JENNY GERENA
Photography by: Chelsey Herrera
Photography by: Chelsey Herrera
Photography by: Chelsey Herrera
Photography by: Chelsey Herrera
ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Jenny Gerena is a Phoenix based performing artist, choreographer and photographer. She is an alumna of Scottsdale Community College, Sam Houston State University and Arizona State University, where she attained a Masters of Fine Arts in Dance in May of 2016. Since 2014 she has been a resident choreographer at Scottsdale Community College, where she also imparts her pedagogical methodologies as adjunct faculty in modern dance and is also the department photographer.
Jenny has presented two evening length pieces in the Phoenix Valley, Flesh Narratives (January 2016) and Lavender (May 2016), which was a part of the [nueBOX] artist residency program. Jenny, along with a visual artists and musician received a grant supported by [nueBOX] and the Mesa Arts Center to create a collaborative site-specific dance installation piece, titled Roda-Viva, which premiered at the Mesa Arts SPARK! Festival of Creativity and was named the "10 best things" in the Phoenix New Times. In 2017 Jenny joined the [nueBOX] team as a Permanent Artist in Residence and also serves on staff as the program Media & Marketing Director.
Jenny has been a choreographer in residence at the Florida Dance Festival, Fusionworks Dance Company in Rhode Island and Instinct Dance Corps. in Arizona. Jenny had the privilege to perform and present a duet titled, From Dirt to Soil, at the Multi-purpose Dance Project in SoHo, NY and the 2017 Breaking Ground Dance Festival in Tempe, AZ. She is also present in the Phoenix valley as a photographer, X&O Photography. Her work has been featured in Arizona Dance E-Star Magazine, receiving photo of the month twice in 2016 and in 2017. In February 2017 her photography was displayed in an exhibition hosted by Phoenix Institute of Contemporary Art featuring photography that documents creative process and practice.
Jenny Gerena was a Permanent Artist in Residence (P.A.I.R) and also served on the [nueBOX] staff as Marketing and Media Director from 2017-2018
Projects with [nueBOX]
[nueBOX] Residency: LAVENDER
LAVENDER is a culminating residency project created by Jenny Gerena in collaboration with 4 dancers. This evening length work explores serenity, peace and connection. This work was created as part of an artist residency with [nueBOX] which also incuded faciliating a movement workshop and a Work-in-progress showing followed by a feedback session open to the Phoenix community.
Spark! Resdeincy: Roda-Viva
“Roda-Viva” explores metaphors of transformation by unifying form, dance and sound. Supported by [nueBOX] this project features three artists-in-residence Jenny Gerena (choreographer), Chazmier Tyler (musician) and Rossitza Todorova (visual artist) interested in the resonant pulse driving us to overcome life’s obstacles. This collaboration presents a dynamic performance of movement and rhythm that encompasses the cyclical patterns that emerge in our lives.
Breaking Ground Residency
This work will explores the embodiment of one's animal instincts by way of studying wolf and wolf pack behaviors and translating these patterns through the body in hopes of finding new entries into movement creating a performing movement. The use of the spinal and head initiations along with the use of quadruped movements will be thematic throughout the work showcasing the dynamic abilities of the feminine body to embody flow and articulation while simultaneously embodying strength through the connection with the ground.