Work samples

  • A Glimpse of Jayne's Work Over The Years

    I am a dancer/choreographer and my work is rooted in post-modern dance, contact improvisation, and aerial dance. Currently, I’m the artistic director of Air Dance Bernasconi celebrating 25 years this 2024. My work combines the illusion of defying gravity with grounded movement.  I am interested in pulling the two worlds of ground and air together to become equal counterparts.  I am influenced by everyday gestures, situations, abstract or literal, spoken word and poetry, world events, and the environmental elements of earth air, water,  fire. I push myself and my dancers to reach beyond their comfort zone to think outside of the box and to shift perception on what the possibilities of dance might be and what it might evoke in our audiences.

About Jayne

Baltimore County

I am a dancer/choreographer and my work is rooted in post-modern dance, aerial dance and contact improvisation. Currently, I’m the artistic director of Air Dance Bernasconi celebrating 25 years this 2024.   I am interested in creating movement on the ground and in the air and sometimes together to become equal counterparts. I am influenced by everyday gestures, situations, (abstract or literal), spoken word/poetry, world events, and the environmental… more

From An Aerial View

From An Aerial View (FAAV) is a full scale production with five works directed by Jayne Bernasconi. FAAV is based on the history and lineage of aerial dance and its pioneers including: Alwin Nikolais, Terry Sendgraff, Bob Davidson, Nancy Smith, Jayne Bernasconi.  The aerial works feature aerial silks, hammocks, single point dance trapeze, lyra, spoken word, shadow puppetry and video projection on a moving screen.

Program

Shadow Puppetry:  Madeline Baynard Lighting Design:  Jaeden Arrington

 

A Cloth House

Choreography, Story & Performance:  Jayne Bernasconi

Music:  Ballake Sissoko

 

A Blask! (2007)

Choreography:  Terry Sendgraff

Performers:  Emilee Dorey, Sade Morgan, Jenna Nelson, Taylor Richardson, Rachael Umbriano, Baylee Wong

Music:  Gwen Jones

Costumes:  Ashley Foster

(Special thanks to Terry’s wife, Aileen Moffitt, for her assistance and encouragement for the reconstruction of A Blask!)

 

Dear Terry (performances May 12-14)

Choreography & Performance: Nancy Smith

Sound score: voicemails from Terry Sendgraff to Nancy over a period of a few years

Music: “Rytmy” and “Oval’ by Touha

 

Mr. Sandman (performances May 19-21)

Choreography & Performance:  Stacey Shapiro

Music:  SYML

 

Space Craft (2001)

Choreography:  Jayne Bernasconi

Performers:  Emilee Dorey, Sade Morgan, Jenna Nelson, Taylor Richardson, Baylee Wong

Music:  John Adams

  • FAAV Poster
    FAAV Poster
  • Space Craft
    Space Craft
  • Dear Terry
    Dear Terry
  • Space Craft
    Space Craft
  • Space Craft
    Space Craft
  • A Blask
    A Blask
  • Performers of From An Aerial View
    Performers of From An Aerial View
  • A Cloth House
    A Cloth House
  • A Cloth House
    A Cloth House
  • From An Aerial View

    This is the full scale production of From An Aerial View

    Works include:  A Cloth House, A Blask, Dear Terry, Space Craft.

My Grandfather's Hands

Jayne pays homage to her ancestors in the granite industry, many who died young from silicosis. My Grandfather's Hands uses spoken word, photographs, film and aerial dance to create a mixed media performance.  Ernesto Bernasconi (Jayne's great-grandfather) sculpted Ceres, a 30 foot tall Goddess of Agriculture and Fertility in the early 1900's and today this statue stands with 5 others on the facade of Union Station in Washington, D.C.  Jayne's family monument is captured in this piece as well as other granite monuments from the Hope Cemetary in Barre, VT, as well as old and current images of The Rock Of Ages granite quarries including Jayne flying on a crane over the quarries.

Note:  The title of this work My Grandfather's Hands was taken from a journal entry Jayne wrote back in 2013. It is in no way, shape or form a rip off from the book My Grandmother's Hands by Resmaa Menakem.  Jayne wrote in her journal ideas about creating a dance based on her Italian ancestry.

  • My Grandfather's Hands

    This dance was inspired by Jayne's ancestors and Ceres, Goddess of Agriculture and Fertility.  Ernesto Bernasconi was a granite sculpture and worked on Ceres, a 30 ton solid piece of granite that sits outside of Union Station in Washington, DC. It is one of 6 large Goddess sculptures that adorn Union Station. My Grandfather's Hands is a 16 minute performance that reflects the rich and vibrant history of the granite industry in Barre, Vermont.  It uses aerial dance trapeze (single point), spoken word, visual effects and projection to capture the history of the granite industry in Barre, Vermont.  Jayne's paternal grandfather migrated from Italy as a stone cutter and this dance traces the roots of her ancestry starting with her great grandfather, Ernesto Bernasconi, a granite sculptor who died young from silicosis, a disease many granite workers contracted while working in the granite sheds and quarries. 

