NR Magazine Sept/Oct 2016

Ngoma R eader Washington, D.C.’s Dance Magazine

#Black Dancers Matter: All Training And No Concert Jobs Dancer Spotlight With Culture Shock Chris Murnar

Blue and Yellow: A Dancer Collection Dissonance Dance Theatre Turns 10!

Joy Of Motion Dance Center’s New ED Steve Barberio

www.ngomareader.org

All Mouth and No Steps: A Millennial Dancer Rant

September / October 2016

Dance Metro DC Your Dance Community Auditions, News, Performances and more...

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Washington, D.C.’s Dance Magazine

Ngoma R eader Editor In Chief/Publisher Shawn Short

sshort@ngoma-center-for-dance.org

Editor Damon Foster

dfoster@ngoma-center-for-dance.org

Contributing Writers and Editors Stephen Clapp Derek Clemente Damon Foster Ingrid Graham Donovan Johnson Tyler Lewis Tehreema Mitha Shawn Short Staff Photographers Jeremiah Jones Jade Enders Shawn Short Sergey Apasov

For advertisement information and news submissions, please email: NRmagazine@ngoma-center-for-dance.org 4

Table of Contents Volume 3 Issue 5 Feature

Dancer Spotlight

Opinion

6 Dance, Steps, and Vision

12 Chris Munar

By Staff Steve Barberio of Joy of Motion Dance Center, speaks to his life, family and helping emerging dancers.

18 #Black Dancers Matter: All Training And No Concert Jobs

Chris Munar talks about his inspirations and what’s in his dance bag.

8 D.C.’s Only Black-Managed Contemporary Ballet turns 10

By Donovan Johnson Donovan catches up with Director Shawn Short to reflect on great milestone.

By Staff

Photography Feature 15 Blue and Yellow

By Shawn Short A use of blue and yellow with movement.

By Shawn Short What’s the use of training if you don’t have a great chance of a job as a Black concert dancer? Let’s talks about possibilities.

20 All Mouth and No Steps: A Millennial Dancer Rant

By Damon Foster Just an observation of the climate of young dancers and their habits

Dissonance Dance Theatre’s 10-Year Annivesary

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DANCE STEPS, LIFE AND VISIONS Steve Barberio Dance steps, life and visions is a spotlight that showcases “the behind the scene” lens of local DC artists.

Steve Barberio of Joy of Motion Dance Center, speaks to his life, family and helping emerging dancers.

Barberio most recently served as the advancement director for the Keshet Dance Company in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he was responsible for increasing revenues to support the organization’s mission. Previously, he spent 17 years as the artistic director of Stages Theatre Company, a youth performance and education organization just outside of Minneapolis. During his tenure there, he led the development of a 37,000 square foot multidisciplinary arts facility, an effort that spurred both community collaboration and economic development. Barberio also has produced or directed over 150 professional theater productions and presented a wide range of performing arts events that have included contemporary music, modern dance, variety shows, and cinema.

So where are you from originally Steve?

I’m originally from Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Minnesota, where I was born and raised, had a successful career as a theatre producer, director and presenter and raised my family.

How would you describe your initial discovery D.C.’s dance scene?

My initial discovery was to learn just how vibrant the DC dance scene is, especially when it comes to dance education. The number of people who love to dance in this area is incredible! I am struck by how passionate DC dancers are about developing themselves as dancers and dance educators. There is such openness to learning and growing as artists.

What do you feel you bring to the scene? To its history?

Joy of Motion has a 40-year history of supporting dance artists in the DC area and as the leader of such a renowned nonprofit arts organization, I’m excited to apply my collaborative spirit, disciplined approach to arts management and deep understanding of arts education to this community.

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Can you inform us about how dance has touched your personal and professional life?

I didn’t dance until college, where I studied ballet and modern as part of my training as an actor. The art form was vital to my work as a theatre artist. As I shifted from acting to directing, I gained even greater appreciation for how important it is for artists to continually work on their instrument.

