2020 FEATURED GUEST ARTIST: CONCERTO DANCE
Concerto Dance by Jolene Konkel is a technical movement company driven by athleticism and musicality seeking to balance innovation with tradition in a context of community and hope.
About the word “Concerto“
Concerto in origin is simply “concert”, depicting the companies mission to bring concert dance works to the stage. A “concerto”, or concert, in the context of music has been explained by Leonard Bernstein as meaning the “togetherness” of the orchestra. Believing we are better together, Concerto Dance by Jolene Konkel seeks togetherness in building connections with each other and the community. Although the word concerto has come to be known as a specific form of music, it embodies our aim as Concerto Dance to cultivate virtuosic performers expressing technical and artistic excellence, and our our desire to draw upon and expand rooted codified forms of movement to express the vibrant and compelling nature of musicality.
About Jolene Konkel
Jolene Konkel began her dance training in Milwaukee where she had the opportunity to perform with the Milwaukee Ballet, the Milwaukee Opera Company and Danceworks before relocating to Chicago to study dance at Gus Giordano’s and the Lou Conte Dance Studio. She then went on to receive her degrees in Christian Studies and Theatre from North Central University along with a BFA in dance from the University of Minnesota, and MFA in Performance and Choreography from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Her choreography spans from musical theatre to jazz and modern concert dance and has been presented locally, nationally and internationally. Ms. Konkel has served as Adjunct Faculty in Dance and Resident Choreographer in the Department of Music and Theatre at the University of Northwestern St. Paul since 2009 and she is also the founder and Artistic Director of Concerto Dance by Jolene Konkel, embarking on its 2020 season premier. Additionally, Jolene is the busy mother of four sons and she is grateful for her family, coffee, and God’s amazing grace.