  • Jayne as Ceres dancing with Granite
    Jayne as Ceres dancing with Granite
    Images from My Grandfather's Hands
  • Jayne's Solo in My Grandfather's Hands
    Jayne's Solo in My Grandfather's Hands
    Jayne's solo from My Grandfather's Hands
  • Jayne as Ceres, The Goddess
    Jayne as Ceres, The Goddess
    A visual collage of various memorials from Hope Cemetary including Jayne as Ceres, the Greek Goddess
  • Jayne's Solo in My Grandfather's Hands
    Jayne's Solo in My Grandfather's Hands
    Images of Jayne's solo in My Grandfather's Hands
  • Goddess Trio
    Goddess Trio

    Image from My Grandfather's Hands.  This is a trio of Goddesses danced by Taylor Richardson, Emilee Dorey and Madeline Gray

  • Jayne flying over granite quarries at Rock Of Ages
    Jayne flying over granite quarries at Rock Of Ages

    Video special effects by Atlantis Ford.

  • Goddess With Granite Workers
    Goddess With Granite Workers
  • Jayne and Ceres
    Jayne and Ceres
    Jaynes great grandfather sculpted this Goddess
  • Ceres, Goddess of Agriculture and Fertility
    Ceres, Goddess of Agriculture and Fertility
    My great-grandfather, Ernesto Bernasconi, sculpting Ceres in the early 1900's. This 30 foot statue is a solid block of granite is one of 6 statues that stands on the facade of Union Station in Washington D.C.

Breath & Air

Breath and Air uses the natural elements of Water, Air, Fire and Earth, Jayne brings awareness to these non-renewable resources.  Using performing arts is the best way she knows how to be an  advocate for our mother earth. This performance is a mixed-media collaboration of aerial dance, visuals effects, The sound score is by Elsa Langford and visual effects is by artist Lynn Tomlinson. Jayne performs the Water and Air solos, followed by a Fire duet with her daughter, Stacey Shapiro. The 4th section: Earth, is performed by Jayne's aerial repertory students from Towson University. The animated light-paintings throughout the choreography was created by Tomlinson's visual effects students.  Also, some of the collaged images have been sourced locally and around the world including video shots by members of Lynn’s family.  Other images were taken from Jayne's recent trip to India, including the goats and female goat herder.

 

  • Breath & Air
    This is a multi-media collaboration of aerial dance, visuals effects, and sound that pays homage to the natural elements of Water, Air, Fire and Earth with aerial dancer/choreographer Jayne Bernasconi and visual effects artist, Lynn Tomlinson. Jayne performs the Water and Air solos, followed by Fire with Jayne and her daughter, Stacey Shapiro. The 4th section, Earth, is performed by Jayne's aerial repertory students from Towson University. The animated light-painting is collaged from sources locally and around the world including video shot by members of Lynn’s family. Her brother sent footage of kelp and butterflies in New Zealand; her mother captured silk saris blowing in the breeze, ocean sunsets, and ripples in puddles in Santa Cruz, CA. Lynn filmed clouds at sunrise here in Maryland, and Jayne shot footage of goats and a goat herder from her recent trip to India.
  • Earth section of Breath & Air
    Earth section of Breath & Air
  • Shadows in the Earth section of Breath & Air
    Shadows in the Earth section of Breath & Air
  • Jayne's Solo for Air Section
    Jayne's Solo for Air Section
  • Earth section of Breath & Air
    Earth section of Breath & Air
  • Jayne in rehearsal for Breath & Air
    Jayne in rehearsal for Breath & Air
  • Earth section of Breath & Air
    Earth section of Breath & Air
  • Jayne & daughter Stacey in Fire Section of Breath & Air
    Jayne & daughter Stacey in Fire Section of Breath & Air
  • Jayne & daughter Stacey in Fire Section of Breath & Air
    Jayne & daughter Stacey in Fire Section of Breath & Air
  • Earth section of Breath & Air
    Earth section of Breath & Air

Below The Above

Below The Above honors the Sacred Divine Feminine of Moon and Ocean. This dance is also inspired by world-renowned marine biologist, Sylvia Earle, who holds the record for deepest walk on the bottom of the ocean. The pink silk apparatus used in this performance represents a pink plant Earl discovered as well as movement references in the beginning of the piece. Choreography and performance: Jayne Bernasconi, visual effects by John Harris, and music by Zoe Keating.   

