Jack Ferver
is a New York based writer, choreographer, and director. Their genre defying performances, which have been called “so extreme that they sometimes look and feel like exorcisms” (The New Yorker), explore the tragicomedy of the human psyche. Ferver’s “darkly humorous” (The New York Times) works interrogate and indict an array of psychological and socio-political issues, particularly in the realms of sexual orientation, gender, and power struggles. Their visionary direction blurs boundaries between fantastic theatrics and stark naturalism, character and self, humor and horror.
Ferver’s works have been presented in New York City at the New Museum; New York Live Arts; The Kitchen; The French Institute Alliance Française, as part of Crossing the Line; Abrons Arts Center; Gibney Dance; Performance Space 122; the Museum of Arts and Design, as part of Performa 11; Danspace Project; and Dixon Place. Domestically and internationally, Ferver has been presented by the Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College (NY); American Dance Institute (MD); Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (IL); Portland Institute of Contemporary Art (OR); the Institute of Contemporary Art at MECA (ME); the Institute of Contemporary Art (MA); DiverseWorks in collaboration with the Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston (TX); and Théâtre de Vanves (France).
Ferver’s work has been critically acclaimed in The New York Times, Le Monde, Artforum, The New Yorker, Time Out NY, Modern Painters, The Financial Times, The Village Voice, and ArtsJournal. Ferver has received residencies and fellowships from the Maggie Allesee National Center of Choreography at Florida State (2012); Baryshnikov Arts Center (2013); the Watermill Center (2014); the Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art (2014); and Live Arts Bard, the commissioning and residency program of The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts at Bard College (2014); and Abrons Art Center (2014-2015). They are a 2016 recipient of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant.
Ferver teaches at Bard College in Theater and Performance and for the graduate Vocal Art Program. They have also taught at NYU Tisch, SUNY Purchase, and have set choreography at The Juilliard School. As an actor they have appeared in numerous films and television series and plays. They are currently working on a solo work to be presented in collaboration with the visual artist Marc Swanson at Mass MoCA and a new play with the playwright Jeremy O Harris.
PRODUCTION HISTORY
Is Global Warming Camp? and other forms of theatrical distance for the end of the world
2022. The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art. North Adams, MA.
Nowhere Apparent
2020. Collaboration with Jeremy Jacob. New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, NYC.
2019. New York Live Arts. New York, New York.
*2018. New York Live Arts. New York, New York.
I Want You To Want Me
*2016. The Kitchen: ADI/NYC. New York, New York
Night Light Bright Light
*2015. Abrons Art Center. American Realness. New York Performance Artists Collective. New York, New York
Chambre
2015. New Museum. French Institute Alliance Française. Crossing the Line. New York, New York.
2015. American Dance Institute. Rockville, Maryland
*2014. Bard College: The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. The House Is Open. Annandale-On-Hudson, New York.
All Of A Sudden
*2013. Abrons Arts Center. New York, New York
Mon, Ma, Mes
2017. Temperance Hall. Melbourne, Australia.
2016. Gibney Dance. American Realness. New York, New York.
2014. Portland Institute of Contemporary Art. TBA Festival. Portland, Oregon
2013. French Institute Alliance Française/Abrons Arts Center. American Realness. New York, New York.
*2012. French Institute Alliance Française. Crossing the Line. New York, New York.
Two Alike
2012. The Kitchen. New York, New York.
2012. Institute of Contemporary Art. Boston, Massachusetts.
*2011. DiverseWorks Artspace. Contemporary Arts Museum of Houston. Houston, Texas.
Me, Michelle
2012. Abrons Art Center. American Realness. New York, New York.
*2011. The Museum of Arts and Design. Performa 11. New York, New York.
Rumble Ghost
2011. Performance Space 122. Coil Festival. New York, New York.
*2010. Performance Space 122. New York, New York.
A Movie Star Needs A Movie
2010. Théâtre de Vanves. Vanves, France.
2010. Abrons Art Center. American Realness. New York, New York.
*2009. New Museum. New York, New York.
Death Is Certain
*2009. Danspace Project. New York, New York.
MEAT
*2008. Dixon Place. New York, New York.
When We Were Young And Filled With Fear
*2007. Dixon Place. New York, New York.
COMMISSIONED SHORTER WORKS
Witch Study #1
Center for Performance Research. Brooklyn, New York.
I’m Trying to Hear Myself
*New Museum. New York, New York.
Andrew Edlin Gallery. New York, New York.
The Senior Bow
*The Julliard School. New York, New York.
Il Peint Moi
*PS1 MoMA. Queens, New York.
Acceptance.
*The Julliard School. New York, New York.
MDM
*NP Gallery. New York, New York
Vandam Goodbar
*LaMaMa Etc. New York, New York
Benefit Piece
*Dance Theater Workshop. New York, New York.
