09 Sep Jeffery Duffy
Jeffery Duffy is a native of Atlanta, Georgia. His transformative years took shape at The Dance Theater of Harlem at the age of 16, where he was asked to train under the tutelage of Virginia Johnson, Keith Saunders, Robert Garland, Endalyn Taylor, and Michelle Lucci. Early on, Duffy performed for lecture demonstrations with the Dance Theatre of Harlem Ensemble and Outreach, alongside learning the works of Arthur Mitchell, Robert Garland, and George Balanchine.
To continue on his path of training, Jeffery was accepted and graduated with his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance from The Juilliard School. There, he was exposed to an extensive variety of movement pedagogy, functional anatomy, music theory, music and dance composition, and dance history. The engaging professors included: Risa Steinberg, Lawrence Rhodes, Milton Myers, Terese Capucillli, Francisco Martinez, Laura Glenn, Linda Kent, and Alphonse Poulin. Alongside his studies, Duffy performed the works of Jose Límon, Martha Graham, Larry Keigwin, Elliot Feld, Darell Grand Moultrie, Monica Bill Barnes, and Paul Taylor. Though, most performing took place at the Peter J. Sharp Theater on Campus, Jeffery also took advantage of unique opportunities and played: The Guggenheim Museum in New York City; The Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago, Illinois; The David H. Koch Theater; The Assembleé Internationale 2013 in Toronto, Canada; and Place Des Arts in Montreal QC, Canada. Jeffery Graduated the Juilliard School with an Alan D. Marks Entrepreneurship Grant, Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Arts Entrepreneurship Prize, and as a McCallum Theater Choreography Festival Winner with co-creator, Alexander Jones.
Following his collegiate training, Jeffery joined Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, under the Direction of Glenn Edgerton. While a dancer at Hubbard Street, Jeffery became experientially exposed to the works of William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Jiri Kylian, Alejandro Cerrudo, Penny Saunders, Brian Brooks, and Nacho Duato. Duffy also choreographed his own work for Hubbard Street’s Inside/Out Program. While at Hubbard Street, Jeffery toured throughout Germany and the United States. He Premiered the American debut of William Forsythe’s
N.N.N.N. and he is a recipient of the honorable Princess Grace Award: Dance Fellowship 2016. The following year, Jeffery then went on to be named “Top 25 to Watch” for 2017, by Dance Magazine.
The Summer before joining Hubbard Street, Jeffery became a certified GYROTONIC Instructor, under the tutelage of Dawn Strom. He began a part-time practice at The Chicago Center for Body Movement.
Jeffery had been teaching dance since college, and regularly began teaching Gyrotonic as well. He has taught “Movement Fundamentals”, “Modern Dance Technique”, “Improvisation”, “Contemporary Partnering”, “Jazz”, and “Ballet Techniques”. He’s taught at Spelman College, Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts, Atlanta Ballet School and Summer Intensives, Lou Conte Dance Studio, Impassioned Dance Center, and Eglevsky Ballet.
Inspired by the choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler and the writing of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jeffery joined the First National Tour of Hamilton: An American Musical, where he played some of the countries world renowned theaters including the John F. Kennedy Center Opera House, The Orpheum Theater in San Francisco, The Pantages in Los Angeles, and both of the Fox Theaters in St. Louis and Atlanta. While on tour Jeffery gladly participated in EduHam Talkbacks for students; Appeared in Hamilton: The Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois; & Performed for benefit concerts in Los Angeles and Atlanta for Broadway Cares.
Following his two year run with HAMILTON, Jeffery began freelancing based out of New York City. Jeffery rang in the year of 2019 by performing in the “Fox New Years Party with Steve Harvey” choreographed by Dana Wilson; Blood Orange’s music video “HOPE” with choreography by Emma Portner; He premiered the new work “WATCH” in Stuttgart, Germany by ARIAS company, choreographed by Bryan Arias where he performed and composed part of the score. Jeffery was brought in as a Consultant for New York University’s School of Professional Studies, Leadership and Management Course; where using movement, he taught master students to understand supportive behaviors for effective leadership. Jeffery has also taught masterclasses at NYU Tisch School of the Arts; Cobb County Center for Excellence in the Performing Arts, Braswell Arts Center in Basel, Switzerland, and MOVE(NYC) under the direction of Nigel Campbell and Chanel DaSilva.
Following, Jeffery rejoined HAMILTON’s Chicago company where he was an offstage swing.
Jeffery has since relocated to Atlanta with his family to continue integrating movement and dance into his life and to the lives of others.