Who

One of the most talked-about modern dance choreographers working today (and also one of the most controversial), Jones is the artistic director of the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company.

Backstory

The tenth of twelve children from a poor migrant-worker family, Jones grew up in upstate New York and attended SUNY Binghamton on an athletic scholarship, majoring in theater and taking dance classes on the side. It was while living in Binghamton that he met dancer named Arnie Zane, who soon became his boyfriend. After forming his first company, American Dance Asylum, with Lois Walk in Binghamton in 1973, Jones worked with Zane throughout the 1970s, forming the Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Dance Company in 1982. Not long after, both he and Zane were diagnosed with HIV. Zane passed away in 1988, but Jones's dance company still bears his partner's name—and Jones's status as a gay, black, HIV-positive man has become a major influence on his work.

Of note

Over the years, Jones has choreographed more than 100 dances, provoking both audiences and critics with unflinching, hyper-political pieces about race and sexuality. While his fans appreciate the challenging social issues he addresses in his work, detractors have labeled his pieces "victim art." Still, even haters concede he's one of the most influential modern choreographers, and his work has been performed at the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Boston Ballet, and Berlin Opera Ballet, among many other venerable dance institutions. He's also collaborated over the years with a wide range of artists and actors including Cassandra Wilson, Ross Bleckner, Jenny Holzer, and Susan Sarandon. Jones's memoir, Last Night on Earth, was published in 1995.

Trophy case

In 1994, Jones received a MacArthur "genius" grant. He's also earned half a dozen honorary doctorates. More recently, he received a Tony award—and considerable attention—for his work on Spring Awakening, the rock musical that won the Tony for Best Musical in 2007.

Drama

In the 1990s, he faced off against New Yorker critic Arlene Croce, who refused to even see his 1994 piece about people with terminal illness, Still/Here. A PBS documentary on the making of Still/Here, by Bill Moyers, aired in 1997.

Personal

Jones lives in a clapboard home 300 miles north of Manhattan with Bjorn Amelan, the creative director of Jones' dance company, and remains in remarkable shape given his age and his 20-year battle with HIV.