jolea maffei

JoLea Maffei is a master teacher of the Lester Horton modern dance technique and has been teaching Horton in New York City for over twenty-five years.  She has been on the faculties of Hofstra University, Marymount Manhattan College, New York University, City College of New York, Ballet Arts at City Center, The Joffrey School and currently the Peridance Capezio Center,  and Steps on Broadway and the Steps Conservatory in New York City. She has taught at summer festivals including Hunter College Summer Sampler, Jacob’s Pillow, Internationale Tanz Wochen in Vienna, Austria and the Cleo Parker Robinson summer festival in Denver, Colorado. 

Ms. Maffei has had an extensive performing career dancing with the Maffei Dance Company, The New York Ballroom Company in the work of Gary Pierce and Christian Holder, East\West Repertory Dance Ensemble in her own work and the works of Milton Myers, Lonne Morretton, Rod Rogers, William Adair and Leni Williams, Milton Myers Dance Company, and numerous independent choreographers.

Ms Maffei served as the choreographic and teaching assistant to Milton Myers from 1988-98, demonstrating the Horton Technique and setting his work at festivals and companies throughout the U.S. and Europe.

As a choreographer, JoLea Maffei has premiered work at the Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, the Theatre of The Riverside Church, the Wheeler Opera House in Aspen, Colorado, the Clark Studio Theater, The Tribeca Center for the Performing Arts, the Cunningham Studio, and Hofstra University and has participated in showcases throughout NYC. She served as co-artistic director, resident choreographer and performer for the East/West Repertory Dance Ensemble from 1990 until 1995. In September 1999, Ms. Maffei was a guest artist-in-residence at the University of Northern Colorado, setting her work “The Distance Between Wait and Quiet” on the student dance company. In 2000 Ms. Maffei was commissioned to choreograph for the Hofstra University Shakespeare Festival where she created “Another Moon”. 

Originally from Michigan, Ms Maffei graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Michigan where she received the Gertrude Heubner Award for excellence in dance.