Jennifer Backhaus
Lecturer
College of Performing Arts; Department of Dance
Expertise: Modern; Choreography; Pilates;
Office Location:
Sandi Simon Center for Dance
Biography
Jennifer Backhaus is the Founder and Artistic Director of Backhausdance, Orange County's award-winning contemporary dance company. Jennifer was included in OC Metro's 40 Under 40 in 2009 and was recently honored by Chapman University, where she is a faculty member of the dance department, as Alumni of the Year for her success with Backhausdance. As a choreographer, Jennifer's works have been commissioned and produced by the Los Angeles Ballet, Orange County Regional Ballet, McCallum Theatre, Orange County Performing Arts Center, Utah Regional Ballet, Chapman University, Mount San Antonio College, Santa Ana College, Impact Dance Theater, TDC of the Bay Area, and Brigham Young University, among others.
Many of Jennifer's works have been honored by Regional Dance America, and her piece "Disintegration" was selected for national performances with the American College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. For Backhausdance she has created twelve pieces, three of which ("Sitting on January", "Love and Other Impossibilities" and "Shift") have received multiple Lester Horton Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Choreography. At the McCallum Theatre's Dance Under the Stars Choreography Festival, Jennifer has been the recipient of three consecutive choreography awards for her work with Backhausdance.
Jennifer is currently on the dance faculty at Chapman University and Irvine Valley College. She is a certified Pilates instructor and teaches modern dance technique, choreography, dance improvisation and dance conditioning. She is also a teaching artist for the Orange County Performing Arts Center's Education Programs where she shares her love for dance and choreography with local students.
Recent Creative, Scholarly Work and Publications
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"MESH" Screen Dance choreography and direction by Jennifer Backhaus, performed by Backhausdance, edited by Paragon Media
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"Grounded" Screen Dance Premiere Choreography and Direction by Jennifer Backhaus, performed by Backhausdance, edited by Paragon Productions
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Open Call Talent Project. Choreography and direction for performance April 2019. Coached performers, staged musical numbers and created finale for cast of 100. Produced by McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert.
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Backhausdance at The Irvine Barclay Theatre, May 22. Presented original dance works by Walter Matteini (Italy), Dwight Rhoden (New York City), and Jennifer Backhaus
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Backhausdance Presents The Planets, in partnership with the Orange County Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Orange County Philharmonic Society, Created original dance work to Gustav Holst's The Planets. Performed at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts Concert Hall and the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert.
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Backhausdance at the Joyce Theatre, New York City, January 2018. Toured the dance company for 2 performances as part of American Dance Platform at the Joyce Theatre. Presented The Elasticity of the Almost, a 45 minute dance work choreographed by Jennifer Backhaus.
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Backhausdance at Musco Center for the Arts, February 22. Presented original dance works by Ido Tadmor (Israel), Walter Matteini (Italy), and Jennifer Backhaus
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COPA production of Cabaret. Choreography and staging. Student assistant, Elijah Richardson and Faculty Directory, Michael Nehring.
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Backhausdance at Teatro Verdi, Pisa, Italy. Presented 2 original dance works, Dinner for Two and Hive. Toured company of 6 dancers to Pisa, Italy as guests of the Imperfect Dancers company.
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Backhausdance at Teatr Collegium Nobilium, Warsaw, Poland. April 2018. Presented 2 original dance works, Dinner for Two and Hive. Toured company to Warsaw, Poland.
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East Valley Dance Project. Creation of original dance work for students at Desert Mirage High School for performance as part of the McCallum Theatre's Choreography Festival.
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Studio Project. Creation of original dance work for local dance students in Palm Desert for performance as part of the McCallum Theatre's Choreography Festival.
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Open Call Talent Project. Choreography and direction for performance April 2018. Coached performers, staged musical numbers and created finale for cast of 100. Produced by McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert.
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Backhausdance Education Presents Hive. Produced, choreographed and directed cast of 120 as the culmination of the Backhausdance Summer Intensive at Chapman University 2018. Performance at The Musco Center for the Arts, August 2018.
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Backhausdance at The Martha B Knoebel Dance Theatre, November 2, 3. Presented original dance works by Mauro Astolfi (Rome), Yoni Souchy (Israel), and Jennifer Backhaus
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Backhausdance Meets Vivaldi Spring 2017 Created and toured a 35 minute work to Vivaldi’s Four Seasons for education and outreach performances in the Palm Desert area. This program was commissioned and toured expressly for the McCallum Theatre Institute
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Backhausdance Summer Intensive, July/August 2017 Chapman University. Organized, directed, instructed master classes to over 163 students over a 3 week period. Students traveled from around the country to study at the Backhausdance/Chapman University intensive. Backhausdance provided 2 full scholarships and 3 partial scholarships to Chapman students,. Other current and potential Chapman students also attended. Guest faculty included, Israeli dancer and choreographer, Ido Tadmor, Kate Jewitt (Shen Wei Dance Arts), Samuel Went (Trisha Brown), Omar and Jenn Olivas (Diavolo), Dale Merrill (Cal State Fullerton), Liane Aung (Whim Whim)
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Backhausdance Then and Now/ Musco Center for the Performing Arts Chapman University Facilitated and Directed one performances of Then and Now, to 450 arts patrons. The performance featured the Backhausdance dancers as well as 100 intensive students.
