"Jeffrey has a proven commitment to artistic and professional excellence, which makes him a tremendous asset to any production." - Frank Gatson, choreographer for Beyoncé Knowles
Director, producer, choreographer, actor and dancer, Jeffrey Page has emerged as a creative force to be reckoned with in television, film, video, theater and the concert stage. The embodiment of a renaissance man, Jeffrey's love, appreciation and respect for the arts encompasses all authentic forms of expression. Jeffrey's magnetic appeal stems not only from his ability to create artistic magic everywhere from Hollywood to West African villages, but in the precise mastery of his own passion for movement, which he shares with contagious abandon. Unbridled, skilled, elegant, bold, exciting and joyous, Jeffrey is a true artist who paints every canvas he touches with rhythm, expertise and soul.
Though Jeffrey has enjoyed a celebrated career as a dancer---most recently as a member of the Tony Award winning cast of the ground-breaking Broadway musical, FELA!---, he has thoroughly embraced the responsibility and fulfillment that stems from choreographing one's own vision, instead of dancing to the demands of others. Jeffrey has served as an African dance instructor/consultant for Cirque du Soleil and the world renowned Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, garnering high praise from Todd Waite, resident director of the Cirque du Soleil show, O: "There are few people that I could recommend more highly than Jeffrey Page," says Waite, "He is a consummate professional, with great artistry."
Traveling to Africa to study dance under the legendary Chuck Davis, founder and artistic director of DanceAfrica and the African-American Dance Ensemble, Jeffrey discovered profound inspiration in molding movement into rhythmic experiences reflective of his instinctive connection to African dance. Since graduating with honors from the University of the Arts-Philadelphia with a bachelor's degree in Performance & Theater Arts, Jeffrey has continued his exploration of the continent, returning many times to conduct anthropological research into the traditional dance and music of Senegal, Guinea, the Gambia, Mali, Nigeria and Guinea-Bissau. He has extensively trained and performed in major cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago; but the mystique and diverse textures of dance have frequently lured him around the globe to quench his insatiable creative curiosity. "[Jeffrey is] well versed in many different genres of dance and very dedicated to his craft," says acclaimed choreographer, Fatima Robinson, who has worked with Jeffrey on several award shows.
Though Jeffrey is recognized as a foremost expert in African dance---establishing Movin' Legacy, Inc. to celebrate the study and performance of music and dance of the African Diaspora---his intuitive gifts are certainly not confined to this genre. He has also honed his craft in Morocco, Dubai, Jamaica, Belize, Grenada, Paris, London and Scotland. Under the direction of Michael Kahn, former director of the drama division of the elite Juilliard School, Jeffrey toured with the Shakespeare theatre company to Athens, Greece to perform Oedipus Rex. He has also traveled to Abu Dhabi United Arab Emirates with revered choreographer, Otis Sallid, serving as both performer and assistant director of the opening and closing festivities of the Middle Eastern International Film Festival. "Jeffrey demonstrates a gifted ability to both manage authority and engender teamwork. He brings to the project a wealth of resources, knowing how to work effectively to integrate people and visuals into a thriving unit of dancers, singers, musicians, stage direction and tech all focused on seeing the full vision accomplished a proven commitment to artistic and professional excellence; I know that he would be a tremendous asset to any production," Otis Sallid.
Jeffrey's stunning choreography gained national attention when he created a nostalgic, electrifying homage to movie classic, Coming to America, for Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's opening number at the 2005 BET Awards. He was nominated for an Emmy Award, television's highest honor, in recognition of his visceral, heart-pounding choreography on the 2005 NAACP Image Awards, featuring the cast of the dance documentary Rize. Vic Bulluck, the executive director of the NAACP's Hollywood branch and producer of that awards show, says he has "complete trust in Mr. Page's talent, passion and dedication."
Subsequently, Jeffrey was selected by Bulluck to be head choreographer for shows he produced for the Pacific American Volunteer Association (PAVA) at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood. "He combined Korean folklore with Brazilian and traditional African drum and dance to create an aesthetically stunning visual collage transcending cultures," Bulluck says of Jeffrey's cutting-edge choreographic work.