Tell us about your family, and if you are a dog or cat person.

I raised five children—two of my own and three step kids—in the Twin Cities. They’re all grown now, successfully pursuing their own careers. I am tremendously proud of all of them! I live in DC with my dog, Ernie, who brings a smile to everyone he meets on the street.

We know you are an ED now, but do you see any personal projects coming up?

My work is deeply personal, whether it’s as an

country, many young people emerge from a graduate or undergraduate program hoping to find a full-time job in dance or theatre. As we know, these jobs are not easy to find. Many young artists decide to start their own companies as a way to make work for themselves and others. I find this impulse admirable, but in some ways, uninformed. Joy of Motion is planning to establish an Emerging Artist Incubator in the coming year, a program that will support, mentor and guide performing arts entrepreneurs in their journey to start their own companies.

administrator or as an artist. Most important goals of mine at Joy of Motion are to strengthen our support of professional dancers and extent commitment to strengthening dance audiences. While I am not a choreographer, nor a fully trained dancer, I am excited to apply my skills as a producer, presenter and director to the field of dance to reach these goals.

Is it hard to be a creator, and administrator? Tell us about.

When I awake in the morning, the first eye to open is as an artist. I see the world from that point of view first; how to make the world a better place through creative expression and cultural connections. The second eye to open is as an administrator. I’ve been blessed with the gift to create, but also with the ability to position the creations of others in a marketplace where people can intersect with the creativity of others. I have never found these two parts of myself to be in conflict, but, rather, as one completing the other.

Do you feel being an artists is like raising two families simultaneously?

Hmm…. I’ve never thought of it that way, but as someone who raised two families, I do understand and appreciate the question. My role as a parent was the most important I’ve played in my short time on this planet and I guess that my stewardship of a great nonprofit like Joy of Motion is somewhat like that. In a very short time, I have become deeply committed to its health and well-being, at times losing sleep over it, just as I did as I was raising my children.

Did anyone mentor or assist you for the life as an artist?

If so who?

I have made my living as an artist and arts administrator since 1983. I am so fortunate to have been supported by many people, both inside and outside the arts. From my high school theatre director, to one of many board members, to fellow artistic directors, I have been blessed with the support of many amazing people.

Two quotes I’ll share that were passed on to me that have helped me be successful: “You can’t cut your way to prosperity”, was the advice of a corporate CEO and board member; and, “Find people with deep pockets, of course, but also who have long arms”, was the counsel of another board member who helped me raise money and build a center for the arts in Minneapolis.

What do you wish to do with dance in the future?

My focus is on the dance artists and students and what they can bring to the community. I hope to give more dancers jobs, strengthen the field of dance education and, ultimately, grow and develop dance audience.

If you had to tell a young artist in front of you who wanted to do what you do, what advice would you give them?

Learn about yourself, every day of your life; build strong and productive relationships with others; and, develop a plan that you can commit to over time.

What’s your zodiac sign?

Aquarius

What do you think would add to the enhancement of the DC dance scene?

There are so many emerging artists on the scene right now. I’ve observed here and elsewhere around the 7

FROM POSE TO CORRU: Dissonance Dance Theatre Embarks on its Tenth Season

By Donovan Johnson

In a city of lawyers and politicians, one may not think about the arts solely. Washington, D.C. can be a town of left-brainers hell bent on policies and tech deals.

But one cannot live without culture. Dissonance Dance Theatre is becoming one of D.C.’s finest arts institutions.

DDT Beginnings Dissonance Dance Theatre (DDT) was founded in 2007 by dancer, choreographer, educator and administrator Shawn Short. “ I started Dissonance Dance Theatre while I was faculty with the Washington Ballet. I finished a small tour with K2 Dance Company, a small but now defunct modern dance company, but I felt there was a void to fill in the dance community”, says Short. “At the time Black-managed dance organization were decreasing, places that I had studied and danced. I wanted to pick up the torch.”

