Donald Byrd, Shen Wei and Urban Bushwomen. |
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Jacobowitz retired in 2020, passing leadership to Nicole Touzien. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Rabinowitz |first=Chloe |title=Dancewave Announces Nicole Touzien as New Executive Director |url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/bwwdance/article/Dancewave-Announces-Nicole-Touzie-as-New-Executive-Director-20200819 |access-date=2024-11-21 |website=BroadwayWorld.com |language=en}}</ref> |
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In 2010, she brought the Dancewave Company to Scotland where they performed at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival and toured large theaters around Scotland. |
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Through Diane’s persistent efforts, Dancewave continued to grow. She developed a new, vibrant arts- in-education program for the New York City public school system that continues to grow today. By bringing professional teachers in African, Hiphop, Salsa, Modern, Ballet and more, to all 5 NYC boroughs, Dancewave offers tens of thousands of city kids the opportunity to study dance tuition-free from all over New York City. Through Dancewave Through College and Beyond, Jacobowitz created opportunities for young dancers to learn about college dance programs as well as audition for scholarships funded by the different participating colleges. In 2019, with support from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, a host of several foundations and private donors, Dancewave secured a 25-year lease from the Fifth Avenue Committee and a contract with the City Department of Design & Construction (DDC) to renovate an old glass factory space in Gowanus. The new construction remodeled the space into 2 modern fully-equipped air conditioned dance studios, a dressing room and office space. In 2019, Dancewave celebrated their new home and location where the organization currently lives and continues to grow. In 2020, Jacobowitz retired as ED/AD of Dancewave. The Dancewave Board invited Nicole Touzien, a former Dancewave employee to lead the organization. |
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== Teaching and Mentorship == |
== Teaching and Mentorship == |
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Jacobowitz |
Jacobowitz served as an [[Associate professor|Associate Professor]] of Dance at [[Long Island University]], where she established the Dance Major program. <ref name="essentrics.com"></ref> Additionally, she taught at the [[Berkeley Carroll School]] in [[Brooklyn]] and local dance studios.<ref name="dancewave.org"></ref> |
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== Personal Life == |
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Beyond her work as a performer and choreographer, Jacobowitz dedicated most of her life as an educator. She has mentored countless aspiring dancers and choreographers. Her teaching philosophy emphasizes the importance of artistic expression, technical excellence, and the exploration of dance as a tool for personal and social transformation. After retirement, Jacobowitz actively began focusing on healing and self care. She currently teaches and advocates for creative aging programs in the arts for elders, and actively shares her techniques online for healing physical and emotional challenges for all ages. |
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In 1981, Diane married Tom Wachunas, a painter and visual artist. <ref name="The New York Times">{{cite web |title=Dance: Diane Jacobowitz |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/09/17/archives/dance-diane-jacobowitz.html |access-date=21 November 2024 |website=The New York Times}}</ref> They divorced in 1990. She married Richard Merle in 1991. They have a daughter, Eliana Merle,born in 1992. Diane Jacobowitz resides in [[Brooklyn|Brooklyn, NY]]. <ref name="broadwayworld.com"></ref> with her husband. |
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After retiring from [[Dancewave]], Jacobowitz received five [[Brooklyn Arts Council Film and Video Festival|Brooklyn Arts Council]] grants for her Creative Aging classes and films with Rebecca Oviatt.<ref name="grantees.brooklynartscouncil.org">{{cite web |title=Diane Jacobowitz |url=https://grantees.brooklynartscouncil.org/2024-grantees/diane-jacobowitz/ |website=grantees.brooklynartscouncil.org |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref><ref name="wtgrantfoundation.org">{{cite web |title=Diane Jacobowitz |url=https://wtgrantfoundation.org/people/jacobowitz-diane |website=wtgrantfoundation.org |access-date=21 November 2024}}</ref> |
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== Certifications and Specializations == |
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Jacobowitz received her BFA in Dance from the Ohio State University, her MFA in Dance from Connecticut College. She is a Level 4 Certified Essentrics® Teacher, Creative Aging in Dance Teaching Artist, and a certified EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) 32 Tapping Mentor specializing in healing modalities. She attended the Certification Program at the Laban Institute for Movement Studies. During the pandemic, Jacobowitz taught online Essentrics classes. She has presented webinars teaching Esssentrics and Tapping as well as healing, health and wellness advice. |
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== Personal Life == |
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In 1981, Diane married Tom Wachunas, a painter and visual artist. They divorced in 1990. She married Richard Merle in 1991. They have a daughter, Eliana Merle,born in 1992.. Diane Jacobowitz resides in Brooklyn, NY, with her husband and 2 cats. She continues to inspire others through her work and passion for dance, dance education, Creative Aging, Esssentrics, Tapping, health, wellness and healing., In the summer of 2022, she took a break from teaching to recuperate from hip replacement surgery and explore the best ways to heal so that she could come out stronger and pain-free. Her journey can be followed on her blog at fitness empowerment.online/blog. |
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== Notable Choreographic Works == |
