POMFRET — Pomfret School will present Bill T. Jones as this year’s Schwartz Visiting Fellow. His boundary-pushing creations integrate diverse movement styles and explore themes of identity, race, and sexuality, offering a rich and thought-provoking experience.
“An Evening of Dance & Conversation with Bill T. Jones” will be presented from 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 26 in the Hard Auditorium. The special event is free and open to the public, but advanced registration is required. Register at www.pomfret.org/schwartz. Questions? Contact Schwartz Visiting Fellow Chair Nina Joly by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Jones and his dance company, the iconic Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, will showcase why they are one of the most innovative and powerful forces in the dance-theater world when they take the stage in Hard Auditorium for a free public performance.
“Bill T. Jones is one of the most iconic choreographers in the history of American dance,” says Schwartz Visiting Fellow Chair Nina Joly. “We cannot wait to welcome him to the Quiet Corner to share his process and expertise with the community.”
Jones has choreographed over 140 pieces for his company and other leading ensembles, including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Boston Ballet, Lyon Opera Ballet, and Berlin Opera Ballet. Jones has received numerous awards, including two Tony Awards for his choreography in Spring Awakening (2007) and Fela! (2010), a MacArthur “Genius” Grant (1994), Kennedy Center Honors (2010), and the National Medal of Arts (2013).
Still/Here (1994), one of Jones’ most notable works, was a groundbreaking and, at the time, highly controversial multimedia piece staged during the AIDS epidemic. The performance, which grappled with themes of life and death, featured excerpts from “survival workshops” Jones conducted nationwide with individuals living with life-threatening illnesses. In the fall of 2024, the performance marked its 30th anniversary with a revival at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House, receiving wide acclaim.
Jones founded his dance company in 1982 with his late partner, Arnie Zane. While Zane died of AIDS-related lymphoma in 1988, the company has continued to innovate, retaining its original name. It has since merged with Dance Theater Workshop and now serves as a New York Live Arts resident company.
Since 1989, world-renowned experts have visited Pomfret School through the Schwartz Visiting Fellow Program. This speaker series, made possible by the vision and generosity of Michael Schwartz ’66 and Eric Schwartz ’69, has welcomed an impressive roster of past fellows, including animal science professor Temple Grandin, author Bill Bryson, human rights activist Madame Jehan Sadat, historian David McCullough, and celebrity chef Ming Tsai.

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