Joseph Jefferies trained as a student at Yuma Ballet Academy in Arizona with Jon Cristofori and Kathleen Sinclair. He also trained at Harid Conservatory with Olivier Pardina.
Jefferies went on to dance professionally for 16 years, dancing with Pittsburg Ballet Theater and Ballet Arizona before joining Ballet Memphis for nine years. During his time as a professional dancer he performed lead roles in works by Trey McIntyre, Lila York, Julia Adams and Mark Godden. Later, Jefferies joined Les Ballet Trockadero De Monte Carlo.
During the course of his professional dancing career, Jefferies has danced principal roles in several ballets including Don Quixote, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Giselle and Coppélia.
Jefferies has also worked as a choreographer, creating over thirty works primarily for Ballet Memphis. His work has been selected for RDA National Festival in Montreal. He has won the RDA Emerging Choreographer Scholarship twice and had his work performed in New York City's Ballet Builders Showcase. He was named "Artist of the Year" in 2002 by the Memphis Commercial Appeal for his dancing and choreography.
As a dance educator, he began teaching adult ballet at Ballet Memphis’s School as well as serving as guest teacher for Ballet Memphis and Ballet Memphis’s Junior Company for company class, variations and pas de deux. Since then, he has taught at Studio West Dance Academy, Portland Ballet School as Summer Program Director & Resident Guest Artist, Northeast Youth Ballet, and Walnut Hill School for the Arts.