I am fascinated by the gravitational pull of the ocean's tide to the rhythm of the moon waxing and waning.  The moon causes the oceans to bulge out on both the side closest to the Moon and the side farthest from the Moon. These bulges create high tides. The low points are where low tides occur.  All of marine biology is effected by this connection and we are part of this interconnectedness.  The beauty of Sacred Divine Feminine is at work in this dance.

  • Below The Above
    Below The Above honors the Divine feminine and the Ocean. It is also inspired by world-renowned marine biologist, Sylvia Earle, who holds the record for deepest walk on the bottom of the ocean. The pink silk apparatus used in this performance represents a pink plant Earl discovered with movement references in the beginning on the floor. Choreographed and performed by Jayne Bernasconi, visual effects by John Harris, and music by Zoe Keating.
  • Below The Above
    Below The Above
    Jayne in fetal position in Below The Above
  • Jayne's Solo for Below The Above
    Jayne's Solo for Below The Above
    Jayne's solo for Below The Above
  • Post Card for Airlines Photo: Below The Above
    Post Card for Airlines Photo: Below The Above
    Post Card for Airlines Photo: Below The Above
  • Below The Above
    Below The Above
  • Below The Above
    Below The Above
  •  Below The Above with Jayne
    Below The Above with Jayne
    Images from Below The Above
  • Ending Image for Below The Above
    Ending Image for Below The Above

Remembering Her Beauty

Remembering Her Beauty is in memory of Jayne's sister, Jan Bernasconi. This project description is being written on Jan's birthday (January 25) and she was born in 1962, so she'd be 62 years ago today. Creating this dance helped Jayne with the grieving process of losing her sister to ALS/Lou Gehrig's disease. "Remembering...." was premiered at the International Aerial Dance Festival in Colorado a month prior to Jan's death in 2012 and she was able to watch this dance on video before she passed away.  One of Jan's last sentiments to Jayne was to keep dancing no matter what.  The sound score in this dance has several pauses, starts and stops to symbolize a life put on hold and cut short with a terminal illness. 

  • Remembering Her Beauty
    Choreographed and performed by Jayne Bernasconi in memory of her sister, Jan. This dance helped Jayne with the grieving process of losing her sister to Lou Gehrig's disease. "Remembering...." was premiered at the International Aerial Dance Festival in Colorado. Jan died one month after this premiere.
  • Remembering Her Beauty
    Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
  • Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
  • Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
  • Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
  • Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
  • Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
  • Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
  • Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
  • Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty
    Jayne's solo Remembering Her Beauty

Forces Of Abilities

Here’s a collection of video clips from local television stories on my work as artistic director of Forces of Ability’s from 1991-2000. Forces of Ability awakens our perceptions of dance, to see beyond the wheelchair.  Showcasing all abilities in performance works on inclusiveness and the beauty of difference. Forces of Ability showcases people with different abilities and shows how they, too, are artists and performers.

A friend invited me to your show and I was reluctant to come see a “pity party. I was pleasantly surprised and after 5 minutes, the wheelchairs disappeared.   ~ FOA Audience member

“I’m interested in building bridges between modern dance and all abilities. Dance is our birthright, and everyone deserves the opportunity.”  ~ Jayne Bernasconi

  • Forces Of Abilities

    Here’s a collection of video clips from local television stories on my work as artistic director of Forces of Ability’s from 1991-2000. Forces of Ability awakens our perceptions of dance, to see beyond the wheelchair.  Showcasing all abilities in performance works on inclusiveness and the beauty of difference. Forces of Ability showcases people with different abilities and shows how they, too, are artists and performers.

    A friend invited me to your show and I was reluctant to come see a “pity party. I was pleasantly surprised and after 5 minutes, the wheelchairs disappeared.   ~ FOA Audience member

    “I’m interested in building bridges between modern dance and all abilities. Dance is our birthright, and everyone deserves the opportunity.”  ~ Jayne Bernasconi

Inside Her Mother's Temple

Inside Her Mother’s Temple is a solo choreographed/performed by Jayne Bernasconi and her mother, Carole.  Grief stricken and lacking motivation for creating a dance, due to the recent passing of her mother, Jayne arrives at the studio without a plan for rehearsal.  She pulls out her iPod (it’s 2005) and chooses a playlist by Ray Lynch.  She also finds wooden hoops in the corner of the studio and starts to move with these hoop. An improvisational dance begins and Jayne slowly feels her mother, who’d recently passed away, guiding her from the other side.  Jayne let’s her body take over and an effortless dance unfolds in one rehearsal.  She quickly videotapes the movement so she doesn’t forget.  Most of the two sections (solo and group) happen within the first two rehearsals.  Normally, a 10 minute dance takes at least a few months to choreograph, if not longer, but Inside literally took minutes. The wooden hoop became a conduit for entering another dimension. 

