The Jefferson Dancers
The Jefferson Dancers is the performing leg of the magnet arts dance program at Jefferson High School, Portland, Oregon. The company was founded by Mary Vinton Folberg in the early 1980s. Folberg served as artistic director of the dance company from its founding until the mid-1990s. Over the years, the company has worked with dance legends such as Brenda Bufalino, Donald McKayle, and Royston Maldoom.
The company performs annually in Portland venues, such as the Keller Auditorium, Portland Center for the Performing Arts, and the Arlene Schitzer Concert Hall. The company also performs annually at the Hult Center in Eugene, Oregon. Past international tours have included performances in Canada, and in 1991 the company performed in Moscow and Leningrad -- a tour financed entirely by revenue generated from past performances.
In 1993, Mary Vinton Folberg went on sabbatical, during which Julane Stites served as artistic director of the company. That year, the company was the subject of the 30-minute PBS program titled A Musical Encounter: The Dance Program[1], which was nationally syndicated on PBS stations.
In 1995, Mary Vinton Folberg left the dance department of Jefferson High School to found the The Northwest Academy, an alternative arts high school in Portland. Jefferson Dancers alumni Steve Gonzales has served as artistic director since that time. Under his leadership, the company has performed at the Kennedy Center and with the White Bird dance project.