In August 2011, Jeffrey was awarded an MTV Music Award in the category of "Best Choreography", alongside Frank Gatson and Sheryl Murkami, for his compelling choreographic work for Beyoncé Knowles chart-topping music video "Run the World (Girls)". Jeffrey met the challenge of creating a rare ethnic experience that would be seen by millions with authenticity and bravery, emboldening Beyoncé to take a risk. It comes as no surprise that Jeffrey is one of the star's favorite choreographers, featuring work on her 2007 World Tour, The Beyoncé Experience, as well as in promotion of her 2006 sophomore solo album B-Day. His provocative work for the pop icon has been featured on the MTV Video Music Awards, The World Music Awards, Billboard Awards, Oprah Winfrey Show Grand Finale, Glastonbury Festival, X-Factor and the VH1 Fashion Rocks tribute to Josephine Baker. "He is a favorite of Beyoncé's," states Gatson, who staged The Beyoncé Experience. "She appreciates the fact that he is neither intimidated nor 'starstruck' by working with an artist of her caliber."
Jeffrey has also choreographed stellar performances for other high profile entertainers, such as R. Kelly, for his critically acclaimed Billboard Music Award performance in honor of Hurricane Katrina victims, and on tour with Missy Elliot protege, Jazmine Sullivan. "I have been nothing but pleased with his talent...and inspired by his professionalism," says Kim Burse, creative director for Beyoncé, Nikki Jane and other music stars such as Queen Latifah, Jamie Foxx and Ciara. "I can assign him a task and walk away knowing that it will be executed with great attention to detail and completed to my liking."
As resident choreographer on the FOX reality TV sensation, So You Think You Can Dance, Jeffrey's powerful and cunning Season 5 dance sequence for the five male finalists was praised as 'intricate,' 'energetic' and 'incredibly entertaining' by various online entertainment sites. On air after the performance, guest judge Debbie Allen told Jeffrey, "Your work was so pure and so authentic." Regular SYTYCD judge, Mary Murphy, gushed, "It was just tremendous", "so much energy and so exciting!" Fellow judge, Nigel Lythgoe, commented, "The routine was one of the toughest we've ever had on this show."
With a depth and range that seamlessly transcends choreography and blends fluidly into the world of theater, Jeffrey has played pivotal roles in many well-received plays across the country, including: Soul Possessed, created by famed choreographer and actor, Debbie Allen; Brown Butterfly, choreographed by Marlies Yearby; and Langston Hughes' Black Nativity, directed by Walter Dallas. Currently, he is continuing to develop his original musical, The Hole in the Wall --- a piercing, hip journey into a parallel reality tinged with the reflective essence of the Blues. It had its first production in Los Angeles in 2008, presented by Ebony Repertory Theatre, in which famed actress, Vernee Watson, worked with Jeffrey as his associate-director.
With his confidence, exceptional style and professionalism catapulting him from the shadows into the spotlight, media outlets are now closely observing Jeffrey's career. Most recently featured on CNN's Showbiz Tonight to give expert commentary on the genius of pop legend Michael Jackson, Jeffrey has also been voted one of TheRoot.com's 'Top 100,' a highly respected compilation of emerging and established leaders making extraordinary contributions, alongside Nick Cannon, Rosario Dawson, Viola Davis, Lebron James, Wyclef Jean, Janelle Monae, Esperanza Spaulding and more. He was named "Broadway Hottie of the Year" alongside John Stamos, Corbin Bleu and George Akram, gracing the pages of several magazines, including Vogue, Out, Backstage, Dance Dynamic, Dance Informa, Dance Track, Sister 2 Sister and Dance Spirit Magazine and penning eloquent, well-received essays for Dance Magazine and The Huffington Post.
Though Jeffrey has infiltrated the enclave of the entertainment industry, feet firmly planted in the company of superstars and heavy weights of the field, at his core he remains a creator and a lover of the arts from Indianapolis, Indiana --- one who believes in the transcendental possibilities found in forgoing ethnicity, class, gender, religion to embrace the rhythm that beats within us all. In the advanced planning stages of realizing his goal to open a world-class Performing Arts center in his hometown, Jeffrey's mission is to nourish and nurture young and emerging artists --- many in need of clear guidance through a monolithic society to discover their individual creative paths.
Jeffrey Page's innovative, unique approach to conceiving and developing projects with intricate, multi-cultural textures resonates with directors, producers and audiences around the globe because of its artistry, authenticity and precision. The genuine love and respect that imbues his craft has become his bold signature as he continues to leave his indelible stamp on the world of American entertainment.
