Thayer Jonutz - Oakland University Dance

Thayer Jonutz
Assistant Professor of Dance
Technique, Choreography, Theory
Oakland University Repertory Dance Company

Contact
jonutz@oakland.edu
(248) 370-2804

Thayer Jonutz has toured and performed extensively with his dancing to places such as Tonga, Japan, and Mexico. He garnered more international touring experiences in the Philippines, South Korea, and India with Brigham Young University where he graduated with a BA in Modern Dance in 2003. As a senior, he joined Repertory Dance Theatre, and he continued as a full-time company member for five years, immersing himself in both historical and contemporary works.

Some of the choreographers that he worked with were Douglass Dunn, Zvi Gotheiner, Daniel Nagrin, Bill Evans, Scott Rink, and Susan Hadley. He has recently completed the MFA dance program at the University of Michigan where he furthered his professional career performing with the Peter Sparling Dance Company. Thayer was one of the lead roles in a new work that premiered in 08 by Rennie Harris, titled Heaven; this contemporary version of The Rite of Spring was a fusion of modern dance, break-dance and butoh. This experience as well as master classes from other butoh artists led Thayer to travel to Japan this last summer to study butoh and other Japanese forms and ideas. His newest work Doors is based on his travels to Japan. Two of his choreographic solos, From Northwood and My Disappeared were performed at ACDFA in March of 08 and 09.

Thayer has joined the dance faculty at Oakland University and is teaching Modern dance technique, dance pedagogy, and is the director of the Repertory Dance Company. He is also cofounder of Mise en Place, a new company that had its inaugural performance in May of 09.