Jack Ferver
Ferver, a white person with close-cropped grayish hair sits in a white studio smiling
Ferver in 2015
Born1979[1]
Prairie du Sac, Wisconsin, USA[1]
NationalityAmerican
Alma materInterlochen Arts Academy
Known forChoreography
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Jack Ferver (born 1979)[1] is an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and professor. They are known for their dance-theatre shows that examine trauma, otherness, and queerness, as well as for their portrayal of a character known as the Little Lad in a 2007 Berries and Cream Starburst commercial.

Upon graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy, Ferver moved to New York City and appeared in their first film role in Outside Providence (1999). After acting in film, television, and theater for several years, Ferver began performing their own full-length dance pieces in 2007. Their work with artist Marc Swanson on the performance piece Chambre in the mid-2010s earned a nomination at the 2016 Bessie Awards. Ferver teaches at Bard College and cohosts a podcast about the dance world.

Early life

Jack Ferver grew up in rural Wisconsin, U.S., first in Prairie du Sac and later in Sauk City, where they experienced harassment and bullying throughout their youth as "a little gay kid".[2][3] Ferver began working with a teacher who was influenced by Martha Graham when they were 13.[4] They received a scholarship to Interlochen Arts Academy for their senior year of high school, where they trained and met future collaborator Reid Bartelme.[4][5][6]

Career

After attending Interlochen, Ferver moved to New York City.[5] In 1997, intending to dance and act, Ferver was hired to perform in several commercials as well as for their first film role in Outside Providence (1999).[4][7] Ferver hoped to land more film roles but had trouble finding a talent agent and recalled rejection from casting directors who had trouble viewing them as a young person, despite being eighteen years old when Outside Providence was filmed.[4][7] Around this time, they began to take classes at the Martha Graham School of Contemporary Dance.[4]

Ferver continued to appear onstage and act in television and film. In 1999, they performed in the premiere of Betty's Summer Vacation at Playwrights Horizons. In 2000, they appeared on several episodes of the Comedy Central TV series Strangers with Candy.[8][9] Throughout the early and mid-2000s, Ferver performed in theater, film, and television, appearing in plays in New York, Washington, D.C., and San Diego.[10][11][12] In 2001, they appeared in the film Way Off Broadway and in 2005 they performed in the New York Musical Theatre Festival adaptation of the film But I'm a Cheerleader.[13][14] With the QWAN Company, which Ferver founded, they created and performed in satirical live readings of the films Notes on a Scandal and Black Swan titled Notes!!! (2010) and Swan!!! (2011), respectively.[15][16][17]

Two dancers, Ferver and Bartelme, face forward wearing chest-high dance tights and white T-shirts beneath.
Ferver and Reid Bartelme in Night Light Bright Light (2015)

In 2007, Ferver began performing full-length dance pieces with their work When We Were Young and Filled with Fear.[18] In the late 2000s, they presented their work at Dixon Place (When We Were Young and Meat), Danspace Project (Death Is Certain), and Abrons Arts Center (A Movie Star Needs a Movie), the latter as part of the American Realness Festival.[19][20] As a dancer and choreographer, Ferver has collaborated with Interlochen classmate Bartelme, dramaturg Joshua Lubin-Levy, and artist Marc Swanson.[6][21][22][23] Chambre, one of Ferver's pieces with Swanson, was nominated in 2016 for a Bessie Award.[24]

Ferver appeared as a character known as the Little Lad in a 2007 commercial for Berries and Cream Starburst candies.[25] The advertisement, which features Ferver performing a simple dance while singing "Berries and cream!", spread widely and generated parodies and mashups on YouTube that year, as did a second video in which Ferver as the Lad led a tutorial for the dance.[26] Ferver briefly revived the character in late 2021 when the tutorial video was reposted to TikTok by podcast host Justin McElroy and the Little Lad dance's became a popular TikTok trend.[26][27]

