Written by Lyla Lopez

Cover photo by Yahir Tzec

Harper Joy’s yearly performance season always brings new and exciting work. This year, as a part of our annual dance concert and Studio Series, we had the pleasure of witnessing the choreographic genius of visiting professor Jessica Bertram Williams. I recently sat down with Jessica and asked her some questions about her life and her time here at Whitman.

Jessica was born in Huntsville, Alabama. She began dancing at a competition studio at the age of three, and trained in ballet, Pointe, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, and tap. After graduating high school, she attended Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where her understanding of dance was challenged and refined. “My perspective really opened when I got to college,” says Jessica. “It kind of just flipped my dance world upside down. I was used to everything being very musical, and this was a lot about curiosity and choice-making, and other things I’d never heard of.”

After college, Jessica worked as a freelance dancer in Atlanta, as well as for a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting artists of African descent. In 2020, she moved to Colorado and entered into a master’s program at CU Boulder. While there, Jessica trained in a plethora of dance styles, including hip-hop, house dance, and West African dance. “My dance training grew a lot in those forms, but the work that I had done in the community in Atlanta helped me get a clearer vision around the work that I wanted to make”, says Jessica. 

Today, Jessica is bringing those artistic visions to life right here at Whitman College. Her contributions to the dance program have been immense, and are being noticed by students and community members alike. 

Lyla Lopez: Why did you decide to take this job at Whitman?

Jessica Bertram Williams: When I visited Whitman, I just thought that it was such a peaceful place. It was really quiet, and I felt like I was going to have a lot of space to breathe–which, post-grad school, sounds like the best thing in the world! So, that was part of the extra draw for me. I also value the fact that things are more intimate, and that the connections you make can be more deep and meaningful in a short amount of time. All of the dynamics just felt really good for where I was at and what I had been through.

LL: What are you hoping to bring to the dance program here?

JBW: I’m really interested in risk-taking. I think that it’s just such a useful practice inside of dance, no matter what genre or form you’re doing. I was excited to pull in this commitment to improvisation and decision-making in dance and see what that would do in this type of community.

Jessica’s commitment to risk became apparent last semester when she presented a work entitled Of millions like us for the winter dance concert, Roots and Bones. The piece was thirty minutes long and choreographed in collaboration with her nine student performers. “It was no small task,” says Jessica. “But, we did it, and it was beautiful.” 

The risk-taking continues this semester as well! From February 19th–22nd, Jessica and her dancers will be taking Of millions like us to the American College Dance Association Northwest Conference to be adjudicated. “I’m really excited that that’s getting to happen,” says Jessica. “To be able to have the opportunity to do more than just come in and teach has been really special.”

In addition to setting work on others, Jessica created and performed a solo for this year’s Studio Series. When asked about her creative process for this piece, she had lots of insight to give.

LL: In addition to being a visiting professor, you were also one of the guest artists in the Studio Series. Could you tell me a little bit about what the creative process for that was like? 

JBW: The piece was called held by the bath // until you return. It was a lot of new things, but also a lot of not-so-new things. I had a mentor say that you’re essentially making the same piece over and over again for the rest of your life–and in some ways, I do feel like that. All the things that came to fruition in this work are things that I’ve been thinking about through all these different stages of my life.

I had to sift through what was really necessary to perform in this moment. Often, I want to make something that the audience will benefit from–I do feel like I’m very community-oriented in that way. But, this time, I kind of flipped that–I decided that I was going to start with me and see what it did.

LL: What inspired your piece?

JBW: Anyone that knows me knows that I take baths a lot. It’s my sanctuary and my healing place. I think I was actually having a meltdown in my bathtub one day, and then, when I got out of it and felt better, I was like “oh…I think this is what the piece is about.” How do I soothe myself through all the different emotions that come up?

Additionally, Jessica’s Studio Series performance was followed by a talk-back moderated by Professor Ralph Craig III, a fellow Whitman faculty member. The discussion focused on the themes of Jessica’s piece, and audience members were encouraged to share their own stories and experiences related to the work.

LL: Is there anything you’d like to reemphasize from your post-performance discussion?

JBW: I’ve done talk-backs before, but that one was really magical. Because there was no prior preparation, I was just amazed by how organic the conversation was and the fluidity with which he [Professor Ralph Craig III] tapped into these specific moments in the piece. I remember feeling like we were in someone’s living room–I felt a sense of community in a way that I had yet to experience since I got to Whitman. The fact that this piece produced the thing that I was really in need of felt really magical to me.

During our discussion, Jessica also touched on her experiences as a black woman in Walla Walla. 

JBW: You can tell there’s not a lot of people that look like me out here, and so people don’t know what to do with that in social situations. I’ve had a lot of uncomfortable interactions and conversations–I’ve had people touch my hair without my permission. Whether it’s a microaggression or a macroaggression, navigating that while also being in a new place independently is a lot.

I also feel like that’s why I’m here. My representation in this place matters because there are other people that–whether we look alike or not–have shared experiences. For me to be able to still make the work that I do and teach the way that I do is a form of resistance.

Ultimately, Jessica’s experiences speak to the wider social and political climate of America. Choreography and storytelling just like hers will become increasingly important to self-expression as our nation navigates the uncertainty that is sure to come. Jessica’s impact on the Theater and Dance program has been profound, and we surely will not soon forget her practices, her kindness, and her joy.

Jessica will remain at Whitman through the end of this academic year. We look forward to seeing where she will go next and wish her luck in her future endeavors.