This paper presents the results of our study on the dynamics of Jacobi's elliptic spatial waves in a nonlinear optical grating based on a generalized coupled-mode model. We discuss the characteristics of their amplitudes, widths, and spatial periods as well as their bifurcation in the associated phase plane. Our study on the dynamical propagation of perturbed profiles reveal that these waves can suffer breathing and broadening due to the diffraction effect. A remarkable split-off phenomenon of a spatial wave with wide stripes into several narrow and shallow oblique stripes is observed, as well as their passing and bouncing collisions.