JoAnne Tucker Founding Director JoAnne Tucker created the Avodah Dance Ensemble in 1974. For thirty years she directed and choreographed over forty pieces for Avodah retiring from an active role in May 2004. The formation of Avodah grew out of early experiments with composer Irving Fleet in the 1970's on dance as part of Jewish liturgy while living in Tallahassee, Florida. In 1983 she moved to New York City and Avodah expanded by continuing to integrate modern dance into Jewish liturgy and building a strong multicultural program which featured a collaboration with Louis Johnson. In 2002, JoAnne began working in women's prisons experimenting with the role that modern dance can play in the correctional environment. To these diverse projects JoAnne brought a background that included modern dance training at Juilliard and The Martha Graham Studio as well as a Ph.D. in theatre from the University of Wisconsin. She was honored with a Carnegie Award in Dance for a dance setting of poems which toured the Pittsburgh Public Schools. Dr. Tucker is co-author of Torah in Motion: Creating Dance Midrash, a book of improvisations based on passages from Torah, and the author of Creative Movement for a Song: Activities for Young Children. She has led dance midrash workshops and been artist-in-residence at congregations, school and retreats throughout the United States, Italy and Israel. She was also on the faculty of the Doctor of Ministry Program of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. She currently lives in Steamboat Springs, CO. where she now "dances on paper." Having treated herself to art classes in New York City at the Art Students League and The Pastel Society of American before retiring she enjoys working in pastels and pieces of her work have been accepted in juried shows. Please check out her website www.joannetuckerart.com. She is very enthusiastic about the outstanding job Julie Gayer is doing as Avodah's Artistic Director and honored that pieces she has created continue to be part of Avodah's repertory.
To reach JoAnne email her.