Jelani Taylor is a dancer, choreographer, and arts administrator from Virginia Beach, Virginia, currently working out of New York City. He is the Founder and Artistic Director of ERA Dance Company and the Artists of Color Council Coordinator for Movement Research. Jelani’s choreography has been presented nationally at Inside/Out at Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, Danspace Project’s Draftwork program, the National Dance Society Conference (NDS), Arts on Site, Green Lung Studio and various festivals in Virginia and New York City. He has performed in work by nia love, Merce Cunningham, Nathan Trice, and Sinclair O’Gaga. Jelani and ERA Dance Company were artist/company in residence at Norfolk State University, a part of the Digging in Group, Artist Residency program at Green Space Studio and a 2024/25 Performance Project Fellow at University Settlement. Jelani graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) with a B.F.A in Dance and Choreography in 2019. While at VCU, Jelani was the recipient of the African American Studies Department’s “Black History in the Making” Award.
