Iyun Ashani Harrison

Assistant Professor

Ballet, Men’s Technique, Ballet Partnering, Repertory

iharrison@cornish.edu

Iyun Ashani Harrison (St. Andrew, Jamaica) is the artistic director of Ashani Dances (visit http://www.ashanidances.org), a Seattle-based dance company founded in the summer of 2011. He earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Juilliard School and Masters of Fine Arts degree from Hollins University/American Dance Festival. Over the 13 years of his performing career in New York City, he danced with Arthur Mitchell’s Dance Theatre of Harlem, Ballet Hispanico of New York, National Dance Theatre Company of Jamaica, and Ailey II. He has appeared as guest artist with Connecticut Ballet, Buglisi Dance Theatre and Lubbock Ballet. Mr. Harrison danced in works by George Balanchine, Jiri Kylian, José Limón, Paul Taylor, Michael Smuin, Alvin Ailey, Lar Lubovitch, Donald Byrd, Talley Beatty, and George Faison. His television credits include PBS’ Setting the Stage 2007, NBC’s 20th Hispanic Heritage Awards, PBS’ Who’s Dancin’ Now? – Arts Education in Your Community, and The South Bank Show in England. Mr. Harrison has taught/choreographed for the Juilliard Dance Ensemble, Ailey School, American Dance Festival, Jamaica School of Dance, University of the West Indies at Cave Hill – Barbados, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, American College Dance Festival and on the full-time faculty at Webster University in St. Louis, MO. Mr. Harrison’s choreography was selected for the region gala performance of the American College Dance Festival at the University of Illinois, Urban-Champaign and for the national American College Dance Festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In Seattle Mr. Harrison has performed with Seattle Dance Project and Dance Fremont. Visit: http://www.iyunharrison.com