Illustration by Maria Manhattan
Bill T. Jones was born on February 15 1952 in Bunnell, Florida and was raised mostly in rural Stuben County in Upstate New York, as the tenth of twelve children to a family of migrant farm workers. A successful athlete in high school, he trained in dance and theatre at the State University of New York, Binghamton where he studied classical ballet and modern dance.
In 1982, he founded the multicultural Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company with his long-time partner and companion Arnie Zane. A powerful dancer, brilliant choreographer, and MacArthur “genius grant” winner, Jones has created dances for modern and ballet companies including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Boston Ballet, Berkshire Ballet, and Berlin Opera Ballet.