Starting at Culture Development Corporation, now CultureDC, Dissonance operated one day a week for nine hours on a Sunday. The company premiered at the 2nd annual Capital Fringe Festival that year with seven dancers – most of whom were friends of Short – in a three-performance run of Short’s production Human.

The Struggle To Grow In 2005, Short had to make a decision: incorporate or stay a project. “I didn’t want to be a project. In my 8

Since its inception, DDT has served more than 80 dancers, launching the careers of dancers who’ve gone on to perform in companies like Complexions, Virginia Ballet Theatre, and Philadanco. experience, projects tend to not get serious dancers”, says Short. “We weren’t making any money at the time. Our budget was little and I moved from a sole proprietor business model to an LLC with a fiscal sponsorship with New York Foundation For The Arts.” However, D.C. ‘s Commission on the Arts and Humanities doesn’t recognize fiscal sponsorships.

Short acted fast to gain assistance for his budding company. In 2012, Short with the help of friends incorporated, Ngoma Center for Dance, a nonprofit to house Dissonance and expand Short’s vision of a dance institution in Washington, D.C. Short was an accomplished dance educator in the DC area and knew one day he wanted to give back through an educational program of his own. Short worked hard to secure resources to expand his vision. In 2013, Short completed his Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. With the aid of this new level of education, DDT found itself with its first four-production season in 2014.

Money Matters Arts organizations always face financial peril. Short and DDT know that all-too-well. It takes creativity, innovation, drive and business savvy. With the leadership of Short, DDT has gone from meager $5K a season operation to a projected $110K annual revenue for 2016. Exciting news for their 10th year of operation.

Photo courtesy of Shawn Short 9

Photo courtesy of Shawn Short

Artistic Development Since its inception, DDT has served more than 80 dancers, launching the careers of dancers who’ve gone on to perform in companies like Complexions, Garth Fagan, Virginia Ballet Theatre, Philadanco, DV8 (London, England), national tours of Beauty and the Beast, Bring it On, and international tour of Dreamgirls.

DDT has since been nationally-recognized in Dance Magazine and Dance Spirit Magazine, and has been called “One of the 11 to watch outside of NYC and LA.” “I’m proud to see that Dissonance Dance Theatre, has launched the careers of so many dancers. Some have further perused performing, while some went to get their masters and start their own paths as choreographers. In the end, we are building a platform for future artists in the dance community,” said Short.

This season, DDT launches their emerging choreographer program, New Voices of Dance (NVD).

NVD is a new program that promotes the development of choreographers dedicated to contemporary ballet and modern choreography by providing the with the opportunity to develop their talents. NVD’s goal is to increase the number of working, emerging 10

choreographers working in their cities of artistic employment.

For their 10th production season, DDT has five productions scheduled with performances in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and New York City.

DDT’s mission is to challenge the human conditions through dance. I believe they are achieving this through artistic beauty, and thoughtful community care. A winwin for all on and off of the dance floor.

Dissonance Dance Theatre Shawn Short, Founding Producing Artistic Director

10th Anniversary Season!

12x6

Oct 15 - 16th, 2016 Tickets Starting @$15 8pm/7pm Jack Guidone Theater, Joy of Motion Dance Center, 5207 Wisconsin Ave , NW Washington, DC 20015

WINTERSTEPS WINTE

Jan 21-22nd, 2016 Tickets Starting @$15 8pm/7pm Jack Guidone Theater, Joy of Motion Dance Center, 5207 Wisconsin Ave , NW Washington, DC 20015

Mahogany Strings

February 25th, 2016 $30 General Admission 8pm The Atlas Performing Arts Center 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002

Buscando La Melodia

(Looking For The Melody) March 19th, 2017 Tickets Starting @$15 8pm/7pm Jack Guidone Theater, Joy of Motion Dance Center, 5207 Wisconsin Ave , NW Washington, DC 20015

Black To Silver: STILL

April 22-23, 2017 Tickets Starting @$15 8pm/7pm Jack Guidone Theater, Joy of Motion Dance Center, 5207 Wisconsin Ave , NW Washington, DC 20015

Timeless Dance. Remixed.

