As part of the company’s 50th anniversary, we re-launched the Eva von Gencsy Fund and reaffirmed our commitment to creating an environment that facilitates the development of young artists and emerging dancers.
This bursary program pays tribute to one of the co-founders of the company, choreographer Eva von Gencsy, whose passion for jazz and ballet dance was passed on to a whole generation of young dancers through her dance school. Just like Eva, Ballets Jazz Montreal wishes to pass along our vision and love for dance, and in the process, create a healthy and fulfilling environment for young dancers.
Ballets Jazz Montréal is happy to announce this year’s recipients of the Eva Von Genscy Scholarship Fund to Aicha Benchaâboune and Jera Wolfe. This award offers each recipient a full scholarship to BJM_360, our new summer intensive.
Aicha is a movement artist based in Montreal. Having begun her training in classical dance at the Ballet Métropolitain de Montréal, Aicha completed her studies at the École Supérieure de ballet du Québec, from which she graduated in 2020. She then attended the Big Bang international contemporary program in Montreal to further her research into movement language. Throughout her career, Aicha collaborated with various choreographers, including Andrew Skeels, Gioconda Barbuto, and Matjash Mrozewski, as well as with the company Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. She joins the company Cas Public in 2022, under the artistic directorship of Helene Blackburn and the rehearsal directorship of Jeremy Galdeano, and works concurrently with other emerging choreographers and companies including Political Bodies and Gargoyle Dance Club.
Born in Tkaronto/Toronto, Jera Wolfe is a choreographer and performer of Métis heritage. His captivating choreography has awarded him the 2019 Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding Original Choreography for Trace by Red Sky Performance. His choreographic works include creations with the National Ballet of Canada, Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Canada’s National Ballet School, Winnipeg’s Contemporary Dancers, and Red Sky Performance. As a performer, Jera has worked for Red Sky Performance and Peggy Baker Dance Projects. He is currently a guest artist with Atlantic Ballet; performing the principal role in their production, Pisuwin.
We thank all those who have helped to endow the Eva von Gencsy Fund up to this point. We are committed to expanding these programs each year and making them even more accessible to future talent from diverse backgrounds.
