With over 25 years of experience as a creative expressionist, Jasmine Powell is a dancer, choreographer, and educator who moves beyond the traditional boundaries of dance. Known for her ability to evoke deep emotional connections, Powell’s work explores the intersection of storytelling, embodiment, and the untold narratives that reside within every dancer.
A native of Hillsborough, NC, Powell’s artistic journey began with local training and blossomed into an international career. She earned a BA in Dance from Oberlin College and an MFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from Hollins University, in collaboration with the American Dance Festival and Frankfurt University of Music and Performing Arts in Germany, furthering her studies across Africa, Europe, Central America, South America and the U.S. Powell has performed with distinguished companies and celebrated choreographers such as Philadanco, Dance Diaspora, Dianne McIntyre, Milton Myers, Ronald K. Brown/ Evidence, Bill T. Jones, Okwui Okpokwasili, Justin Tornow, Kristin Taylor Duncan, Culture Mill, Princess Johnson/Hair Journey Ballet, Moving Spirits Inc., and Suah African Dance Company.
Her work explores how opposite embodied features coexist within the dancer’s body, turning personal and ancestral histories into universally resonant performances. Powell’s research in dance science, combined with her expertise in African diaspora traditions and somatic practices, informs both her choreographic work and teaching. Her choreographic premieres including Approximation of a Woman, Iridescence, Flightless Doves and Self Un/En Titled with the latter performed at the UNC-Chapel Hill – Carolina Performing Arts, have been featured in national and international performance venues, dance festivals, award-winning dance films, and music videos, where she merges dance with powerful visual storytelling.
As a professor at Elon University, Powell blends her Ailey Certified Horton Teaching Technique, contemporary and modern dance, Pilates certification, and certified Life Coaching practices to foster both physical technique and emotional depth. She has also directed and choreographed for the Durham District-wide “Evening to Shine” event at the Durham Performing Arts Center and co-directed the Carolina Performing Arts/Southern Futures – Commons Festival.
Whether as a performer, choreographer, or educator, Powell’s work transcends cultural and geographical boundaries, consistently exploring the untold stories of the body through creative expression. Her journey is rooted in honoring the cultural histories embedded in our personal narratives, a philosophy that continues to guide her impactful contributions to the dance world through a creative expressionist lens.
