Urban Jazz Dance Company
Founded in 2007 by pioneering Deaf dancer/choreographer Antoine Hunter, Urban Jazz Dance Company consists of a mix of professional Deaf and Hearing dancers. UJD's mission is to provide opportunities for Deaf and other-abled artists to contribute to the arts and larger society, increasing awareness around Deaf issues via the performing arts.
Featuring the syncopation of urban jazz rhythms, the company values the importance of play and performance to connect cultures of all races, ages, abilities, and backgrounds. UJD performs all over the Bay Area and beyond, including at festivals, such as at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Black Choreographers Festival, CubaCaribe Festival, Art and Soul Festival, DeafNation, DisneyLand Disney's Signin' in the Street, Oregon Shakespeare festival"s Green Show, and the Ethnic Dance Festival. Its programs thrill Deaf and Hearing audiences alike. UJD is also the producer of the annual Bay Area International Deaf Dance Festival and views Deafness as a human experience with its own values, principles, and cultural norms – not a disability.
Photo of Antoine Hunter by Matt Haber