*Dates Subject To Change. Please Check Website for current performances.

www.ddtdc.org "One of the 11 small-but-mighty dance companies outside of LA and NYC" - Dance Spirit Magazine (c) Shanathon Photography 11

Photo courtesy of Dior Davis

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DANCER SPOTLIGHT

Chris Munar Chris Munar started dancing in 2009 with a DMVbased crew called Ajnin Precizion. He later joined the collegiate competitive team Major Definition.

He then started dancing with the crew, Tito BoyScouts, known for their comedy and urban stylized sets. Chris later auditioned and joined the professional hip-hop dance troupe, Culture Shock DC, in 2010. In 2013, Chris became the assistant director of Mini Shock DC dance troupe and a co-founder of an all-male dance crew from the DMV called UpperClassMen. In 2014, Chris started working with the non-profit Capitol Movement and started his own dance projected called the TwoAm Project. Since then he has been focused on sharing his knowledge by teaching and training the younger generation in various dance studios. His choreographed hip-hop routines have placed high and have been awarded titles such as: Entertainment Award (Bravo), Industry Award (StarQuest), Odyssey Award (StarQuest), and Choreography Award (Revolution).

Where are you from?

Maryland born and raised!

How old are you and what’s your zodiac sign?

I am a 25-year-old Libra.

Where do you dance currently?

I am currently focusing on teaching rather than dancing myself. Right now, I teach at Gainesville Dance Center (shout-out to JT Church from So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation), Barton & Williams School of Dance, and Polaris Dance Institute.

What’s in your dance bag?

My dance bag usually carries headphones,

medicine/brace for my ankle, a change of clothes, cords for my phone for teaching, and a black notebook! iPhone or Android?

I had an iphone since college, but I actually just recently switched to Android a few months back.

But I am loving my Galaxy S7!

Who inspires you in the dance world? Do you have a dance mentor?

The dancers that I look up to the most are Keone Madrid, Lyle Beniga, Vinh Nyugen, Joesar Alva, and Tony Tzar. Each one has such a unique style and brings something different to the table. I would be thankful for the opportunity to train/ be mentored by one of them someday. I would say that my dance mentors have been my crews that I grew up dancing with. That is where I learned what dance was for me and how I could use it in a positive way and give back to them and my community. The crew TitoBoyScouts has especially been a meaningful brotherhood that has taught me a lot about not just dance, but myself. I am thankful for the older brother figures I have made from that.

What’s your favorite dance style?

My favorite dance style to dance is hip-hop, but I always get hype watching tap and contemporary dances!

What’s your dream company to work with?

Since I started dancing in 2009 my dream dance company to work with has always been the Choreo Cookies. I love what the stand for and they always look like they are having fun on stage.

Sneakers, Boots, Chucks, Loafers, or High Heels?

Sneakers all the way! I am a pretty simple guy and some comfortable sneakers are the best. I still don’t know how women can walk, let alone DANCE, in high heels. That’s a talent in itself.

Single or Dating?

Single Who is your dance crush?

This is a tough question. There are so many amazing dancers out there and so many amazing 13

Photo courtesy of Dior Davis

women out there. I guess I would say someone I have been seeing a lot on social media that I find attractive would be Kaea Pearce from the Royal Family in New Zealand. They are so entertaining to watch as a group but my eyes always find a way to pick her out!

has grown and popped into the mainstream and hip-hop dance has done the same. I feel that the commercial and concert dance worlds are slowly merging, but at the end of the day it is all movement and it is all amazing to witness in person.

What would be your funniest dance moment?

Any advice for an aspiring artist?

