Jack Ferver

The performance artist and dancer, Jack Ferver, isn’t afraid to shock, provoke, or mystify. His work digs deeply into gender, sex, power, and politics. The New Yorker once called his performances “so extreme they sometimes look and feel like exorcisms.” So what exactly is Jack Ferver doing? Part ballet, part theater, and all infused with social commentary, Ferver says he sees himself as a mirror. Using both humor and darkness to engage with audiences and reflect their emotional and psychological rawness. Ferver is also a professor at Bard College. His work has been performed at the Guggenheim, the New Museum, the Kitchen, and Performance Space New York.

Debbie talks to Jack Ferver about his career in dance theater. “All art is political. It’s either waking you up or it’s putting you to sleep.”