Jim Viera

Jim Viera joined the Conservatory in 1982 and is an associate professor of dance, specializing in modern dance technique and jazzdance technique.

In addition to teaching at Boston Conservatory, Viera has been on the faculty of the Harvard-Radcliffe Dance Program, Walnut Hill School for the Arts, and the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio, where he is currently the artistic director of Boston Youth Moves, a not-for-profit dance program for teens.

Viera has taught as a guest instructor or choreographed works at Wheaton College, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Harvard Summer Dance Festival, the Boston Summer Dance Festival, and the School at Jacob's Pillow.

As a choreographer for ACE Entertainment, Viera has staged opening numbers for benefits featuring Rita Moreno, Gregory Hines, Grace Jones, and Harry Connick Jr. He has choreographed commercials for Digital Equipment Corporation and the National Endowment for the Arts and staged live industrials for Intellution, Champion Sportswear, Pioneer Investments, PUMA, Jordan's Furniture, EMC Corporation, and the New England Aquarium. As director of Boston Youth Moves, he has choreographed tributes to honored guests Chita Rivera and Mitzi Gaynor for the organization's annual fundraisers.

Viera studied dance at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst under the direction of Richard Jones and has four certificates of pedagogy in Lester Horton Technique from the Ailey Extension school in New York.

As a performer, Viera has danced with the Danny Sloan Dance Company, Jazzdance: The Danny Buraczeski Dance Company, and Marcus Schulkind Dance Company. He has performed the works of Lynn Simonson, Thom Molinaro, Sara Yarborough, and Miguel Lopez, with whom he collaborated on the solo CRAWLSPACE, which was later featured on tour with the Joyce Trisler Danscompany.

Viera currently resides in Boston, where he also teaches open adult jazzdance classes at the Jeannette Neill Dance Studio.