There are so many moments that it is hard to pick just one. I mean anytime I perform with any of my crews, it is a great experience and we definitely share many laughs even onstage. I do have many fond memories with my crew Ajnin Precizion back in my early days of dance, so many laughs while practicing so late in a hot living room. I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world. That is the great thing about dance; it is something meant to be shared and experienced with others. Dance is a social activity and I know that without dance I might have never come out of my shell and had the confidence to talk and meet new people.

The best advice I can give to an aspiring artist is to stay true to yourself. In this art form it is easy to get caught up in the hype or the trends. For me what stands out are the ones that have such a strong foundation in themselves that people get inspired from what they create. That is the biggest reason why I believe dance has lasted this long in my life, there are very few things that I get attached to and I truly believe that God has put dance in my life for a purpose. I can remember the first dance performance that I saw live (Culture Shock DC in 2009) that made me think to myself “I want to do that.� It has been a tough journey and there will always be bumps along the way. For example, I dropped out of college to pursue dance, it might or might not have been the smartest decision I made in my life but I believe that I am happier since then.

As an artist and especially in an industry that is not as lucrative as other professions, it is important to remember why you put so much hard work in the first place: the blood, sweat, tears. It is important to stay true to yourself.

What is your take on commercial and concert dance? Do you feel that the world are merging?

This is a very interesting question and something that I have thought about lately. I mean dance in general is such an awesome platform already.

Things that you can do on stage might not translate in film and vice versa. Especially coming from a hip-hop background, hip-hop is a baby compared to these other disciplines. Since then, hip-hop 14

BLUE AND YELLOW

by Shawn Short

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#BLACK DANCERS MATTER Training Equals No Concert Dance Jobs Commentary by Shawn Short

Today we hear and read about Black Lives Matter across social media. With the rise of dance diversity inclusion programs in nationally ranked schools producing concert dancers, more dancers of color are finding places to train and grow. Traditional dance training spaces pump out graduates every year as well.

But where do these dancers of color go? Where are the jobs to sustain them?

There is the old adage, “If you build it, they will come.” But will it provide a large enough space for Black dancers? There are new dance initiatives launched all the time, but oftentimes, Black dancers don’t have access to them. Across the United States, there are dance spaces that expose and inspire generations of dancers. Washington, D.C. is no exception.

And yet, the number of professional dance ensembles, in DC and nationally, that employ a large number of Black dancers are minimal. There is a need for new Black-managed concert dance organizations and concert dance artist associations.

In the United States, there are nine major Blackmanaged concert dance organizations. Of the 138 18

major U.S. ballet companies and twice as many modern/contemporary dance companies, less than 10 percent overall are Black-managed, according to Wikipedia.

According to the web article “State of the Arts,” the NEA reports that dancers include the largest percentage of racial and ethnic minority creatives in the U.S.—by far—at 41 percent. The next group after them is “other entertainers” at 27.7 percent.

The national labor force’s percentage of minorities is 31.7 percent. Though the article was written in 2011, the marketplace hasn’t changed. African Americans still look at dance as a vocational possibility, particularly concert dance.

Secondly, there is strength in numbers. Currently, Black dance on has one association to voice and raise awareness of their concerns. However, I believe that one organization cannot support the diverse population of African-American dance artists. Only through the combined efforts of an association consortium, with strong ties to the various niche styles Black dancers serve, can we really start to effect change.

If we don’t find new sustainable Black voices at the table of concert dance, we will continue to have a large demand, no supply and slough of Instagram stars that only gain followers and post tilts.

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ALL MOUTH AND NO STEPS

Commentary by Damon Foster

In the dance world we all know that one individual, ok maybe you know three or four, who have a library-worth of words to describe their dance ability or their dance company’s performance prowess. Yet it neither quite manifests on stage, on set, in class or in the annual budget. Dancers flood Instagram-land with a myriad of photos of themselves: dance-posing in random places like on a pier, on the sidewalk, or in the woods (dancing for the elves perhaps…who knows). All this effort just to proclaim to the world, “I am a dancer! Now love and adore me!”

