"Dance has a unique ability to help reflect on the human condition and show us the things we have in common, that’s why it needs to be accessible and be presented with clarity to our audiences"
Jens has been active as a professional dancer since 1992 and as a choreographer 2 years later.
He has been a central figure in the Danish dance scene as a choreographer, teacher, and director. He has established spaces and opportunities for creation, residencies, and youth programs.
As an award-winning choreographer, he has throughout his career been active internationally, touring with groups as well as solo works. He has created works for companies around the world as well as teaching workshops and dance classes for companies, universities, and professional dancers.
As a dance-maker he has consistently explored dance as an abstract expression, persistently following his own choreographic direction. His style is spellbinding and displays a distinct ‘Scandinavian feel’, based on a consciousness of form and visual design.
From 2010 to 2019 he has been working out of Beirut. Alongside teaching, coaching, and creating internationally he has here been perfecting his teaching and coaching work – resulting in eye-opening and refined contemporary, partnering, and ballet classes. During his time in Beirut, he co-founded Beirut Contemporary Ballet together with Jana Younes and Wafa Bouty this collaboration lives on with Jens working in Beirut on a regular basis.
From 2019 Jens added Paris to his homes and is sharing his time between the two cities; teaching in France (Menagerie de Verre, Micadanses, Studio Harmonic, Centre des Arts Vivants, ACTS, Choreia & PNSD Rosella Hightower) and creating for and developing Beirut Contemporary Ballet in Beirut.
Since 2022 his technical method, INTENTT, has been adopted by several dancers of Beirut Contemporary Ballet and is currently being taught in Paris, Berlin, and Beirut.
Jens is currently working on a project with a focus on older dancers (both from a creative perspective as a choreographer and dancer as well as a training perspective) as well as a new solo performance on that very theme to be premiered in 2023.
"My age makes me more selective, but always on the outlook to work with artists that has an understanding of the physical expression and that are not afraid of the pleasure, desire and power of movement"
BEIRUT CONTEMPORARY BALLET
Founder and Artistic Co-director since 2017
- Responsibilities include; training, choreography & company development.
JENS BJERREGAARD /AURORA BOREALIS
Artistic director, Choreographer & dancer since 2015
- Structure for independent and solo project.
Teaching professional Contemporary classes since 2020
Teaching professional Contemporary classes since 2020
Teaching Contemporary and Ballet since 2019
PSND, Rosella Hightower, Cannes
Teaching apprentice dancers of Ballet national de Marseille, Ballet Preljocaj, Ballet Avignon
CHOREIA, School of Dance, Paris
Teaching Contemporary and Ballet since 2019
DANCING WITH THE STARS – Middle East, Choreographer 2015 & 2016
SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE – Middle East, Choreographer 2014
Artistic director, Choreographer & dancer 2005-2014
- Regional company with full-time dancers.
Founder and Artistic Director 2007-2010
- Regional center for dance and choreography, Aarhus, Denmark.
Artistic director, Choreographer & dancer 1998-2005
Included in KRAKS BLÅ BOG (Danish version of Who is Who), 2010
The Theatre journalist initiative award for Aarhus international Choreography Competition, 2008
The Albert Gaubiers grant for innovative work with Mancopy and the creation of Archauz, 2008
First Danish Choreographer to be selected by the DanceWebEurope network, 2005
The Danish TEATER ET award for an original contribution to dance in Denmark, 2000
Second price at the choreography competition Jeune Choreographe en Normandie in France, 2000
First prizes at choreography competitions Jeune Choregraphe en Normandie and EURODANS 1999.
Co-directing and developing:
Project Bedrock, a training and performance program for young professionals started in 2022.
Youth dance companies under the umbrella of Mancopy dance company and Archauz in Odense and Aarhus, 2015-2010
Professional Companies:
Beijing Dance/LDTX, Skanes Danseteater (Sweden), Danish Dance Theater, T.H.E. Dance Company (Singapore), Ballet Manila, Ballet Contemporaneo de Camaquey (Cuba), Enigma Dance Collective (China), Guangdong Modern Dance Company (China), Frontier Danceland (Singapore), Caracalla Dance Company (Lebanon), Daloy and Air Dance (Philippines). LDTX, China
Open training professional dancers:
Dansens Hus (Denmark), Proda (Norway), Danscentrum Vast & Syd (Sweden), Henny Jurgens Foundation (Holland), ARCPasadena (USA), The Dance Center (Canada). Studio Harmonic, Paris.
