When it comes to modern dance, Bill T. Jones is one of the most notable choreographers and directors of our time. He was born the tenth of twelve children to migrant potato pickers and studied at Binghamton University, which he attended on a special program for underprivileged students. While there, he studied West African and Afro-Caribbean dance, classical ballet, and modern dance. From there, he went on to become the Artistic Director of New York Live Arts and Artistic Director/Co-Founder of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.

Politics, race, and social issues have often been themes in Jones’ work. As a longtime AIDS survivor, HIV and AIDS have frequently been highlighted in his pieces. He choreographed Absence, which showcased heartrending performances that expressed his grief following the death of his partner, Arnie Zane, who died of AIDS-related lymphoma. In 1994, he choreographed Still/Here, a controversial piece that explored mortality and what it’s like to live with a life-threatening medical diagnosis. His work gained national attention, and in that year, he graced the cover of Time magazine.

Jones also made a significant mark on the Broadway stage. In 2007, he won the Tony Award for Best Choreography for the musical, Spring Awakening, the story of a nineteenth-century German schoolgirl coming of age and the collective rebellion of German teens in an era of repression and structure. In 2010, he again won the Tony Award for Best Choreography, this time for FELA!, a musical based on the life of Fela Kuti, the Afrobeat musician and activist who was jailed numerous times in his young life and was severely beaten after speaking out against the Nigerian army. Jones has received prestigious honors for his provocative work that spans decades. He was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009, and was a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2010. He was recognized as Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government, and was even chosen for the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2013. When it comes to performance arts, Bill T. Jones has definitely left his mark.