Outstanding Alum: Early Career Professional
Jillian Foley Cusano, who holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in ballet pedagogy from The Hartt School and serves as a dance teacher there, has evolved into a versatile artist and artistic entrepreneur.
In addition to her training at Hartt, she studied with the Northeast Ballet Company in Schenectady, New York. Her impressive and rapidly expanding portfolio includes a showcase at the Julidans International Festival for Contemporary Dance in Amsterdam, performances with the Amy Marshall Dance Company in New York, and roles as both choreographer and dancer for the Des Moines Metro Opera and the Portland Opera. Much of this work was accomplished while she directed productions and taught students at The Hartt School.
Cusano’s versatility knows no bounds. She is the chief operating officer of Parkville Sounds, a popular recording studio in Hartford; has contributed artistically to jazz projects at Lincoln Center, Amazon Prime, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, and many others; and is the founder and president of the Hartford Dance Collective, which promotes female leadership and brings dance to new audiences. Through the Collective, Cusano has curated hundreds of performances and arts festivals, hosts adult classes, and collaborates with renowned artists, including Pilobolus, Merce Cunningham, and the Radio City Rockettes.
Regardless of the artistic role she assumes at any moment, it is clear that Cusano is one of UHart’s most trailblazing professionals.