The Jamaica Dance Festival 2025 – A Celebration of Jamaica’s Rich Dance Legacy and Its Dynamic Future

JA'MOON JONES + BALLET NEPANTLA + AJKUN BALLET THEATRE

Javon 'Ja'Moon' Jones is a conjurer of movement, channeling ancestral memory through ritual, dance theater, and immersive experiences. His work invites audiences into the liminal—where history, fabulation, and the present converge. Ja’Moon’s performances have spanned Senegal, NYC, Colorado, and California. He is the inaugural Resident Choreographer at Ballare Carmel. A Juilliard graduate, he has performed in Sleep No More NYC and danced works by Crystal Pite, Bill T.

PONY BOX DANCE THEATRE + BATTERY DANCE

Founded in 2012 by Jaime Carabetta, Pony Box Dance Theatre is a bicoastal arts nonprofit whose mission is to share the joy and healing power of dance with everyone. The organization has two main aspects: a professional contemporary dance company comprised of all male-identifying artists, and community educational programs. At Pony Box Dance Theatre, our mission is two-fold: to uplift under resourced communities in NYC and LA County through the art of dance, and to push forward the boundaries of artistry for

QUABA V. ERNEST + VENZA DANCE + FORCES OF NATURE DANCE COMPANY

QUABA VENZA ERNEST, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, began his dance training at Dance Theatre of Harlem. He continued his training at Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Performing Arts, and SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance. He began his career with Ballet BC for their 2019/2020 season. He received the Thayer Fellowship in the Arts for Choreography/Dance in 2019, and The Ann & Weston Hicks Choreography Fellowship at Jacob’s Pillow in 2021. Quaba has danced in the

PARUL SHAH DANCE COMPANY + PERIDANCE CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY + ALISON COOK BEATTY DANCE

The Parul Shah Dance Company is a New York-based Kathak and contemporary dance company that expands the classical medium beyond cultural boundaries. Through performance and education, the company’s work harnesses the expressive power of Indian classical dance to promote cultural understanding and explore questions around identity and humanity. Artistic director Parul Shah is committed to

JA'MOON JONES + BALLET NEPANTLA + AJKUN BALLET THEATRE

PONY BOX DANCE THEATRE + BATTERY DANCE

QUABA V. ERNEST + VENZA DANCE + FORCES OF NATURE DANCE COMPANY

PARUL SHAH DANCE COMPANY + PERIDANCE CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY + ALISON COOK BEATTY DANCE

Rufus King Park is the exclusive home of The Jamaica Dance Festival.