An internationally acclaimed and much sought after educator/choreographer/performer, Josette Wiggan has dedicated her life to the perpetuation of African American Vernacular Jazz Dance. She began her dance adventure with Paul and Arlene Kennedy in Los Angeles at the age of 12 and then refined her skills as an adult while dancing with Jazz Tap Ensemble until 2007. A graduate of UCLA, Josette’s career highlights include, the 2001 Spotlight Award winner in non-classical dance category, the first National Broadway Tour of 42nd Street, 2004 Bessie Award Nominee for Outstanding Performance in the Baker/Tarpaga Project, movies Idlewild and Princess and the Frog, and studying with Germaine Acogny at L’ecole les Sables in Toubab Dialaw, Senegal. Alongside her brother, she was part of two original casts of Cirque du Soleil’s Banana Shpeel and Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour from 2009-2013. The duo also performed in Tireless, a curated show by Michelle Dorrance that had its debut at Jacob’s Pillow in 2017. Josette was also a part of Dorrance’s all woman quartet that created two works, Until the Real Comes Along and and All Good Things Must Come and End. In 2021 Josette created her first evening length work entitled, Praise: The Inevitable Fruit of Gratitude, in collaboration with Grammy nominated, jazz trumpeter extraordinaire, Keyon Harrold. In collaboration with Dorrance Dance, it had its debut at Jacob’s Pillow and the Queens Theatre in the Park. Most currently, Josette’s began her own tap company, Josette Wiggan Presents… in June 2023 and developed a new work entitled, On Solid Ground: A Celebration of Black Joy and Freedom In Our America, featuring improvisation by the dancers and musicians. In addition, Josette is currently on faculty at USC’s Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, teaching Vernacular Jazz and Tap Dance and is excited to be presenting the debut performance of Threshing Floor… at American Dance Platform 2024!