In our image-obsessed modern world, where a simple finger swipe sets a filtered photo a blaze with a 1,000 likes, there is an alarming trend I have observed arising. This is particularly amongst the millennial dance artists that are perceived as entitled, wanting preferred casting, performance contracts, prime touring gigs, and project funding simply handed to them without showing what “goods” they really have.

And as obvious and absurd as this unrealistic way of thinking is, a high percentage of millennial dancers will come across to those of us living, grinding, dancing, and paying bills in the “real world”, with delusions of grandeur. Amongst the masses of millennial this is real, if not down-right frightening.

After five years of both performing on stage and working as an arts administrator, I observed that the Washington D.C. dance community is not immune to this way of thinking, from the dancer on the stage, to the artistic director in some respects.

So what exactly is it that I’m jawing about you ask? I’m talking about a mentality—a “wanting something for nothing” mentality to be exact. The mentality that doing the very least amount of effort, whether in studio class or even in a collaboration, will somehow equate to landing the performance contract, or attract more audience members to a show, or miraculously fill bank accounts. Oh if that were true...

The adage “hard work pays off” is an endearing warning…the work is going to be hard, if not relentless, especially in today’s market. As of 2015,

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in comparison to other states, Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia all rank among the lowest with annually employed dancers, according the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics. The top five states, not surprisingly, were California, Nevada, Texas, New York, and Hawaii.

The 2015 national average hourly wage of a dancer in the “performing arts” was $20.43, yet the number is a little misleading; the figure was tallied from among full time dance companies.

Project based companies or companies that pay per show or no pay were not factored.

According to Dance USA, only four Washington D.C.-based dance companies has an annual budget of over $100, 000.00.

How do the numbers translate? They should serve as a reminder how slim the margin of success is for performing arts, particularly dance in the U.S. Every plié in studio class essentially matters. Every pointed foot, extended arm, or well-executed pirouette.

Dancers age out of the industry as performers by mid-30s typically. That’s not a lot time, 1520 years at best. And it passes as quick as jete’.

Just ask anyone who thought musical artist Prince’s “1999” seemed a futuristic fantasy at one point. We are now more than halfway through 2016.

Time spent selecting just the right filter for the IG photo, is time to spend at the barre ( no not happy hour lol), going across the floor, in the gym, at a non-profit seminar, in a grant workshop. It’s time to develop and perfect. In the dance world, the product made up of bodies.

No body, no product. If there is no marketing, there are no ticket sells. Saying all that to say: get off your phone and get on the floor. Let’s Dance!

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Community Directory African-American Managed Dance Companies African Dancers and Drummers Melvin Deal, Founder 1320 Good Hope Rd Southeast Washington D.C 20020 202-399-5252 www.facebook.com/ africanheritagedc Cacho Dancers and Drummers Bonita Cacho, Founder/Artisitic Director 202-607-0164 Coyaba Dance Theatre Sylvia Soumah, Founding Artistic Director 3225 8th Street Northeast Washington, D.C 20017 (202) 269-1600

www.coyabadancetheater.org Dissonance Dance Theatre Shawn Short, Founding Artistic Director Resident Company of Ngoma Center for Dance P.O. Box 2377, Washington D.C 20013 202-540-8338 www.ddtdc.org EdgeWorks Dance Theatre Helanius J. Wilkins, Founding Artisitic Director P.O.Box 73396 Washington D.C, 20056 (202) 483-0606Â www.hjwedgeworks.org Farafina Kan Mahiri Fadjimba Keita, Founding Artistic Director 3802Â 34th Street, Mt Rainier, MD 20722 http://www.farafinakan.com Just Tap/Sole Defined Quynn Johnson, Ryan Johnson Founding Artistic Director www.quynnjohnson.com 22

