artistic directors jamey hampton + ashley roland
ASHLEY ROLAND (Artistic Director) - A native of Connecticut, Ashley began her dance training at the Alvin Ailey and David Howard studios in New York, with further studies at North Carolina School of the Arts. In 1983 she joined MOMIX Dance Theater as a dancer and choreographer. In 1987 she co-founded ISO Dance, creating over thirty pieces for the company and touring to five continents. 1997 saw the birth of her latest contemporary dance company, BodyVox, which she co-founded with her partner Jamey Hampton.
As a solo performer Ashley has danced her work in galas throughout Europe, Canada and the United States. In 1993 she choreographed the full-length ballet, "Sheherezade" for the Georgian State Ballet in Tiblisi, Republic of Georgia. Ashley’s work can also be seen on the following companies: Batsheva, from Tel Aviv, Israel; IntroDans, from Amsterdam; Trinity Irish Dance Company, River North Dance Company, and Oregon Ballet Theater. She has also created and performed in benefits for Amnesty International, Fashion Aid, Friends In Deed, Canadian Aids Relief, Cascade Aids Benefit and the Connecticut Tibetan Resettlement Project.
Beyond her work for the stage Ashley was a featured performer and choreographer in the KCET public television production "EPISODES", for which she earned an Emmy Award for "Best Performer." She also co-choreographed and performed in the 1998 Academy Awards Show. In 2002 she was a recipient of an American Choreography Award for her work the short film series “Modern Daydreams.”
Ashley has been a long time collaborator with dance photographer Lois Greenfield creating thousands of dance images made for the camera. The fruits of this collaboration can be seen in Greenfield's books "Breaking Bounds" and “Airborne”, on Greenfield’s yearly calendars, and on the cover of the Anne Rice novel "Lasher.”
Since the creation of BodyVox, in 1997, Ashley and her partner Jamey have made over one hundred works including two full-length opera productions. The two make their home in Portland, Oregon with their sons, Bowen and Julian.
photo by: Derrin Battles, (Polara Studios)