​JOHN HENRY GERENA

Colombian-Canadian interdisciplinary artist, choreographer, dramaturge, performer, and creator, with more than twenty-nine years of artistic experience. His academic background combines arts education and advertising, complemented by a Master’s degree at York University in Toronto, which has enriched his ability to move fluidly between artistic creation, pedagogy, and cultural project management.

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In 1997, he participated as a dancer in the Colombian-French project The Bridge. From 1998 to 2014, he was a core member of L’Explose Dance Company, performing in renowned festivals and theaters worldwide. In 2005, he was awarded the UNESCO Ashberg scholarship for choreographers, selected by the Jean-Pierre Perreault Company, which marked the beginning of his artistic work in Montreal. Since then, he has collaborated with Canadian companies such as ParBleux, Newton Moraes Dance Theater, Kaha:wi Dance Theater, Alejandro Ronceria, and Olga Barrios Contemporary Dance, among others.

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As a creator, he has produced numerous works and has been invited to collaborations and commissions in Canada, Brazil, Colombia, and Spain. His artistic language is distinguished by a continuous research into movement quality, dramaturgical structures, and spatial perception, often articulated through what he defines as Dance Installations—hybrid formats that blur the boundaries between performance, installation, and live composition.

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Currently working as an independent artist, his practice explores the intersection of body, space, and perception, integrating dance, performance, installation, sound, and visual design to create immersive experiences.

 

His multidisciplinary approach situates him at the crossroads of scenic arts, visual culture, and spatial experimentation, positioning his work as both innovative and deeply rooted in a mature artistic trajectory.