Love for a New Future Yackez (Larissa and Jon Velez-Jackson) with dance collaborators Esther Baker and Adam Kerbel. Dates: September 9, 2026 - September 10, 2026 Art for Young Audiences, Cabaret & Variety, Interactive Experience, Interdisciplinary Run Time: 50 mins Ticket Price: $25 PWYC Options $5+ Venue: Asian Arts Initiative Third Floor Philadelphia, PA More INFO Buy Tickets >

Larissa Velez-Jackson Artist Talk: Weds. August 19 6PM Performance: Thurs. August 20 7PM "Dr. Absurd Joy Beach Sessions" FESTIVAL INFO HERE All Audiences Welcome; All Programming Presented Free of Charge My performance for Siren Arts will be the first ever live encounter with Dr. Absurd Joy, my YouTube ASMR alter ego and facilitator of community care on the internet, joined by my assistant Captain Jon. The work blends absurdist beach ritual with actual sound healing techniques as I ‘prescribe’ simple dance choreographies to volunteer audience members for transformation and entertainment. Together we will experience an immersive theater work unfold, one that is allowed to be silly, revelatory, possibly profound and truly whatever it desires to be. Siren Arts: STATES OF MATTER 10th Annual Siren Arts Summer Artist Residency Program & Public Performance Art Series July 14 - August 21, 2026 Artist Talks: 6pm Wednesdays Siren Arts at 4th Ave & Kingsley St, Asbury Park, NJ Performances: 7pm Thursdays 2nd Avenue Beach, Asbury Park, NJ

Join us on Sunday, September 20th, for OC Live! 2026 - a vibrant celebration of arts, culture, and community. This event will feature painting, sculpture, performing arts, musicians, drawing, literary arts, textiles, dance, theater and so much more! When: Sunday, September 20th, 2026 10AM-4PM YACKEZ performs at 3PM!!! with dance collaborators Marion Spencer and Jillian Sweeney. Where: Sweet Clover Farm 10 Sweet Clover Road Highland Mills, NY GET TICKETS For OCLIVE!

Life Pulse / Failure Flow a workshop with Larissa Velez-Jackson​​ Sunday, August 9, 2:00pm-4:00pm Register Here Connect to the spirit and inner logic of your bodymind that yearns for movement and expressive flow in super accessible ways. Recede from societal and dance-historic expectation to bask in failure, a form of exquisite resistance and creative possibilities. The workshop will draw from LVJ’s Star Pû Method, disability arts practice and the wisdom gleaned through healing and creating with illness by using your voice, movement, writing and somatic presence. Beginners and seasoned improvisers alike are welcome. Curiosity and care is a must! As part of… Interdisciplinary Arts Lab Friday early evening - Sunday afternoon August 7th - 9th, 2026 WildHeart Center for Performance and Embodied Research 183 East Road, Wallkill, New York (1 1/2 hours north of New York City) Attend the whole weekend, come for the day, or drop-in to one of the workshops. Easy transportation options from New York City and neighboring areas. MORE INFO REGISTER HERE with facilitators Esther Baker (Philadelphia, PA) Will Bond and Marianne Kim (New York, NY / Phoenix, AZ) Sahar Damoni (Palestine / Germany) Krista DeNio (Reno, NV / Berkeley, CA) Debra Disbrow (Philadelphia, PA) Martín Lanz Landázuri (Mexico / Bennington, VT) Thea Little (Brooklyn, NY) Tatyana Tenenbaum (Philadelphia, PA) Abner Torres Delina, Jr. (The Philippines / Indianapolis, IN) ​Larissa Velez-Jackson (Middletown, NY). Facilitated by Peter Sciscioli (Brooklyn, NY)

Event Postponed !!!!! Yackez & COUSINS (Dance Community) An evening of performance-art electronic music by Yackez (Larissa and Jon Velez-Jackson) AND Yackez’s ambient sound scored for a stellar lineup of dancer/choreographers in COUSINS. Exact Date TBA / Early Fall 2026 at The Ellis Newburgh 60 Dubois Street Newburgh, NY 12550 The COUSINS lineup is coming together as we speak, starting with performances by Laurie Berg, Sarah Chien, Kris Seto and more on the way... Yackez Team: Lead choreography and Direction by Larissa Velez-Jackson. Musical Direction by Jon Velez-Jackson Co-choreography and dance performance by Jillian Sweeney and Felicia Ballos. Pillow Project costume and visual design by Nicole Isabelle. The image of hand painted pillow sculptures in the Pillow Project by Nicole Isabelle.