At the end of rehearsal, I was amazed at the movement that was I’d later set into choreography.  Even the music was perfect to accompany this new dance.  Everything came together so effortlessly.  When I checked what the music was, it read:  Inside My Mother’s Temple.  I’d never heard the music before and didn’t have a clue how it made its way onto my iPod. ~Jayne   

  • Inside Her Mother's Temple

Expanding Circumstances

Expanding Circumstances is a duet that uses bungie and harness. Inspiration for this choreography came from a darker phase in life, torn in two directions. Even though it's a duet, the dancers represent the same person, thus, identical costumes. The Tuvan Throat singers, Huun Huur Tu, create a haunting sound environment, expanding their voices across multiple tones. The second part of this dance uses more tradition music from the Outer Mongolia group and the movement resolves into more free flow choreography.  
  • Expanding Circumstances
  • Expanding Circumstances
    Expanding Circumstances
  • Expanding Circumstances
    Expanding Circumstances
  • Expanding Circumstances
    Expanding Circumstances
  • Expanding Circumstances
    Expanding Circumstances
  • Expanding Circumstances
    Expanding Circumstances
  • Expanding Circumstances
    Expanding Circumstances
  • Expanding Circumstances
    Expanding Circumstances
  • Expanding Circumstances
    Expanding Circumstances
  • Expanding Circumstances
    Expanding Circumstances

Dear Terry.....Sincerely, Nancy & Jayne

Dear Terry.... Sincerely, Nancy & Jayne honors our mother of Aerial Dance, Terry Sendgraff, inventor low-flying trapeze in the early 1970's. Terry was inspirational for many aerial dancers who came from a modern dance background. Terry was a strong advocate for creating unique and original aerial works that included improvisation, spontaneity, as well as choreographed structure.  Jayne's mentor and dear friend, Nancy Smith, who introduced her to aerial dance in 1995, met Terry at the 1st Aerial Dance Festival in 1999 and they both became students of Terry. They also developed a deep and lasting friendship with Terry and sent this dance to her when she was ill to raise her spirits before she passed in 2019.  Dear Terry.... Sincerely, Nancy & Jayne is a play on words from one of Terry's original aerial dances called "Sincerely, Terry."   This dance is accompanied by a live sound score with beat boxer, Shodekeh. Lighting design by Rebecca Wolf.  This dance combines the elements of both choreography and improvisation, ground and air and a little contact improvisation, too. 

  • Dear Terry.... Sincerely, Nancy & Jayne
    Dear Terry.... Sincerely, Nancy & Jayne honors our mother of Aerial Dance, Terry Sendgraff, inventer low-flying trapeze in the early 1970's. Terry was inspirational for many aerial dancers who come from a modern dance background. Terry was a strong advocate for creating unique and original aerial works that include improvisation, spontaneity, as well as choreographed structure. Jayne's mentor and dear friend, Nancy Smith, who introduced her to aerial dance in 1995 met Terry at the 1st Aerial Dance Festival in 1999 and became students of Terry. They both developed a deep and lasting friendship with Terry and sent this dance to her when she was ill to raise her spirits. Dear Terry is a play on words from one of Terry's original aerial dances called "Sincerely, Terry." Dear Terry....Sincerely, Nancy & Jayne is accompanied by a live sound score with beat boxer, Shodekeh.
  • Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
    Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
  • Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
    Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
  • Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
    Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
  • Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
    Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
  • Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
    Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
  • Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
    Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
  • Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
    Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
  • Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy
    Dear Terry....Sincerely, Jayne & Nancy

Eyes Of The Air

Eyes Of The Air created by Jayne Bernasconi is an experimental film representing the physical and spiritual realms of existence through the eyes of Ram. The Ram Mask represent a higher self. In Sanskrit, Ram is God and these images come from a deeper connection to Mother Earth and Her vibrant oceans, animals, and aquatic life. Visual effects of smaller bodies climbing onto a large body is representation of the small and higher self.  Ram is taken both literal and spiritual in this film exploring the vastness of creation.  The goat images and textures/mosaics were shot in Khajaraho, India while I was on a spiritual pilgrimage. 

  • Eyes Of The Air
    Eyes Of The Air
  • Eyes Of The Air
    Eyes Of The Air
  • Eyes Of The Air
    Eyes Of The Air
  • Eyes Of The Air
    Eyes Of The Air
  • Ram
    Ram
  • Ram with small self
    Ram with small self

    Ram with smaller self

  • Eyes Of The Air

    Eyes Of The Air created by Jayne Bernasconi is an experimental film representing the physical and spiritual realms of existence through the eyes of Ram. The Ram Mask represent a higher self. In Sanskrit, Ram is God and these images come from a deeper connection to Mother Earth and Her vibrant oceans, animals, and aquatic life. Visual effects of smaller bodies climbing onto a large body is representation of the small and higher self.  Ram is taken both literal and spiritual in this film exploring the vastness of creation.  The goat images and textures/mosaics were shot in Khajaraho, India while I was on a spiritual pilgrimage.