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Since retiring from Dancewave, Jacobowitz has been awarded 5 grants from the Brooklyn Arts Council for her Creative Aging classes and documentary films created with videographer Rebecca Oviatt from BeccaVision. The films can be found on her YouTube Channel. |
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{| class="wikitable" |
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!Year |
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!Works |
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|1994 |
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* ''Film Noir'' |
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* ''Fugitive of the Dance World Coolies'' |
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* ''Kroll Opera House'' |
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|- |
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|1992 |
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* ''Red, Ned, Ted in Bed'' |
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* ''Paul’s Passion'' |
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|- |
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|1991 |
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* ''Operation Dance'' |
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|- |
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|1990 |
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* ''Politically Correct Dancing'' |
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|- |
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|1989 |
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* ''Earth Murmurs'' |
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* ''Babel'' |
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|- |
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|1988 |
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* ''Queen Anne’s Birthday'' |
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* ''Shed'' |
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* ''Potato Field'' |
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* ''Power Spot I and II'' |
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|- |
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|1987 |
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* Preachers |
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|- |
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|1986 |
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* Albatross |
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* Cinderella |
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|- |
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|1985 |
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| |
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* ''Last Dance'' |
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* ''Oranges'' |
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* ''Beach'' |
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|- |
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|1984 |
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* ''Materials for a New World'' |
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* ''Imperfectly Ernestine (MFA project'' |
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|- |
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|1983 |
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* ''Lir Circle'' |
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|- |
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|1982 |
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* ''The Campala'' |
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* ''Vertigo'' |
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|- |
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|1981 |
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* ''Lecture-Dem in Geeneewannaland'' |
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|} |
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== |
== References == |
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{{Reflist}} |
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[[Category:1952 births]] |
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[[Category:Living people]] |
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[[Category:American women choreographers]] |
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[[Category:American artistic directors]] |
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[[Category:American entertainers]] |
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[[Category:American contemporary dancers]] |
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[[Category:Dancers from New York (state)]] |
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[[Category:American choreographers]] |
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[[Category:21st-century American dancers]] |
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Latest revision as of 10:48, 23 November 2024
Diane Jacobowitz | |
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| Born |
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| Citizenship | American |
| Education |
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| Occupation |
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| Known for | The founder of Dancewave |
| Spouse | Richard Merle |
| Children | Eliana Merle |
| Parents |
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Diane Jacobowitz (born 30 October 1952) is an American choreographer, dancer and the founder of Dancewave. [1][2][3]
Early Life and Education
[edit]Jacobowitz was born on October 30,1952 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Both her parents were Jewish and first-generation Americans, whose parents had immigrated from Poland and Lithuania. Jacobowitz’s father Judah Jacobowitz, was a civil engineer who worked for Mobil Oil Corporation, and her mother Celia Dorothy Goldstein was employed as a secretary for various firms. [4]
When Jacobowitz turned 4, her family moved out of New York City to Elmsford, NY.[4] From a young age she took lessons at a local dance studio in green burgh, New York.