KanKouran West African Dance Company Assane Konte, Founding Artistic Director P.O. Box 1338 Washingto D.C, 2013 202-518-1213 www.kankouran.org Lesoles Dance Project Lesole Z. Maine, Founding Artistic Director 3802 34th street. Mt. Rainer, MD 240-744-6694 www.ldpdance.org Memory of African Culture Akua Femi Kouyate, Founder MAC, Inc. P.O. Box 50045, Washington, D.C. 20091 (202) 210-7120 www.memoryofafricanculture.org Step Afrika Brian Williams, Founding Excetive Director 133 4th street NE Washington, D.C 20002 202-399-7993 ext. 112 www.stepafrica.org Vision Contemporary Dance Katherine Smith, Artistic Director P.O. Box 48087 Washington, D.C 20002 301.909-VCDE (8233) www.visioncontemporarydance.org Urban Artisty Junious Brickhouse (Founder) 8001 Kennett Street Silver Spring, MD 20910 202-431-4202 www.urbanartistry.org The National Hand Dance Association P.O. Box 70006 Washington, D.C. 20024 www.nationalhanddanceassociation.org

World Dance Companies D.C Contemporary Dance Theatre Miya Hisaka, Founding Artistic Director P.O.Box 9796 Washington, D.C 20016 202-316-5277 www.teatrodedanza.org Furia Flamenco Estela Velez ( Director) Joy of Motion Dance Center 5207 Wisconsin Ave NW Washington, D.C 20015 (703) 568-4404 www.furia-flamenca.com Jayamangala 8600 Waterside Ct, Laurel, MD 20723 (301) 617-2712 www.jayamangala.org Maru Montero Dance Maru Montero, Founder admin@marumontero.com www.marumontero.com Nomad Dancers Christel Stevens( Co Director) Adriane Whalen (Co Director) 4166 South Street, Arlington, Va, 22206 (703) 799-0282 www.nomaddancers.com Silk Road Dance Compay Dr. Laurel Victoria Gray, Founder and Artistic Director P.O. Box 11346 Takoma Park, MD 20913 301-585-1105 www.silkroaddance.com Tehreema Mitha Dance Founding Artistic Director 8509 Pelham Rd, Bethesda, MD 20817 (301) 581-9520 www.tmdancecompany.org

Community Directory Dance Schools and Institutions Angel of Hope Ministries, Inc Rev. Claudia H. Harrison Developing the Physical through Dance and Health Awareness www.angels-hope.org Coyaba Academy Sylvia Soumah, Founder and Artistic Director Dance Place 3225 8th Street Northeast Washington, D.C 20017 (202) 269-1600 www.coyabadancetheater.org Dance Dimensions Dakyia Lambert (Artistic Director) 7979 Parston Dr District Heights ,MD 20747 301-420-1567 www.dimensions-inc.com

Duke Ellington School of the Arts The Davis Center Charles Augins, Dance Chair 3500 R street NW , Washington, D.C 202-282-0123 www.ellingtonschool.org

Howard University Theatre Arts Dept - Dance 2400 Sixth St NW, Washington, D.C 20059 howarduniversitydancemajor@yahoo.com 202-806-7050/7052 www.coas.howard.edu/theatrearts/ dance Jones-Haywood Dance School Saundra Fortune-Green, Artistic Director 1200 Delafield Place NW Washington D.C 20011 202-441-1099 www.joneshaywood.com

Dance Institute of Washington Fabian Barnes, Founder and Artistic Director 3400 14th street NW, Washington, D.C 202-371-9656 www.danceinstitute.org

Making Moves Dance Collective Inc Amber L. Comer, Artistic Director Kellie N. Sellers, Artistic Director 5640 Sunnyside Avenue, Suite E Beltsville, MD 20705 301-220-1500 www.makingmovesdc.org

Dance Makers INC Ms. Robin Angelica Pitts, Executive Director 9901 Business Parkway, Suite L Lanham, Maryland 20706Â 301-731-0003 www.marylanddancestudio.com

Ngoma Center for Dance Shawn Short, Founding Artistic Director P.O. Box 2377 Washington D.C 20013 202-540-8338 www.ngoma-center-for-dance.org

