Jon Ole Olstad started dancing at 16, realizing it to be his greatest passion. He was accepted into the National Academy of the Arts in Oslo, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2009. After college, he was hired for the tour project “Kamuyot”, a collaboration between the Swedish Riksteatern, and Batsheva Dance Company, led by artistic director Ohad Naharin. From 2012-2014, Jon Ole worked at Nederlands Dans Theater 1, led by artistic director Paul Lightfoot. In NDT1, he had the honor of working with Paul Lighfoot and Sol Leon, Johan Inger, Hofesh Shechter, Marco Goecke, Alexander Ekman, Jiri Kylian, Mehdi Walerski and Crystal Pite. His own choreography has been presented at several festivals, venues and choreographic competitions; Cross Connection Choreography Competition in Copenhagen, Stockholm Dance Film Festival, and Gala of the stars.
In 2015, he presented his solo “and we already knew the names” at the prestigious International Solo Tanz Competition in Stuttgart. He was awarded 1st prize dancer and 1st prize choreographer and toured the solo in Germany, Brazil and NYC. In 2019 he was awarded the production prize from Ballet Basel at the 33.rd International Hannover Choreography competition with the solo’ Finally it’s everything’.
In 2009, he started teaching to share his knowledge and his love of dance. He has taught and choreographed at numerous educational programs: Juilliard, NYU-Tisch, The Palucca School, Marymount Manhattan College, Acosta Danza, Khio- Oslo, Balletakademien in Gothenburg and Stockholm, The Alvin Ailey school, Peridance, Steps on Broadway Broadway Dance Center, ArtÉmotion Summer Intensive- Ballet West, Joffrey Ballet Intensive, World Dance Movement Festival in Italy, NUOVA OFFICINA DELLA DANZA and Lines Ballet. He has given company classes to Gallim Dance, Ballet Hispanico, Ballet Nuremberg, Ballet Leipzig, Theater Pforzheim, Carte Blanche Dance Company, BODYTRAFFIC and Theater Regensburg Tanz.