As of 2020, Ferver taught at Bard College and was also a visiting professor at New York University.[28] In addition to their dance work, Ferver has appeared in other movies and TV shows, including Gayby (2012) and High Maintenance (2016).[29][30] Ferver choreographed and appeared as Tinker Bell in Bard College's 2018 production of Leonard Bernstein's musical Peter Pan.[31] They also signed on in 2019 to choreograph Jeremy O. Harris's play A Boy's Company Presents: 'Tell Me If I'm Hurting You', but the show was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[28]

Ferver and Bartelme, who had both been fellows at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, began hosting the podcast What's Going On with Dance and Stuff in 2017, with a consistent rule of releasing an episode every Friday.[6][32] Topics discussed, which often tend to be "more about the 'stuff' than the 'dance,'" according to Dance Magazine, include contemporary dance performances, books, Martha Graham, astrology, and Ferver and Bartelme's own work.[6][32]

Style

Ferver is most known for their dance-theatre shows that examine trauma, otherness, and queerness.[33] In interviews, Ferver has cited Martha Graham and her autobiography Blood Memory as a particular influence in their exploration of concepts like "contraction and release", dark facets of the human psyche, as well as ritual and repetition.[3] Expression of gender and sexuality are central themes throughout Ferver's work. Their piece Two Alike, described as a "psycho-sexual semi-autobiographical choreographic piece" explored their childhood through repetition.[2] In Everything Is Imaginable, Ferver choreographed four soloists to "collectively exhume their personal queer histories and celebrate their childhood icons."[34]

Personal life

In 2008, Ferver lived in Brooklyn, New York.[25] Their partner is filmmaker and artist Jeremy Jacob.[6][35]

Performances

Dance

Year[a] Title Venue[a] Role Notes[36]
2007 When We Were Young and Filled with Fear Dixon Place Choreographer, dancer [19]
2008 Meat: A Diptych Dixon Place Choreographer, dancer [19]
2009 Death Is Certain Danspace Project Choreographer, dancer [19]
A Movie Star Needs a Movie Abrons Arts Center Choreographer, dancer [20]
2010 Rumble Ghost Performance Space 122 Writer, choreographer, dancer [37]
2011 Two Alike Contemporary Arts Museum Houston Writer, choreographer, dancer [38]
Me, Michelle Museum of Arts and Design Choreographer, dancer [39]
2012 Mon, Ma, Mes French Institute Alliance Française Creator, performer [40]
2013 All of a Sudden Abrons Arts Center Choreographer, dancer [41]
2014 Chambre Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts Choreographer, dancer [42]
2015 Night Light Bright Light Abrons Arts Center Choreographer, dancer [43]
2016 I Want You to Want Me The Kitchen Writer, choreographer, dancer [44]
2018 Everything Is Imaginable New York Live Arts Choreographer, dancer [34]
2020 Nowhere Apparent New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Choreographer, dancer [45]
2022 Is Global Warming Camp? and Other Forms of Theatrical Distance for the End of the World Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Choreographer, performer [46]

Theater

Year Title Venue Role Notes
1999 Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead Long Wharf Theatre Alfred [47]
Betty's Summer Vacation Playwrights Horizons Voice 1 [8]
2000 Black Milk Quartet Ohio Theatre [48]
Dead End Huntington Theatre Company [49]
2001 Princess Turandot Westport Country Playhouse Truffaldino [50]
The Square Root of Minus One Market Theater Wiggins [51]
2003 Camelot Arena Stage Mordred [11]
2004 Sex*But Belt Theater [10]
2005 But I'm a Cheerleader Theatre at Saint Clements Joel Part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival[13]
2006 Christmas on Mars Old Globe Theatre Nissim [12]
2010 Notes!!! – Staged reading, with QWAN Company[17]
2011 Swan!!! Performance Space 122 Lily Staged reading, with QWAN Company[17][52]
2018 Peter Pan Richard B. Fisher Center for the Performing Arts Tinker Bell; choreographer [53]