District Dance Arts Cristine Davis, Director Classes held at the Capoeira Spot 2008 Rhode Island Ave NE Washington, DC 20018 www.districtdancearts.com

Northeast Performing Arts Center Rita Jackson (Founder) 3431 Benning Rd NE Washington, D.C 20019 202-388-1274 www.nepag.org

Divine Dance Institute Amanda Standard, Founding Director 505 Hampton Park Blvd., Suite R Capitol Heights, MD 20743 301-333-2623 www.divine-dance.com

Suitland High School Center for the Visual and Performing Arts 5200 Silver Hill Road Forestville, MD 20747 301.817.0092 www1.pgcps.org/suitlandhs

Beatrice E. Davis-Williams 6218 3rd Street N.W. Washington D.C 20011 202-277-6110 www.thedaviscenter.net Ubuntu Nankama Dance Studio 3802Â 34th Street, Mt Rainier, MD 20722 Words, Beats, & Life Inc. 1525 Newton Street, NW Washington, D.C 20010 202-667-1192 www.wblinc.org Baltimore Area Morton Street Dance Donna L. Jacobs, 3600 Clipper Mill Road, Ste. 108 Baltimore, MD 21211 410-235-9003 www.mortonstreetdance.com Baltimore Dance Tech Stephanie Powell, Director, 5130 Greenwich Avenue (Near Route 40 West) Baltimore, MD 21229 410-233-1101 www.baltimoredancetech.com Connexions School for the Arts 2801 N. Dukeland Street Baltimore, MD 21216 Phone:(443) 984-1418/1419/1420 Fax:(410) 669-4418 www.csfta.org Dance & Bmore Cjay Philip, Director danceandbmore@gmail.com www.danceandbmore.com Coppin State University Vanessa Coles, Chair - Dance Physical Education Complex Rm 212 2500 West North Avenue, Baltimore, MD 21216-3698 dance@coppin.edu www.coppin.edu/dance 23

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Ngoma Center for Dance

The Ngoma Reader (NR) is a bi-monthly online publication that gives literary voice to the minority dance artists of Washington, D.C.

Internships Experience the thrill and rewards of working in Ngoma Center for Dance and its programs! Whether you’re a high school student looking for summer employment, or a college or graduate student seeking a substantive internship supporting the arts in D.C., there’s no limit as to how far our opportunities can take you. At Ngoma Center for Dance, you’ll have the opportunity to gain insight into a budding dance organization, explore new career avenues and acquire lifelong skills.

Our two programs, (1) Production, and (2) Administration, enable students to obtain job experience in a in the theatre and in the back office.

The opportunities are endless—and they all start right here. Begin by finding out which program is right for you, or speaking with our director about an internship with Ngoma Center for Dance and its programs. Contact Shawn Short, Director at sshort@ngoma-center-for-dance.org for more information. Check out more at www.careersushi.com/ngomacenterfordance Ngoma Reader is looking for committed, and enthusiastic writers and photographers to join its team. Is that you?

The Ngoma Reader (NR) is a bi-monthly online publication that gives literary voice to the dance artists of Washington, D.C. QUALIFICATIONS: Current major/Interest in Journalism, Communications, dance, or English Strong news judgment Quick and accurate editing/writing skills Thorough attention to detail Knowledgeable in the local DMV dance scene and/or other arts-related events The ability to multi-task with little-to-no supervision

A strong work ethic and motivation to succeed A positive, good-natured, energetic attitude A commitment to unbiased writing Knowledgeable of AP Style guidelines

Interested writers send your writing sample and resume to: NRmagazine@ngoma-center-for-dance.org (In the subject line type: Potential Writer for NR Magazine) WWW.NGOMAREADER.ORG WWW.NGOMA-CENTER-FOR-DANCE.ORG

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Ngoma R eader Washington, D.C.’s Dance Magazine

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