Avant Garde Arama Logs In Fri-Sat March 27-28, 6PM $20 Suggested The Lace Mill 165 Cornwell St, Kingston, NY info 917-673-9023 or email charles@charlesdennis.net REGISTER HERE   Charles Dennis Productions announces the presentation of  Avant-Garde-Arama Logs In , a festival of short works of dance, film, music and performance art with artists Fred Hatt, JW Cornbroom, Larissa Velez-Jackson, Mona Banzer, Steve Gorn (Fri) Joakim Laerty (Sat), and Richard Carr (Sat.)  In  Untitled Demonstration  with Jillian Sweeney and Jonathan Matthews-Guzmán of LVJ Performance Co., Larissa Velez-Jackson reveals how improvisational practice can powerfully address and fail to address the pressing personal and political needs of our time. Here, failure is always welcome.   Untitled Demonstration:  Created, directed and performed by Larissa Velez-Jackson. Performed and co-choreographed with Jonathan Matthews-Guzmán and Jillian Sweeney. Music and voice directed by Larissa Velez-Jackson

Wed. April 8 8:00pm - 9:30pm EDT This is a digital event. You should receive information in your ticket or from the host about how to join online via Zoom. $0 - $30 RSVP Let's honor our loved ones, hold space for grief, and reflect on the possibilities of transformation with music theater writers Daniel Lazour and Patrick Lazour, Obie Award-winning director Taibi Magar, and choreographer/movement educator Larissa Velez Jackson.Reimagine has been hosting candlelight vigils since March 2020, the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, in order to break down taboos and hold space for all that we've lost. This gathering features the creative team behind  Night Side Songs , a new musical at Lincoln Center Theater which the New York Times describes as "warm, rich and enveloping." With a stirring folk score by the acclaimed duo The Lazours and visionary direction by Taibi Magar,  Night Side Songs  explores the in-between spaces of illness and mortality. Informed by conversations with nurses, doctors, patients, and caregivers, the show is a testament to the fragile, fierce humanity that carries us through the night and to the healing that can happen when we truly listen. Choreographer and cancer survivor Larissa Velez-Jackson will lead the honor ceremony.

Choreographer, movement educator and multiple myeloma cancer survivor Larissa Velez-Jackson shares easy-going exercises used by performers to boost self love, restful presence and inner resilience at home. Hosted by Reimagine Recorded on April 30, 2025 GO TO WORKSHOP