Universities and professional training programs for dancers:
Ballet Preljocaj Junior, Ballet de l'Opéra Grand Avignon and Ballet de Marseilles with PSND, ACTS, Paris, Choreia, Paris, California State University, Pomona Arts College, Danish National School of performing Arts, Guangxi Arts institute & Nanchang University (China) Lasalle College (Singapore), CobosMika SEADs (Spain), ACTS, Paris.
Festivals:
Beijing Dance Camp and Festival, Guangdong Modern Dance Festival (China), Zawirowania Festival & Bytom Dance festival (Poland), Nairobi Solo&Duets Dance Festival, Corp et Gestes (Cameroun), Visa for Dance (Tanzania), Contact Dance Festival (Singapore), Bipod (Lebanon).
2022, 2021, Beirut Contemporary Ballet: co-creator and performer of full evening performance Bodies of Water. Choreographies for Project Bedrock
Miramé in collaboration with Ballet Contemporaneo de Camaquey
2021, Beirut Contemporary Ballet: Full evening performance Trespass
2019, Beirut Contemporary Ballet; “fendi casa anniversary Beirut”, “in the woods” “portraits” (co-produced with Violet Dance Macau), Opening and Closing ceremony WYFegypt
2018, Beirut Contemporary Ballet; Dance movie “Ghazal”, Duet performance “Skirmish – vers2”, “Counterpoint and other duets” (co-produced with Colorful dance festival, China), “Spectacular Spectator” (Co-production with Enigma Dance Collective, China)
2017; Beirut Contemporary Ballet; Rand Music video “Vivre”. Jens Bjerregaard/Aurora Borealis; “Wanderlust” (Created in on dancers from Ballet Contemporaneo de Camaquey, Cuba), “Encounters” (Created on dance students at Guangxi Arts Institute, China) “Bath” (Site specific performance with Enigma Dance Collective, China).
2016; Jens Bjerregaard/Aurora Borealis; The Dancing Human”, “Whispers” ((Created on dance students at Nanchang University China, China). DANCING WITH THE STARS – MIDDLE EAST; Group dance “Tabki el Touyour” for pro-dancers.
2015; Dance movie “And so do I” (Produced and directed by Jana Younes) Jens Bjerregaard/Aurora Borealis; “Skirmish – vers1” and Juxta” (co-produced with MU Terminal, Hungary), “School of Fish” (Created on dance students at Guangxi Arts Institute, China), “By Friction” (Created in on dancers from Ballet Contemporaneo de Camaquey, Cuba). DANCING WITH THE STARS – MIDDLE EAST; Group dance “Elastic Heart” for pro-dancers.
2014; “In the light” (for MuTerminal, Hungary), SO YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE - MIDDLE EAST; 13 duet choreographies and 2 group dances
“Absolutes”, “Every last Breath”, “Megaphonic Combat” (Site-Specific commission for Danish-Arab Urban Arts Festival in Beirut), “Touch” (co-production with Good Dance Center and Beijing Modern Dance Festival), “Adam Without” (Co-production with MuTerminal, Hungary), “NOW” (Created in Denmark & restaged with dancers from China, co-production Guangdong Modern Dance Festival), “Cake & Consequences” (co-production with Visa2Dance festival, Tanzania), “Falling and Love” (co-production with MuTerminal, Hungary), “Simple Moves”, “INKZ”, “Rite”, “Iconic/Ironic”, “Raum”, “Stringens”, “Territories” (Danish Dance Theatre), “Parallel” (Danish Dance Theatre), “Vanishing Points” (Danish Dance Theatre), “Feeding the Dragon” (Takween, Beirut), “No Apollon” (Reutlingen, Germany), “Frimærkeballet” (Theatre production for children, Bådteatret, Copenhagen), “Motion/Notion”, “Shaved, Plucked & Moisturized”, “Mimic”, “Beautiful Breakdown”, “Silent Tales”, “Urban Elves danser Urban Elves”, “Spiri- og andre teknikaliteter”, “Linear Tales”, “Tomrum”, “Voice Works”, “Tweed”, “Verklaerte Nacht”, “Faldt fra himlen”.
1989-1992 Diploma in contemporary dance and choreography at the Laban Centre in London.
1990-2000 Continuous studies/training with independent ballet teacher Roger Tully.
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