Jarrell Hamilton is a Mother, Choreographer, Actress, Singer, Dancer, Educator and Film Director. A graduate of Tulane University Theatre and Dance Department Master of Fine Arts Interdisciplinary Dance Program (Choreography and African-American Studies) and Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance, Ms. Hamilton has been honored at the American College Dance Association for her choreography entitled, EPISODES. Jarrell initiated her studies at NORD/NOBA Center for Dance, N.O.C.C.A./Riverfront, and has continued her creative endeavors at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre, San Francisco Conservatory of Dance, Jacob’s Pillow Improv Traditions Institute, American Dance Festival, the Urban Bush Women Summer Leadership Institute and U.B.W. Choreographic Residency. Hamilton is a seven-time Big Easy Classical Arts Award nominee, 2016 “Best Modern Presentation,” 2013 winner for “Best Contemporary Choreographer,” 2018 “Best Ensemble” (Ain’t Misbehavin’), Coming Up Taller Awardee for President’s Committee and Humanities and Tulane School of Liberal Arts Fellowship Awardee. As a community organizer she has curated benefit concerts in New Orleans, a benefit for the Haiti victims of the 2009 Tsunami disaster (in collaboration with NOCCA/Riverfront) and the following year a Christmas Benefit for the New Orleans Covenant House and Tulane’s Drop-In Center orphanage and homeless adolescents. Hamilton has had the honor to work with acclaimed organizations such as Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Be/With, Crossroads Creative Forces, Metairie Park Country Day, D’Project: Southern Voices, Dancing Grounds, Exhibit Dance Collective, Evolve Diaspora, Institute for Cultural Education, Junebug Productions, Kumbuka African Drum and Dance Collective, Kwamé Prophecy Dance Works, KidSmart, KM Dance Project, NORD/NOBA, N.O.C.C.A. (New Orleans Center for Creative Arts), NOLA Project, Young Audience, Volunteers of America, YAYA: Silence is Violence, Radical Buffoons, Tulane University and Third Eye Theatre.

“I will remember waking up feeling like I am right where I need to be, in the center of artistic practice, surrounded by the abundance of life. I will remember how I improvised dance in the meadow, hearing the sound of rain but somehow escaping its droplets. I will remember the red cardinal, and the warm welcome from the staff.” – Jarrell Hamilton