Merope – A Journey to Authenticity
This week, acclaimed dancer/choreographer Jordan Pelliteri will debut as Merope, the hidden sister of the famous star cluster Pleiades. Born and raised in Arizona, Jordan’s most recently danced professionally as a company member of the renowned Netherlands Dans Theatre performing works by Alexander Ekman, Philip Chbeeb, Brian Arias, Medhi Walerski, Marco Goeke, Sharon Eyal, Crystal Pite, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon. Merope – A Journey to Authenticity is a short film by Juan Carlos Zaldivar that features, besides dance & choreography, will feature visual art by Max Ernst, Dorothea Tanning, Amy Ernst, Jim Peterson and Glenn Grayson, poetry by Nikita Gill and Hermann Hesse to the music of composer and singer Christel Veraart, who also wrote the story line. This short film is the first phase of the brand new multi disciplinary arts initiative Reflections Festival that aims to enrich Sedona and Arizona’s cultural life. Grateful for the support of the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Flinn Foundation, City of Sedona, Sedona Conservatory, and the Sedona Arts Academy, the film is scheduled to premiere later this year.
In October 2019, Jordan Pelliteri danced in ‘Kunstkamer’ in the Hague, Netherlands to celebrate NDT’s 60th anniversary season. Jordan also performed repertoire works at Netherlands Dans Theatre/Korzo Shortcuts XL and the ITS Festival in The Netherlands.Jordan attended the New York City Dance Alliance conventions and was awarded the Mini, Junior, and Senior National Titles which enabled her to tour the United States and assist the NYCDA faculty She attended one year on a dance scholarship at Marymount Manhattan College in New York City and then transferred to continue her studies on scholarship at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver, British Columbia. In Vancouver, BC, Jordan went on to work with artists and choreographers such as Anna Herman, Amy Raymond, Aurelie Cayla, Caeytano Soto, Crytsal Pite, David Harvey,Tom Weinberger, and Yvan Dubruielle, under the direction of Artemis Gordon to name just a few. Jordan debuted in Ballet British Colombia’s Romeo and Juliet choreographed by Medhi Walerski.
Jordan’s choreography has been performed at the Joyce Theater in New York City. Jordan also won the Outstanding Choreographer Award presented at the Youth America Grand Prix in May 2018. In June 2019 Jordan was awarded a “National Critics Choice” award for her contemporary choreography “Flock,” at the NYCDA National Finals.