PUBLISHED WRITING
“Funny Bones on Comedy", Spring 2023, Walker Reader, Walker Art Center
“In Response to ‘Woman on the Edge’”, “Letter From Paris”, “The Most Beautiful Boy”, Fall/Winter 2010-11 Issue of Novembre
“Letter From Paris”, Spring/Summer 2011 issue of Mary Literary
GRANTS & RESIDENCIES
2020. The Madeleine Nichols Fellow at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.
2016. Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grant.
2014. Residency at the Institute of Contemporary Art at Maine College of Art.
2014. Residency at The Watermill Center.
2014. Residency at Bard College.
2013. Residency at Baryshnikov Arts Center.
2013. Residency at Bard College.
2012. Residency at the Maggie Allesee National Center fo Choreography at Florida State University.
2012. Jerome Foundation Recipient.
2010 - 2011. AIRSpace. Artist in Residence. Abrons Art Center.
2008 - 2009. Residency through Studio Series at Dance Theater Workshop
2008 - 2009. Artist in Residence at Chez Bushwick.
CHOREOGRAPHER
2022 (Upcoming). Jeremy O Harris’ A Boy’s Company Presents: Tell Me If I’m Hurting You.
2018. Leonard Bernstein’s Peter Pan. The Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts. Annandale-on-Hudson, NY.
TEACHING
2013 - Present. Faculty. Bard College.
2011 - Present. Adjunct Professor at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts
2013. Guest Professor at SUNY Purchase.
2012. Guest Professor at Interlochen Arts Academy
OTHER
As an actor credits include the film Gayby, the television shows High Maintenance (HBO) and Strangers With Candy (Comedy Central), Christopher Durang’s Betty’s Summer Vacation (Playwrights Horizons) and numerous other independent projects such as The Little Lad (@thereallittlelad) on TikTok of the famed Starburst Berries and Cream commercial. With the QWAN Company: SWAN!!! and NOTES!!! at Performance Space 122 and Abrons Art Center.
SELECTED PRESS
Fuhrer, Margaret: “The Little Lad? Berries and Cream? Call It Performance Art”, The New York Times, November 19, 2021
Marius, Marley: “Anatomy of a Play Put On Hold: Jeremy O Harris’: A Boy’s Company Presents: Tell Me If I’m Hurting You”, Vogue, July 9, 2020.
Kourlas, Gia: “Where Dance Fans Can Escape From Our ‘Sci-Fi Horror’ Moment”, The New York Times, May 5, 2020.
Gates, Phillip: “Jack Ferver: Everything Is Imaginable”, Contemporary Performance, January 12, 2019.
Arthurs, Faye: “Imagination is Everything”, Fjord Review, January 12, 2019.
Burke, Shiobhan: “Dancing Their Friends and Heroes (and My Little Pony)”, The New York Times, April 5, 2018.
Kourlas, Gia: “Who Made Them Feel Mighty Real”, The New York Times, April 3, 2018.
Bendall, Susan: “Mon, Ma, Mes (Revisité)”, Dance Australia, May 8, 2017.
Fuhrmann, Andrew: “Jack Ferver and Persona”, RealTime, May 8, 2017.
Jowitt, Deborah: “The Road to Dancer Hell”, ArtsJournal, July 8, 2016.
Shaw, Helen: “Jack Ferver: Chambre”, TimeOut New York, September 29, 2015.
Boisseau, Rosita: “Danseurs hors cadre”, Le Monde, September 25, 2015.
Kourlas, Gia: “Dancer’s Homage to a Kindred Soul”, The New York Times, January 1, 2015.
Burke, Shiobhan: “Visual Arts Come to the Theater as Genres Blend and Bend”, The New York Times, November 23, 2014.
Macaulay, Alastair: “Celebrating the Unorthodox with Startling Footwork and Incessant Talk”, The New York Times, January 22, 2013.
Macaulay, Alastair: “American Realness Festival at Abrons Art Center, The New York Times, January 15, 2013.
Boynton, Andrew: “Best Moments In Dance 2012”, The New Yorker, Culture Desk, December 17, 2012.
Boynton, Andrew: “Dance of the Bullied Child”, The New Yorker, Culture Desk, May 24,2012.
La Rocco, Claudia: “Two Performa 11 Duets, Distinct Yet Conversant in Their Shared Themes”, The New York Times, November 17, 2011.
Scherr, Apollinaire: “Rumble Ghost”, The Financial Times, December 15, 2010.
Kourlas, Gia: “Laughing and Crying at Ghosts Fictive and Real”, The New York Times, December 11, 2010.
Vincentelli, Elisabeth: “Rumble Ghost at PS 122”, The New York Post, December 13, 2010.
Wilton, Kris: “Jack Fever, New Museum”, Modern Painters, February, 2010.
Burton, Johanna: “Jack Ferver, New Museum”, Artforum, January, 2010.
La Rocco, Claudia: “A Tag Team Awaiting Its Close-Up”, The New York Times, October 17, 2009.
Velasco, David: “Dance: Best of 2009”, Artforum, December 2009.
*Premiere