Film

Year Title Role Notes
1999 Outside Providence Irving "Jiz" Waltham [54]
2001 Mean People Suck Jesse Milton Short film[55]
2001 Way Off Broadway Phil [14]
2007 Shortcut to Happiness Jabez's assistant
2012 Gayby Jamie [29]
2015 Front Cover Pascal
2023 Nowhere Apparent Dancer, choreographer Dance film based on 2020 performance[56]

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Strangers with Candy Jimmy Tickles [9]
2006 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Lenny's assistant
2010 The Big C Receptionist
2012 Hunting Season Nick [57]
2016 Deadbeat Spencer
High Maintenance Jason [30]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Denotes the date and place of the piece's world premiere; many of Ferver's pieces have subsequently been presented elsewhere.[36]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Jack Ferver". Foundation for Contemporary Art.
  2. ^ a b Portwood, Jerry (May 18, 2012). "Jack Ferver Tells All". Out. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  3. ^ a b Millman, Debbie (host) (May 12, 2018). "Jack Ferver". Design Matters (Podcast). Design Matters Media. Archived from the original on July 25, 2020. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c d e Gladstone, Valerie (July 8, 2012). "Choreographer, artist team up for 'Two Alike'". The Boston Globe. pp. N1, N4. Retrieved February 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ a b Perel, Marissa (October 6, 2012). "Jack Ferver in conversation with Marissa Perel". Critical Conversations. Movement Research. Archived from the original on July 19, 2021. Retrieved February 6, 2022.
  6. ^ a b c d e Kourlas, Gia (May 5, 2020). "Where Dance Fans Can Escape From Our 'Sci-Fi Horror' Moment". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 20, 2020. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Off beat". Wisconsin State Journal. September 26, 1999. p. 1C. Retrieved February 24, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ a b Jones, Kenneth (April 16, 1999). "Betty's Summer Vacation Packs Up Its Things April 18 in NYC". Playbill. Archived from the original on October 21, 2020. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  9. ^ a b Polly, John (May 4, 2007). "Berries & Cream! Little Lads! Remixes!". NewNowNext. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Jones, Kenneth (October 7, 2004). "Everything You Wanted to Know About Male Sexuality Answered in New Comedy, Sex*But, Starting Oct. 10 Off-Bway". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  11. ^ a b Rousuck, J. Wynn (November 22, 2003). "'Camelot' shines in shadows of war, love". The Baltimore Sun. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Hernandez, Ernio (June 3, 2006). "Christmas on Mars Lands at San Diego's Old Globe June 3 as Kondoleon Comedy Starts". Playbill. Archived from the original on April 23, 2021. Retrieved May 3, 2022.
  13. ^ a b Gans, Andrew (September 13, 2005). "But I'm a Cheerleader Comes of Age in NYMF Run Sept. 13–25". Playbill. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
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  20. ^ a b Horowitz, Andy (December 26, 2009). "American Realness Festival". Culturebot. Archived from the original on June 23, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  21. ^ Barker, Jeremy M. (October 4, 2012). "Prelude.12: An Interview with Jack Ferver & Josh Lubin-Levy". Culturebot. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  22. ^ Gaertner Gerbracht, Kerry (September 24, 2015). "A Dance Pairs Jean Genet and Lady Gaga". Hyperallergic. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  23. ^ Franko, Mark (2013). "Ferver Between Fear and Hope". PAJ: A Journal of Performance and Art. 35 (1): 58–63. doi:10.1162/PAJJ_a_00125. JSTOR 26376117. S2CID 57566380.
