I make work that explores my darkness, power, strength, and wit.

I make dances that are brutal and harsh.

I push through exhaustion. I struggle and contort my body.

I find a tender grace in the primal moments that follow.

My dances are personal and intimate.

They are sharp and fast, raw and precise.

They teeter in the place where cohesion crumbles to decay.

I avoid large dance and theater venues, instead opting to self-produce in

small galleries, clubs, coffee shops, bars, warehouses, etc.

I bring dance to places where it is not usually seen and

to people who are not a typical dance audience.

I love to learn and create.

I am a choreographer and performer.

I am a visual artist and graphic designer.

I am an emerging musician and composer.

I design and fabricate costumes, sets, and lighting.

I direct and edit films.

I enfold all of these different artistic ventures into my dance-based pieces.

I craft visceral experiences with a do-it-yourself aesthetic.

- Jessie Smith

Photo by Justin Sullivan