About the Presenters...
New LEJA Dances, the company
New LEJA Dances, the company (Leon Evans and Jaye Allison), an American theatre dance company originally established in 1980 under LEJA DANCE THEATRE, has been committed to giving artists opportunities to learn, perform, teach, and choreograph. LEJA is committed to keeping diverse styles of high quality tap and modern jazz dance synonymous with Philadelphia as a vital part of American dance culture. Founders, Jaye Allison and the late Leon Evans, always held to the mission of touching the human spirit in all their presentations.
Most recently, LEJA has focused on presenting founder Jaye Allison’s vision of a festival honoring Philadelphia tap dance past and present with Jaye Allison’s Philly Tap Challenge – ON FIRE! LEJA is best known for its choreographic style that popularized the works: Carols in Color, Oluwa and Black Jazz 101Skidelybop, also Con Pi’acere, Foundations, Acapella Jam, and Wonderland. Portions of LEJA’s choreographic repertory is a staple for Eleone Dance Theatre In a Philadelphia Inquirer review, Marilyn Jackson confirms, “LEJA is an American Dance Theater organization that includes broad community involvement nourishing performers, professional or not, and new audiences for them.”
They have been contributing to the fabric of Philadelphia tap by teaching, performing and presenting tap dance in the region and are therefore named the 2008 Philly Master of Tap Honorees.
The Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company
Co-founded by Alicia Dakerian Craig and Norman Craig in 1954, Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company (PCBC), now directed by their daughter, Carla Krochak, is the oldest ballet company in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It was birthed out of a mission to plant seeds of nourishment for the arts. PCBC aims to reach the masses and provide outreach, education and training that is available to everyone.
The PCBC reached the milestone of 1 million children served in 2000. PCBC has a long history of providing high quality dance education, and currently presents lecture demonstrations in schools on the meaning of the word ballet – to dance – by showing the cultural dance of a locality is the ballet of that place through the presentation of diverse dance styles and techniques. This program has been replicated by other dance companies, such as the Rock School.
In addition, PCBC is presenter of Jaye Allison’s Philly Tap Challenge – ON FIRE! (JAPTC). PCBC Project director and JAPTC founder, Jaye Allison, saw PCBC as a natural fit for JAPTC because it fulfills the mission of planting seeds of nourishment for the arts and connecting audiences to dance education and its diversity.
Jaye Allison
Celebrating her 28th year in the performing arts world, Rocky Award winner, Jaye Allison’s extensive experience shows her ability to create and carry out projects like Jaye Allison’s Philly TAP Challenge “ON FIRE!” (JAPTC). As producer of JAPTC since 2004, founding director of New LEJA Dances, the company (Leon Evans and Jaye Allison), a concert dance company originally established in 1980 under LEJA DANCE THEATRE,and is Project Director of the Philadelphia Civic Ballet Company, (the oldest Ballet Company in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania), since 1991. Additionally, Allison is honored to be hand selected as a 2nd Generation Silver Belle (following in the legendary steps of the the one and only Silver Belles, Harlem's original showgirls from the Cotton Club and Apollo Theater. Jaye has experience and a history of success in contributing to the dance community. In addition, Jaye received the following grants and achievements for her artistic merit: Dance Advance, The ‘Rocky Award’, Leeway Foundation Art and Change Award, the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts (PCA) Fellow and Intern programs, Community Education Center’s (CEC), PIAS, and Emerging Choreographer for Choreo LAB with Martha Meyers of American Dance Festival.
Miss Allison holds tightly to a mission she set forth for her company, as well as for all her professional endeavors – including JAPTC. She envisions a world filled with human potential and avenues for people to achieve their goals. Miss Allison develops dancers and dances of a professional quality and creates performance opportunities to the community regardless of age, race, gender, and physical ability. By providing excellent theater and focusing on community, she strives to be a significant force in the evolution of tradition. She invites people to realize the potential of the human spirit in the creative process as well as evoking a connection with her audience. The works created by Miss Allison demonstrate her commitment to excellence, evolving tradition and spiritual connection.
