company

Company Mission and History

For more than 30 years, Doug Varone and Dancers has devoted itself to the humanity and virtuosity of dance, reaching out to our audiences well beyond the proscenium arch. We believe this philosophy has allowed us to endure, earning the reputation as one of the most respected dance companies working today. Over time, we’ve created an expansive legacy encompassing dance, theatre, opera and film – establishing an impressive body of work.

The recipient of 11 Bessie Awards, the Company has toured to more than 125 cities in 45 states across the US and in Europe, Asia, Canada, and South America. Stages include The Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Brooklyn Academy of Music, New York City Center, San Francisco Performances, London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall, Toronto’s Harbourfront, Moscow’s Stanislavsky Theatre, Buenos Aires’ Teatro San Martin, the Venice Biennale, and the Tokyo, Bates, Jacob’s Pillow and American Dance Festivals. In opera and theatre, the Company regularly collaborates on the many Varone-directed or choreographed productions that have been produced around the world.

Doug Varone and Dancers continues to be among the most sought-after ambassadors and educators in the field. The company's multi-discipline residency programs take audiences deeper into the work, with hands-on approach that moves beyond the studio to speak directly to people of all ages and backgrounds, both dancers and non-dancers alike. Our annual intensive workshops at leading universities have attracted students and professionals from around the country, and through our innovative DEVICES choreographic mentorship program, we are training the next generation of artists an dance-makers.

11

bessie awards

125+

city tours

30+

years

500+

donations

about doug varone

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Award-winning choreographer and director, Doug Varone works in dance, theater, opera, film, and fashion. He is a passionate educator and articulate advocate for dance. By any measure, his work is extraordinary for its emotional range, kinetic breadth and the many arenas in which he works. His New York City-based Doug Varone and Dancers has been commissioned and presented to critical acclaim by leading international venues for close to three decades.

In the concert dance world, Varone has created a body of works globally.  Commissions include the Paul Taylor American Modern Dance Company, Limón Company, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Rambert Dance Company (London), Martha Graham Dance Company, Dancemakers (Canada), Batsheva Dance Company (Israel), Bern Ballet (Switzerland) and An Creative (Japan), among others.  In addition, his dances have been staged on more than 75 college and university programs around the country.

In opera, Doug Varone is in demand as both a director and choreographer.  Among his four productions at The Metropolitan Opera are Salome with its Dance of the Seven Veils, the world premiere of Tobias Picker’s An American Tragedy, Stravinsky’s Le Sacre du Printemps, designed by David Hockney, and Hector Berloiz’s Les Troyens. He has staged multiple premieres and new productions for Minnesota Opera, Opera Colorado, Washington Opera, New York City Opera, and Boston Lyric Opera, among others.  His numerous theater credits include choreography for Broadway, Off-Broadway and regional theaters across the country.  His choreography for the musical Murder Ballad at Manhattan Theater Club earned him a Lortel Award nomination.  Film credits include choreography for the Patrick Swayze film, One Last Dance.  In 2008, Varone’s The Bottomland, set in the Mammoth Caves of Kentucky, was the subject of the PBS Dance in America: Wolf Trap’s Face of America. Last season he directed and choreographed MASTERVOICES production of Dido and Aeneas at NY’s City Center, starring Tony Award winners Kelli O’Hara and Victoria Clark, alongside the Company. Most recently, he staged Julia Wolfe’s Pulitzer Prize winning oratorio, Anthracite Fields featuring the Bang on a Can All-Stars and the Westminster Choir.

Varone received his BFA from Purchase College where he was awarded the President’s Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007.  Numerous honors and awards include a John Simon Guggenheim Fellowship, an OBIE Award (Lincoln Center’s Orpheus and Euridice), the Jerome Robbins Fellowship at the Bogliasco Institute in Italy, and two individual Bessie Awards. In 2015, he was awarded both a Doris Duke Artist Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Dance Guild.  Varone teaches workshops and master classes around the world for dancers, musicians and actors.

Our Dancers

Courtney Barth

dancer
Courtney Barth is originally from Las Vegas, NV and trained at Las Vegas Academy of Performing Arts and Inspire Dance Company. She is a performer, dancer and collaborator currently based in New York. Courtney earned a BFA in dance at SUNY Purchase where she performed works by Kyle Abraham, Martha Graham, Kevin Wynn, Loni Landon, and Greg Dolbashian. While at Purchase, she studied abroad at London Contemporary Dance School where she performed as an original cast member in Polaris by Crystal Pite at Sadlers Wells. In New York she has collaborated with Shannon Gillen, Kensaku Shinohara and currently works with Hannah Garner’s 2nd Best Dance Company. In 2016 Courtney apprenticed for Doug Varone and Dancers for their NYC season; in 2017 she joined the company as a dancer.
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BRADLEY BEAKES

