Jayne Bernasconi

The Artists of Airborne: Honoring the Legacy of Robert Davidson

Jayne Bernasconi

Photo by Stacey Shapiro 

Jayne Bernasconi, M.A., E-RYT 500, is the founder and artistic director of Air Dance Bernasconi, an aerial dance company based in Baltimore since 1999.

photo by Kanji Takai

From 1995-1999 she danced with Frequent Flyers Productions based in Boulder, CO where she worked with aerial pioneers Nancy Smith, Terry Sendgraff and Robert Davidson.

Jayne's words on Davidson: “I knew he must have been a great artist if he could make a trapeze from a broken snow shovel handle. Working with Bob, I admired his ability to choreographically challenge me beyond anything I had ever done, which, in turn, made me the kind of aerial choreographer/teacher to challenge my dancers or students to go beyond anything they believed they could do....

"When you’re hanging onto a bar for dear life and completely suspended over a group of people, it’s hard not to look too tense and grippy, but Bob with his Skinner Release work, had a way of conveying what he wanted in his choreography.  There was one section of a dance I was in, where 7 or 8 people were all rolling on the floor in a slumber state and I had to break from the group to move from the ground up…seamlessly and then float and hover over the group…like I was sprinkling fairy dust or something.  I just looked back on that dance and can remember his words, 'softer….softer….more effortless' He knew what he wanted as a choreographer and he was great at conveying these images or ideas to this dancers."

Bernasconi has taught and participated at the international Aerial Dance Festival in Boulder, Co since it's inception 20 years ago. She is adjunct dance faculty at Towson University, where she teaches aerial dance and yoga. She also co-authored the book/DVD “Aerial Dance” with fellow Airborne performer, Nancy Smith.

Bernasconi's choreography has been seen throughout the US and abroad, check out her promotional video HERE!

photo by Kanji Takai

As a part of Airborne, she will perform Below the Above on the silks.

Come see Jayne Bernasconi, alongside fellow artists who trained under Davidson, perform to honor their mentor!

Airborne Festival:

Honoring the Legacy

of Robert Davidson

Saturday, September 15

@ 8:00 PM

Sunday, September 16

@ 2:30 PM

Manhattan Movement and

Arts Center

248 West 60th Street

New York, NY 10023

Purchase tickets HERE

Please support this project HERE