ACADEMY OF
AT JANUARY'S
JADCO Contemporary Dance Company is a performance based ballet, jazz and modern company which prides itself on producing and staging original productions with original live music. JADCO is known for its eclectic and experimental works meshing all genres of dance with theatre, opera and musical theatre.
The company is supported by three apprenticeship groups: White (starting at age 7), Blue, and Royal Divisions. Dancers are auditioned and formally invited each spring.
For more information on how to become a member of JADCO or in one of our apprenticeship programs, please contact us at 304-345-5141 or email us at januarys@suddenlink.net to arrange for a consultation.
Featured below are highlights from JADCO's current and past performances.
Fall 2020
The Little Matchgirl
The Little Matchgirl was performed live during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The concert was performed outdoors in the twilight of a beautiful, crisp fall evening in November. Dancers and the audience were masked for the entirety of the performance.
This concert was among the most beautiful and moving the company has ever performed. As the Artistic Director for the company, I have made a pledge that each year, we will perform this piece, outdoors, and in dedication to the hundreds of thousands of lives lost to the pandemic.
The Little Matchgirl is not just about homelessness and poverty, but also about hope, love, and a realization that, with eyes wide open, we have the power to change things—to make the world around us a more just and loving one.
- January
2018-2019
Feel the Rain
written & Directed bY January Wolfe
Feel the Rain is an original story written for the stage by JADCO Contemporary Dance Company's Artistic Director, January Wolfe. The show is a period piece set in the 1940's, with authentic period costuming playfully contrasted by video imagery and a contemporary soundtrack.
A poignant, uplifting, and beautiful feel-good show, Feel the Rain will have your students humming and singing along. They'll gain a renewed appreciation for what it means to reach for your dreams, and for the importance of sharing and giving back.
2016-2017
Second Sara
See what teachers say about our last show, "Second Sara"—
"Second Sara is an enchanting show that captures a familiar feeling to all students. Using music and dance, the show takes students through a myriad of emotions, and in the end unveils the true nature of the human spirit."
- Ami Palmer, Kindergarten Teacher, Clendenin Elementary School
“Second Sara is not only entertaining, but completely relevant to school-age students because the content involves several topics surrounding friendship, including bullying. Such an awesome conversation starter!”
- Shannon Cannon, John Adams Middle School
An original ballet based on the book Second Sara by January Wolfe. January is a juried artist at Tamarack, West Virginia's premier artisan retailer, with the book.
Second Sara is a story about friendship and betrayal, love and loss.
When does silence become bullying?
Is there a difference?
Available for purchase at Tamarack. Second Sara was juried in by other writers and artists as one of the best in WV!
2014 - 2015
“Creativity enthusiasts with a penchant for local talent can have it all - a great story, art, music, dance - in this ballet based on the latest children’s book by Charleston author January Wolfe."
2012 - 2013
Chasing Butterflies: Captured
“Under the light of the full moon, Capable and her best friend Bucket set off for high adventures. Overcoming obstacle after obstacle, the two climb to the top of Eagle’s Point, where Capable is convinced she will find her beloved butterfly, Violet.”
2010 - 2011
Meeting Violet
Meeting Violet
“When a pretty young girl called Capable meets a beautiful Gossamer-Winged Butterfly named Violet, a magical adventure follows as the two join forces to find the secret hidden deep within Aunt Pegasy’s Garden.”
2005 - 2007
The Little Matchgirl
The Little Matchgirl was a musical adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s famous story. It was a contemporary rock opera set to the music of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, told through narrative and movement.
The performance was directed and choreographed each year by January Wolfe and Dorothea Hereford, with guest choreography by Heather Taylor, Lorien McDavid and Maggie Bryan.
2002 - 2009
Thistledowne Faeries
The Thistledowne Faeries was an original ballet written by Daniel Kehde, fully orchestrated and scored by Mark Scarpelli, and directed by January Wolfe and Jamie Anderson. It was performed each Spring between 2002 and 2009.
