Unlikely comedians looking for a thrill, Amy and Jamie have chosen not only to walk, but to DANCE the tightrope of improvisational comedy. They channel their empathetic, introverted deepest selves into earnest and ridiculous characters to build stories about female-centric heroism and mischief.
Amy’s grandfather was named Harold. Improv insiders know “The Harold” is the name of a long form structure created by Del Close. Amy’s grandmother was named Jayne and she loved dancing. Harold and Jayne were married for 57 years! If they were a good match, why not improv and dance! So we became the Raving Jaynes to explore the ways that improv and dance could work together. We learned the ways of comedy improv and look at us now! We’re dance theatre comedy improvisers!
And we’ve been at it for 10 years now! Check out our anniversary video!
We perform regularly at the PIT and Players Theatre in New York City, and have been presented at Dixon Place, Joe’s Pub, Triskelion Arts and The Tank. We have performed in over 30 festivals both nationally and abroad. Highlights include, Mount Olymprov Improv Festival in Athens, Greece; La 2da Muestra Nacional de Improvisación Teatral/ImproTop in Tepic, Mexico; IMPRO Amsterdam; The Big City Improv Festival; Femprovisor Fest, Twin Cities Improv Festival; The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival and the District Improv Festival.
Jamie Graham
Jamie Graham is a dancer, improvisor and physical comedienne based in Brooklyn, NY. She has toured the world with impro partner Amy Larimer as The Raving Jaynes for the last 10 years, performing and teaching along the way. Her approach to dance theater is informed by her work in Bessie award winning immersive dance theater company Third Rail Project’s Then She Fell, Jenny Rocha’s Rocha Dance Theater and nightlife company The Painted Ladies – known as “fly girls for thinking people,” Virginia Scott’s newly formed company Some Clowns, and project based work with choreographer Barbara Mahler.
Jamie first fell in love with improv through contact improvisation, a dance form developed in the seventies by dancers who wanted to take the pretense out of concert dance and literally make it more of a contact sport. Through highschool and college, she was always that granola girl organizing contact jams and happenings whenever possible. Can we say dance dork?
Jamie crossed over into the world of comedy in her college senior solo which opened with the unmistakable call of “Howdee!” from Grand Ole Opry legend Minnie Pearl. The piece was a mashup of Minnie Pearl bits and Loretta Lynn songs bemoaning the limitations of being a woman in the rural South. It was her first taste of getting a laugh, and she was hooked.
Once in NYC, the worlds of comedy and improv unfolded for Jamie through classes at The PIT and The Annoyance as well as Action Theater with Cassie Tunnick and clown with Virginia Scott. Jamie birthed her alter ego – Loner – and eventually developed an evening length show during the pandemic in collaboration with Virginia and saxophonist Johnny Butler. Loner also plays regularly with Some Clowns.
Jamie continues to straddle the worlds of modern dance and theater and clown. She is devoted to honing the ability to be present, to notice, to take great risks, and to play.
When Jamie isn’t flipping a cancan skirt over her head, strapping on a red nose or contemplating the nature of impulse with her bud Amy, you can find her ever so gently barking at her Pilates clients in Union Square and Brooklyn.
Amy Larimer
Amy Larimer grew up in Rochester, NY where she had her first job delivering eggs, out of a rusted red wagon. She is now an Associate Professor and the Director of the Dance Program at Lehman College. Her career trajectory took an unexpected turn when she was cast in “Oklahoma” in junior high school and she chose to put her career in pedestrian egg transport behind her. She went to Connecticut College where she was introduced to improvisation through dance classes, jazz band and countless hours dancing at parties.
In pursuit of more performing opportunities, she moved to NYC and toured internationally with Nicholas Leichter Dance for 10 years. Later she performed with choreographers Clare Byrne, Daniel Clifton, Colin Connor and Debra Wanner; and created a series of solo works which were presented in venues like Joe’s Pub, Dixon Place, HERE and the 92nd Street Y. Her work was described as “never predictable and always interesting, Larimer finds comedy from nowhere like no one else” (Quinn Batson, Offoffoff).
Amy is a longtime student of Jean McClelland and went to the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee for her MFA in Dance. After mentioning to friend and collaborator Clare Byrne that she was constantly changing her choreography, Clare suggested “Maybe you are an improviser?” And there it was. The idea emerged to combine dance and improv. Amy found a curious, adventurous partner in Jamie Graham, and since then they have been playing, laughing, obsessing, dancing, eating, falling down, getting back up and touring the world as the Raving Jaynes! Amy believes that making art is about being in relationship. She thanks her family, teachers, students, friends and collaborators for helping her navigate bumpy roads with delicate cargo. She is grateful to the discipline of improvisation for reminding her that the juicy stuff isn’t found on the smooth pathway. It is in the moments when you are awkwardly walking down a steep, pebbly incline with cars rushing past and a wagon of eggs skidding behind you that game is played.
Jay Rhoderick (coach)
Jay Rhoderick is a founding member of the long-running, long-form improvisation ensembles, Burn Manhattan and Centralia. Jay has taught improv for 15 years and has studied mask, Commedia dell’Arte, clown and acting for more than 20 years. He has improvised with Jeremy Piven, Kate Walsh, Will Ferrell, Horatio Sanz, Stephen Colbert and many others. Centralia has performed throughout the U.S. and recently had its immortal song “Holy Shit” used in Showtime’s TV spots. As an actor, Jay took part in the rollicking original NYC Fringe production of “Urinetown!”