Download Resume

 

JANET ROSTON, is an award-winning Director/Choreographer of theater, live performance, television, music video, live tours and commercials.  Janet approaches her directing and choreography work from a theatrical premise and strives for an emotional connection from her performers. This holds true for her whether directing/choreographing a new musical, creating concert choreography or devising movement sequences for television.

 

Trained as a choreographer at UCLA, with an emphasis in contemporary dance, she quickly embraced the entertainment worlds as a choreographer in theater, tv and film. Janet transitioned easily into directing, continuing her interest in musicals, rock opera, commercials, television, live shows and corporate projects. Janet truly loves the varied challenges that come from either working as a Choreographer helping to manifest a Director’s vision, or helming the project herself as Director/Choreographer.

 

As a Theatrical Director/Choreographer, Janet has developed a reputation for innovative work by combining new music with compelling drama and spectacular dance sequences. She was Co-Creator and Director/Choreographer of Midsummer Night for the Tennessee Shakespeare Company (working with composers Milburn/Vigoda), Striking 12 (Laguna Playhouse), Tonya and Nancy, The Rock Opera (ART, Boston, and King King, Los Angeles), and shAme, (King King Nightclub starring Katrina Lenk).

 

In musical theater she has created choreography for new projects as well as rethinking the concept and choreography for existing musicals.  As a choreographer she has received two Ovation Awards, Los Angeles’ top theater award, for her choreography for The Color Purple and The Boy From Oz (both Celebration Theatre); two Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Awards for The Boy From Oz and Cabaret and two NAACP Awards for her choreography (Once On This Island, The Color Purple) and a Stage Raw Award (LA’s Intimate Theatre Award, Cabaret ). Additional choreography includes A Love Story (Ovation Nomination), Mutt House (both Kirk Douglas Theater), and Runaway Home at the Fountain Theatre (NAACP Nom.)

 

Working with her dance/theater company, Mixed eMotion Theatrix (MeMT), Janet is the Director/Choreographer and Co-Creator of Anaïs Nin: Unbound which tells the story of famed diarist, Anaïs Nin. The production toured internationally performing in France at the Avignon Festival, La Nouvelle Eve in Paris, and as the opening performance of  the Casablanca International Theatre Festival, Morocco. MeMT was commissioned by the Los Angeles Music Center to create a site-specific work on Walt Disney Hall. Janet created Gatsby Redux, inspired by The Great Gatsby, which performed in Disney Hall’s Blue Ribbon Garden. It has since been developed into a full-length work, performed at The Muckenthaler Cultural Center and The Brand Library, both vintage buildings and grounds in Southern California. Upcoming for Gatsby Redux are performances at Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills.  MeMT’s community outreach, storytelling/movement work, So Now You Know, has toured throughout California.

 

In media recent directing/choreography work includes You Can’t Stop The Beat, the viral video to promote The Actors Fund during the Covid-19 pandemic and creating sequences for the Virtual Reality production Hildegard, The Experience.  She directed tv celebrity, psychic/medium Thomas John, in The Thomas John Experience at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. As a choreographer Janet has worked on commercials for San Miguel Beer, Barbie, Wendy’s and the award-winning promo, Balance, for KCRW. TV choreography includes series choreographer for The New Adventures of Old Christine, Ned and Stacey and A League of Their Own. She has staged the world tour of country music artist, Lonestar, and created the the live martial arts show Tiger Claw Martial Arts Elite for Disney World.  Janet has received two American Choreography Awards.

 

In rehearsal Janet’s positive, upbeat approach makes her a sought-after as both Director/Choreographer and Choreographer, she’s just fun to work with. As a Director she projects a positive and professional authority, she clearly can articulate her needs to a large or small production team to propel her creative vision forward. As a choreographer she is a consummate collaborator, working closely with the director and production designers to develop dynamic concepts that enhance and expand each project. Her positive attitude combined with her extensive and varied background in movement, attention to detail, experience working with actors and dancers and collaborative spirit have enabled her to be continually involved in a wide range of projects involving movement, dance, spectacle, emotion and pure entertainment.