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  25. ^ a b Nudd, Tim (October 24, 2008). "Brief interviews with commercial actors: Jack Ferver on being Starburst's Little Lad". Adweek. Archived from the original on June 18, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  26. ^ a b Fuhrer, Margaret (November 19, 2021). "The Little Lad? Berries and Cream? Call It Performance Art". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  27. ^ Fowler, Kate (September 2, 2021). "How this 'cursed' 2007 Starburst commercial became TikTok's latest trend". Newsweek. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  28. ^ a b Marius, Marley (July 9, 2020). "Anatomy of a Play Put on Hold: Jeremy O. Harris's A Boy's Company Presents: 'Tell Me If I'm Hurting You'". Vogue. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  29. ^ a b Walsh, Katie (October 10, 2012). "Review: 'Gayby' Is A Slightly Amusing Little Comedy About…You Guessed It, Babymaking With Your Best Gay". IndieWire. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  30. ^ a b Russell, John (September 18, 2016). "Exclusive: Colby Keller On Stripping Down On The Set Of HBO's 'High Maintenance'". Queerty. Archived from the original on October 6, 2020. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  31. ^ Edgecomb, Sean F. (2021). "Queer Rurality and the Closet Door Ajar on the Contemporary American Stage". Theatre Journal. 73 (1): 37–59. doi:10.1353/tj.2021.0004. S2CID 234168653.
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  33. ^ Barone, Joshua (December 19, 2017). "Gibney Dance Expands Its Residency Program". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 31, 2018. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  34. ^ a b Talijancic, Ivan (May 2018). "Jack Ferver with Ivan Talijancic". The Brooklyn Rail. Archived from the original on September 17, 2021. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  35. ^ Shadle, Caroline (July 7, 2021). "Jeremy Jacob Explores the Choreography of Filmmaking". Dance Magazine. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
  36. ^ a b Ferver, Jack. "Bio". Jack Ferver. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  37. ^ Kourlas, Gia (December 10, 2010). "Laughing and Crying at Ghosts, Fictive and Real". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
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  39. ^ La Rocco, Claudia (November 16, 2011). "Two Performa 11 Duets, Distinct Yet Conversant in Their Shared Themes". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  40. ^ La Rocco, Claudia (October 10, 2012). "Telling Almost All, and With a Wink". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
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  42. ^ Burke, Siobhan (November 23, 2014). "Visual Arts Come to the Theater as Genres Blend and Bend". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
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  45. ^ Murray, Linda (2021). Jerome Robbins Dance Division Annual Report FY20 (PDF) (Report). Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 3, 2022. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  46. ^ "Mass MoCA's fall season includes a massive roller coaster-inspired exhibit, concerts, a world-premiere dance and performance art". The Berkshire Eagle. September 2, 2022. Archived from the original on January 28, 2023. Retrieved May 4, 2023.
  47. ^ Borak, Jeffrey (July 3, 1999). "Minor players in Shakespeare tragedy are swept up by life's uncertainties". The Berkshire Eagle. p. C4. Retrieved May 2, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
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  50. ^ Johnson, Malcolm (June 11, 2001). "'Princess Turandot' Opens a New Era at Playhouse". Hartford Courant. Archived from the original on May 3, 2022. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  51. ^ Stark, Larry (2001). "'What Happened in Boston, Willie'". The Theater Mirror. Archived from the original on November 20, 2006. Retrieved May 2, 2022.
  52. ^ Healy, Patrick (February 14, 2011). "Those Crazy Swans". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved July 10, 2022.
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  55. ^ Bale, Theodore (August 21, 2011). "Fall arts faves include collaborative ventures, distinctive operas & a touch of scandal". CultureMap Houston. Archived from the original on March 12, 2022. Retrieved March 12, 2022.
  56. ^ Moen, Matt (March 6, 2023). "Jack Ferver Mourns a Lost Generation in 'Nowhere Apparent'". Paper. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 3, 2024.
  57. ^ Kramer, Gary M. (June 2, 2015). "Why You Should Be Watching 'Hunting Season' (Plus An Exclusive Clip)". IndieWire. Archived from the original on May 9, 2021. Retrieved May 2, 2022.

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