Dear Ones, Many of you know that on March 4, 2025, I received total shoulder replacement surgery. This injury was multiple myeloma related since a relapse in 2022. Just a few weeks before this surgery, I surprisingly began to relapsed in my multiple myeloma; which was shocking, considering how well I've been doing in all regards. My story of this particular relapse, and my arduous and incredible healing from surgery, is shared in  me and Jon's new and rebooted Yackez podcast episode . While this is all a confusing surprise, somehow I am tapped into what a meaningful and exciting journey I am on. Life is meant to be lived fully, no matter how it's turning out. A year ago this week, I celebrated remission in my homeland of Puerto Rico. To honor my incredible journey;  here is a recent interview  with the Nicolás Dumit Estévez Raful Espejo Ovalles Morel of Interior Beauty Salon that celebrates healing, Puerto Rico, my artistry and cancer journey. Also,  check out my new ASMR video  that honors my homeland in a powerful sound ritual. I am creating nonstop because my practices are deeply healing and accessible to me.  I begin radiation today which will bring great relief and start the process for a new remission-creating Car T therapy. Send me prayers and good vibes!!!!  With love and I'll keep you posted, Larissa The FULL Yackez Podcast episode of 35 minutes. Yackez returns with their first podcast episode in five years! Larissa and Papi Jon touch on the rebrand of the podcast before delving deep into Larissa's recent news regarding her multiple myeloma and upcoming treatments. April 2025 ~ Larissa Velez-Jackson and Interior Beauty Salon in Conversation: Dance, Auras, Cancer, Caregiving, Salsa, Puerto Rico.... To read the full piece go to THIS LINK . Let’s Experience: Finding Strength in Our Struggle with Illness Hosted by  Reimagine Wed. April 16 4:00pm - 5:15pm EDT This is a digital event. You should receive information in your ticket or from the host about how to join online. $0 - $30 RSVP Choreographer, movement educator and multiple myeloma cancer survivor Larissa Velez-Jackson shares easy-going exercises used by performers to boost self love, restful presence and inner resilience at home. Creative movement of the body helps us change our relationship to ourselves and our environment. But sometimes—whether due to illness, injury, age or other factors—movement feels not so accessible. What if we could practice rest, notice the present moment, and invite the body to move and dance? Multidisciplinary dance artist, movement and fitness educator, and multiple myeloma cancer survivor Larissa Velez-Jackson shares ways to find restful presence as a means to creative movement at home and offers a menu of take-aways for self care. Elements of the workshop may include breathwork, tapping, and micro-meditations with sound. Participants can take part standing, seated, lying down or a combination of these. Go to Workshop Get super relaxed and sync your brainwaves to this powerful, sound healing ASMR video dedicated to and featuring the actual sounds of rural Cabo Rojo, Puerto Rico. Subscribe to the channel and help it grow!!!  Meet my most delightful and rambunctious character yet, a simple taxi driver from New York City, whose mystical journey began during the radical consciousness experiments of Timothy Leary and Ram Dass at Harvard University. While doing a lot of name-dropping of the European dance scene (via the Swedish Dance History book) , Aaron Judge of the Yankees, Ted Lasso and more; this lil fella delivers gentleness, whimsy and sleepy relaxation.

I am very excited to share these two new workshops that will debut in February 2025. Description and text of the flier above is found in alt text. Image description is available in alt text An Interdisciplinary Approach to Self-Love with Larissa Velez-Jackson VIRTUAL on ZOOM  Presented by The Creative Center in New York City Tuesdays, February 4, 11, 18 and 25 12:00 - 1:30 pm ET / FREE COST Using the technologies performing artists use to hone their instrument (their bodies) in performance; we will use vocal sound, gentle movement, facial, neck and shoulder exercises, touch-based and writing exercises to rejuvenate and love ourselves. The path to self-love can look and sound many different ways, sometimes even silly and funny and we will use this time to show devotion to ourselves and feel good! This workshop is great for caregivers and survivors.  Material list provided at registration.

Thanks so much to Claudia LaRocco (an art writer and interdisciplinary artist who I deeply admire) for editing and publishing my writing via Small Press Traffic. In this essay, I share a moving account of my journey to the AXIS Dance Company’s Choreo-Lab Fellowship for disabled and/or neurodiverse choreographers after my life-saving multiple myeloma treatment. “It wasn’t just abstract — my whole body felt like it belonged to a community. I couldn’t imagine returning to more public, professional dance and choreographic life any other way.” Read “A Space for Us” now, on The Back Room! https://www.smallpresstraffic.org/the-back-room-article/a-space-for-us Visual ID : Four Axis Dance Co members are together in a dance studio. One dancer in a wheel chair bends over and lightly holds the feet of a belly-down dancer on the floor. A third dancer crouches and touches between the belly-down dancer’s shoulder blades and a fourth stands with wide feet over them holding their shoulders. Two large abstract paintings are in the background.

Welcome to my website! I'll be using this blog section to cover news and different themes of my artistic and wellness life. I am starting with my sound healing practice. The photos below illustrate what my sound healing journey looks like and what you might expect to see at a sound healing event. Whether it be a one-on-one sound vibrational massage and meditation session (as seen on the massage table) or a group sound bath with an array of instruments to transport the imagination; it is my privilege to facilitate a space that allows the body to enter its own healing state. Bringing together an opportunity for physical relaxation, transportation of the mind and invitation of the spirit is my great honor.