dancer
BRADLEY BEAKES is a New York City based dance artist originally from Glendora, CA. A graduate of California State University, Fullerton, Bradley first moved to NYC in 2010 to attend the Ailey School. He later danced with Project 44, Naganuma Dance, and Visions Dance Theatre where he was named the 2010 Lester Horton Award Winner for "Outstanding Male Performance". In 2011, Bradley joined Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company where he performed until 2016. Bradley was honored to dance with the Limón Dance Company from 2016-2017 as well as guest perform with Keith Johnson/Dancers and NOW-ID. He has served on rotating faculty for the Limón School since 2016 and also teaches at Peridance and Gibney 280. His choreography has been presented in venues including INKUBATE Dance Festival, American College Dance Festival, the Great Salt Lake Fringe Festival, among others. Bradley joined Doug Varone and Dancers in the summer of 2017.
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JAKE BONE

dancer
Jake Bone, originally from Dallas, Texas, earned a BFA in Dance with honors at the University of North Texas where he performed works by Bebe Miller, Kihyoung Choi, and Anna Sokolow. Since moving to New York City, he has been a company member for Bare Dance Company, Gibney Dance Company, and Awakening Movement. He has also had the pleasure of working with the Median Movement, the Metropolitan Opera, Bulareyaung Pagarlava, Kensaku Shinohara, and Steeledance. Jake joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2015 and acts as the Company Manager and Tour Manager.
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Joniece “JoJo” Boykins

dancer
Joniece “JoJo” Boykins is an African American native of Inglewood, California. She graduated with honors, Cum Laude, receiving her BFA in dance from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase College. During her time at Purchase, she performed the works of Doug Varone, Peter Chu, Kevin Wynn, Jonathan Reidel, Alexandra Beller, and Nejla Yatkin. Alongside her studies, she has attended professional programs such as Springboard Danse Montreal, Hubbard Street, Alvin Ailey, and Ron K. Brown/ Evidence’s summer workshop. Currently, she is the co-founder of the recently premiered dance festival, Upsurge Dance Festival. JoJo is also a company member with Lula Washington Dance Theater (Los Angeles). She has performed work by Donald McKayle, Rennie Harris, Christopher Huggins, Tommie Waheed, Lula Washington, and Tamica Washington-Miller. JoJo joined Doug Varone and Dancers in 2021.
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Daeyana Moss

dancer
Daeyana Moss was born and raised in New York City. She recently graduated from the Conservatory of Dance at SUNY Purchase in 2021. Prior to attending Purchase, she graduated from Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in Manhattan where she received the Father Fame award in 2017. While attending both Purchase and Laguardia she has been given the opportunity to perform works by Alvin Ailey, Janis Brenner, Joseph Hernandez, Annie Rigney, José Limón, Lajamartin, Anna Sokolow and Doug Varone. In addition to performing, she has a love for choreographing and teaching.
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Thryn Saxon

dancer
THRYN SAXON: is a Miami,FL born dancer, teacher, and choreographer based in NYC. Saxon has performed with companies such as Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, Sleep No More, Kate Weare Company, Helen Simoneau, and is in her first season as a company member with Doug Varone. As a choreographer Saxon has been selected for creative residencies that include the Mare Nostrum Elements: Emerging Choreographer Series, Artist in Residence at The Church in upstate New York, one of 8 resident choreographers at the Atlantic Center for the Arts in FL, and most recently as the Artist in Residence for the RADicle 22/23 Residency at The Croft in Michigan.
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RYAN YAMAUCHI

dancer
RYAN YAMAUCHI was born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii and began his dance training at the Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts. He later moved to New York and received his BFA in Dance from SUNY Purchase. Ryan has had the pleasure of dancing with Loni Landon Dance Projects, ProjectLIMB, 2nd Best Dance Company, and Sidra Bell Dance New York (Apprentice). He has also performed as a guest dancer with Gibney Dance Company and Santa Barbara Dance Theater. As a choreographer, Ryan has created work for the Mid-Pacific Institute School of the Arts and The Juilliard School. Ryan began working with Doug Varone and Dancers in 2015.
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BOARD AND STAFF

board members

Richard Caples

Naomi Grabel

Guillermo Izabal

Miranda Kozak

JEANNE MURPHY

Barbara Parker

Mylene Ramos Seidl

DOUG VARONE

Carol Walker

STAFF

Doug Varone, Artistic Director

Patty Bryan, General Manager

Lynn Wichern, Financial Officer

Ryan Yamauchi, Rehearsal Director

Jake Bone, Company Manager, Tour Manager

Brad Beakes, Education Manager, Licensing and Staging

Courtney Barth, Costume Manager, Workshop Coordinator

Jordan Ryder, Digital Marketing and Website Coordinator

SonDra Graff/rpm:projects, Design and Graphics

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