Jacqueline Westhead has studied diverse styles such as African dance, yoga, martial arts, contact improvisation, Butoh, Commedia dell-arte and other highly expressive movement forms. She has studied in Somatics and developmental movement, and is a certified Somatic educator and CMT. Her teachers include Yumiko Yoshioko, Simone Forti, Peggy Hackney and Martha Eddy. She has performed with and studied sound, chant and sound healing with teachers and artists that include Jonathan Goldman, Robert Gass, Russill Paul, Shefa Gold, Dave Stringer and students of Jon Beaulieu. She was a senior member of Jellyeye (Drum Theater) and created and performed extensively with them for 7 years. She was a founding member of MASS (Music And Sonic Sculpture) Ensemble and has collaborated with a variety of independent artists and companies over the years creating movement and music-based work for theaters and festivals as well as being an independent choreographer. She has traveled and studied in West Africa, southern India and studied percussion with internationally known artists Glen Velez and Hamid Drake. Her music has led her to play for a variety of artists’ CDs, music projects and U.S. tours.

Jacqueline is an educator/facilitator who has created workshops for youth and adults across the United States and abroad in such places as The University of Michigan, the Cultural Center of Chicago, Elat Chayyim and Power of Hope. She has received several CAAP and NAP grants to study, create new work and design community projects. She has worked with schools, hospitals, community and private organizations in her blend of rhythm, body and voice integrating her diverse studies in music, movement and