Contemporary | Music Director

July 1 – July 21

John Levis (he/him) is a composer, pianist, and synthesist who has been involved with the Philadelphia dance community since 1971. A graduate of the University of the Arts, he has worked with Philadelphia schools and companies including Gwendolyn Bye Dance Center, Philadanco, Temple University, The Rock School of Dance Education, and The University of the Arts, where he is Accompanist Coordinator for the School of Dance. In 1995, he composed and performed the musical score for two videos/DVDs on Lester Horton technique, with staff and dancers from the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. John collaborated with Thang Dao in Folded Prism for Philadanco’s 2016 Spring Season at the Kimmel Center. He has composed several scores for Milton Myers, both for the University of the Arts and Philadanco. The first collaboration, Song of Glory, was presented in 1991 at the University of the Arts. The latest, Waves, was performed in November of 2018 by Philadanco at the Kimmel Center. Levis has collaborated as Musical Composer with Roni Koresh, director of the Koresh Dance Company, in a number of ballets; the latest ballet Muse was premiered in the spring of 2022 at the Suzanne Roberts Theater in Philadelphia. John is celebrating his 27th year on faculty at The School at Jacob’s Pillow. 

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