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Backhausdance at Irvine Barclay Theatre January 2016 Backhausdance Drift and The Elasticity of the Almost Premiere of an original new work, Drift, for Backhausdance in collaboration with LA based alternative electronic band, Fol Chen. The piece was presented at the Irvine Barclay on January 30th along with the audience favorite, The Elasticity of the Almost.
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Emerging Choreographers x Backhausdance at Musco Center for the Arts April 2016 Evening presenting young and emerging choreographers, Genevieve Carson, Elke Calvert, Gracie Whyte and Blythe Barton. (All Chapman Alumni) Performance included master class components with Chapman dance students as well as the general public. Choreographers were also featured as guest speakers in the Dance Senior Seminar course. Yin Yue, choreographer from New York, was featured as a guest for Backhausdance.
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Backhausdance Summer Intensive, July/August 2015 Chapman University. Organized, directed, instructed master classes to over 125 students over a 3 week period. Students traveled from around the country to study at the Backhausdance/Chapman University intensive. Backhausdance provided 2 full scholarships and 3 partial scholarships to Chapman students,. Other current and potential Chapman students also attended. Guest faculty included, Israeli dancer and choregrapher, Ido Tadmor, Maria Gillespie (UWMadison), Zak Schlegel (Shen Wei Dance Arts), Omar and Jenn Olivas (Diavolo), Dale Merrill (Cal State Fullerton), Cyrus Parker Jeannette (Cal State Long Beach)
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Backhausdance Incandescent/ Musco Center for the Performing Arts Chapman University Facilitated and Directed one performances of Incandescent, to 450 arts patrons. The performance featured the Backhausdance dancers as well as 90 intensive students.
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Trolley Dances/ Riverside October 2016 Created a site specific dance work in the Riverside Museum of Art utilizing the concepts of space and personal connections to the existing architecture as well as audience engagement and participation.
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Backhausdance Summer Intensive, July/August 2014 Chapman University. Organized, directed, instructed master classes to over 8125 students over a 3 week period. Students traveled from around the country to study at the Backhausdance/Chapman University intensive. Backhausdance provided 2 full scholarships and 3 partial scholarships to Chapman students,. Other current and potential Chapman students also attended.
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Backhausdance Deconstructed Performance, Waltmar Theatre. Facilitated and Directed two performances constructing the company’s newest work, to 356 arts patrons. The performance featured the Backhausdance dancers as well as 56 intensive students.
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Backhausdance: Incandescent/ McCallum Theatre Institute. Directed and produced dance work including 13 guest Chapman students
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Love and Other Impossibilities- Brigham Young University January 2013 Re-staging for national tour and master classes for dance majors Choreography
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Nesting Bowls- Anaheim High School Residency January-March 2013 Choreography and master classes
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Elasticity of the Almost (Premiere) February 2013 Carpenter Center, California State University Long Beach Other repertory included A little Duet(s), The Margin Choreography and Artistic Direction
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Backhausdance Summer Intensive, July/August 2013 Chapman University. Organized, directed, instructed master classes to over 70 students over a 2 week period. Students traveled from around the country to study at the Backhausdance/Chapman University intensive. Backhausdance provided 2 full scholarships to Chapman students, Andy Lawson and Alisa Guardiola. Other current and potential Chapman students also attended.
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Backhausdance Deconstructed Performance, Waltmar Theatre. Facilitated and Directed two performances deconstructing The Elasticity of the Almost, to 356 arts patrons. The performance featured the Backhausdance dancers as well as 53 intensive students.
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Spring Awakening/ Choreography, Waltmar Theatre Created original choreography for Spring Awakening
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Elasticity of the Almost, McCallum Theatre Institute
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Santa Ana Sites #2: The Elasticity of the Almost created site specific installation of concert dance work
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Backhausdance at Vernon Performing Arts Center, Vernon British Columbia performance of The Elasticity of the Almost, Incandescent
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The Margin (Premiere) January 2012 Samueli Theater, Segerstrom Center for the Arts Choreography and Artistic Direction
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Elasticity of the Almost (Thesis Version) July 2012 American Dance Festival, Durham NC Choreography
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Backhausdance at Laguna Playhouse Sept 2012 Retrospective including Sitting on January, Push, Connections, Love and Other Impossibilities, The Margin Choreography and Artistic Direction
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Artist in Residence-The Great Park, Irvine CA, October 2012-April 2013 Created site specific work in the park, facilitated public interactive experiences with dancers/dances
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Incandescent May 2011 Irvine Barclay Theatre Choreography and Artistic Direction