At the age of 9, Jacobowitz family moved to White Plains, NY. She attended the Westchester Music and Arts Camp in Croton-on-Hudson and studied with Charlotte Walsh a dancer with the Charles Weidman Company and Anabelle Gamson, who had danced both on Broadway and with American Ballet Theater. Jacobowitz danced in Westchester Dance Theater until she graduated from White Plains High School in 1967.[5]
She attended the Ohio State University in 1970, where she majored in Dance. She earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dance from Ohio State in 1974 and moved to New York City. From 1982-84, she attended Connecticut College under a full fellowship and received her Master of Fine Arts degree in Dance. [6][7] She is a Level 4 Certified Essentrics Teacher, Creative Aging in Dance Teaching Artist, and a certified EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Tapping Mentor specializing in healing modalities. [8][9]
Diane Jacobowitz Dance Theater (DJDT)
[edit]In 1979, Jacobowitz founded Diane Jacobowitz Dance Theater, a company known for dance theater performances.[7][6] The company has produced numerous acclaimed works, including Materials for a New World, which was created during a residency at the Yellow Springs Institute in 1984. DJDT performed at various notable venues in New York City, such as Dance Theater Workshop and Danspace Project. [10]
Jacobowitz commissioned choreographer Anna Sokolow to create Steps of Silence for her company. Despite a successful season at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM)[1] in 1994, financial difficulties led Jacobowitz to disband DJDT and focus on motherhood.
In 1995, Jacobowitz founded Dancewave[11][12] an organization designed to provide pre-professional training for talented dancers from underserved backgrounds.[7][13]She developed initiatives like the Kids Cafe Festival at Long Island University, which became an important platform for showcasing young talent.[9][6]
Dancewave Company performed at the Aberdeen International Youth Festival.[2] It also expanded its arts-in-education programs in New York City public schools, providing tuition-free dance classes. [14][11]
Jacobowitz retired in 2020, passing leadership to Nicole Touzien. [15]
Teaching and Mentorship
[edit]Jacobowitz served as an Associate Professor of Dance at Long Island University, where she established the Dance Major program. [9] Additionally, she taught at the Berkeley Carroll School in Brooklyn and local dance studios.[7]
Personal Life
[edit]In 1981, Diane married Tom Wachunas, a painter and visual artist. [16] They divorced in 1990. She married Richard Merle in 1991. They have a daughter, Eliana Merle,born in 1992. Diane Jacobowitz resides in Brooklyn, NY. [3] with her husband.
After retiring from Dancewave, Jacobowitz received five Brooklyn Arts Council grants for her Creative Aging classes and films with Rebecca Oviatt.[17][18]
Notable Choreographic Works
[edit]| Year | Works |
|---|---|
| 1994 |
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| 1992 |
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| 1991 |
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| 1990 |
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| 1989 |
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| 1988 |
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| 1987 |
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| 1986 |
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| 1985 |
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| 1984 |
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| 1983 |
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| 1982 |
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| 1981 |
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References
[edit]- ^ a b "Hip-Hop, Folk and Karate Through a Strainer on a Hot Afternoon". nytimes.com. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Dancewave troupe wows them in Scotland". nypost.com. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Founder Stepping Off As Executive Director Of Dancewave After 25 Years". broadwayworld.com. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ a b "Kingston poet lived life on his own terms". centraljersey.com. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Scarsdale Inquirer 11 May 1967 — HRVH Historical Newspapers". news.hrvh.org. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ a b c "Diane Jacobowitz". voiceamerica. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ a b c d "Founder & Emeritus Artistic Director". dancewave.org. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Guest Artists Masterclass Series – Dances For A Variable Population". www.dvpnyc.org. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ a b c "Diane Jacobowitz". essentrics.com. Retrieved 21 November 2024.
- ^ "Item Details | Research Catalog | NYPL". Item Details | Research Catalog | NYPL. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
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