In this hour-long class, you will get a great cardio warm-up through African dance movements and be guided through a series of stretches and strength-building exercises. Class will finish with a combination for all to learn and dance together.
Dancers of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome!
Join Jean for his Haitian Folklore class!
In this hour-long class, you will get a great cardio warm-up through African dance movements and be guided through a series of stretches and strength-building exercises. Class will finish with a combination for all to learn and dance together.
Dancers of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome!
Big News: Our film premieres at the Boston International Film Festival this April!
Buy tickets to join JAE at BIFF!
We will be in Session 8 on Sunday April 13, 2025 from 5-6:30pm at the New England Aquarium SIMONS IMAX Theatre.
Last summer, we had the privilege of working with an incredible film team to capture the magic of JAE's Summer Dance Institute—an experience so profound that words, photos, and reflections never feel like enough. But filmmaker Stephanie Briones and her team exceeded all expectations, creating a moving mini-documentary that truly brings the Summer Dance Institute to life. We submitted it to a few film festivals with hope—and now, we’re thrilled to share that it has been selected for the 2025 Boston International Film Festival! The 10-minute mini-documentary will premiere on April 13 at BIFF, and we’d be honored to have you join us in celebrating this powerful moment on the big screen. Learn more below!
This 10-minute mini-documentary explores the transformative impact of Jean Appolon Expressions’ (JAE) 2024 Summer Dance Institute in Santo Domingo, with glimpses of the 2023 program in Haiti. Through the voices of students, JAE staff, and local collaborators, the film reveals how JAE’s free, immersive program uses dance, yoga, reflection, and cultural discussions to foster resilience and healing for youth ages 5-18. Since 2006, JAE has empowered over 2,000 young people across Haiti, Massachusetts, and the Dominican Republic, with a focus on Kiltirèl Conexiones (Cultural Connections) to highlight the power of dance in fostering a bright, new future.
Executive Producer: Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE)
Director and Co-Executive Producer: Stephanie Briones
Editor: Tery Sanmaray Gil
Sound: Efrain Rojas | Grupo Acebo Alto
Color Grading and Additional Photography: Raymi Guzmán
Your retreat ticket directly supports JAE’s mission and free programming to support the liberating power of Haitian-folkloric dance to cultivate hope, healing, and justice. Retreat profits will go straight back to JAE programming.
Create New Connections, Grow Your Self-Awareness, and Explore the Nourishing Beauty of Nature through the Natural Connection Experience, a Holistic Retreat in El Rincón, DR.
Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE) has partnered with Aventura Rincon Ecolodge to host an inclusive and unique 5 night retreat experience dedicated to fostering holistic wellness and liberation through practices that are rooted in the traditions of Haitian Folkloric culture and dance.
JAE, a nonprofit contemporary dance company, has designed this retreat in service of its mission to cultivate hope and healing towards a more expressive and socially just world. If you are looking for a soul healing experience while gaining a deeper understanding of Haitian culture and dance, this retreat is for you.
*If you reside in the Dominican Republic please reach out to learn about a special rate!
Thursday, May 15, 2025
7 - 8:30 pm
As part of Haitian Heritage Month, Greater Boston-based contemporary dance company Jean Appolon Expressions (JAE) presents Ansanm Ansanm, Together Together, a vibrant medley celebrating Haitian culture and resilience.
Under the visionary leadership of Jean Appolon, JAE's compelling choreography preserves and elevates Haitian culture while inspiring reflection, healing, and celebration.This dynamic performance will feature selections from JAE’s repertoire as well as a celebratory new improvisational component adds an exuberant energy, inviting dancers, musicians, and audiences to share in a joyful expression of unity.
The performance will include:
Traka, meaning “Troubles” in Haitian Creole, is an exploration into how dance, culture, and community are pathways to healing for victims of traumatic events on both individual and community levels.
Pouvwa (Power), utilizes Haitian-folkloric dance, Afro-electronica, live drumming, visual installations, and workshops to invite us all to galvanize our power to create a new world while also naming the realities of structural, political, and cultural misuse of power across the globe.
Save the date to hang out with JAE at the Long Live Brewery on June 23 from 6-8pm! More details coming soon!
Roxbury Summer Dance Institute
July 28–August 2, 2025
Open to youth ages 5-18. Participants will work toward a culminating performance for their families. Daily attendance is required.
All ages will be learning and dancing together within community, as traditionally done in African learning systems.
Save the date for our annual community celebration! More info to come!
