Montage leaps into new alumni chapter

Gracing the stages of the world’s most sought-after platforms for dancers and performers is just one of the many accolades achieved by the Montage Theatre of Dance. The company’s 18-year history of providing a variety of genres such as tap, ballet, jazz, hip hop, African, modern and improvisation has now evolved into an alumni chapter.

Montage’s newly formed alumni chapter members support the company by providing resources and information for professional opportunities to Hinds students. With their backing, students are afforded opportunities that enable them to explore their futures in performing arts in Mississippi.

“We started having conversations about what it would mean to have a post-college performing arts collective,” said Chapter President Ayana Jones (2018). “Following the company’s stride, we accept all past Montage members. We believe that every individual’s talent will strengthen the collective.” Montage bills itself as Mississippi’s only multi-disciplinary dance theater company. It prides itself on being a well-versed dance community with different ages, sizes, genders and skill sets.

The company was founded in 2004 by Tiffany Jefferson. She believed ballet and modern were limited in expression and included multi-disciplinary dance genres to tell a more diverse story. With only 14 members to start, Montage has grown and performed at some of the most notable places in the world such as Carnegie Hall in New York City, N.Y.; Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. and Bridgwater College in Somerset, England.

“In the future, we hope to cultivate our alumni connection through cross-learning and collaboration to encourage and help company members host workshops as a service to the community,” Jones said. “We are also working to coordinate fundraising events to support performing arts scholarships at Hinds.”