Dissonance Dance Theatre Shawn Short, Producing Artistic Director
2013 - 2014 Washington, DC
Repertory Season & Ticket Information
“The stage is a magic circle where only the most real things happen, a neutral territory outside the jurisdiction of Fate where stars may be crossed with impunity. A truer and more real place does not exist in all the universe.� - P.S. Barber
Life is a stage ...filled with narrative galour.
Dissonance Dance Theatre refines and presents stories based in and of the experiences of human interaction. From lost, triumph, conflict, laughter, joy or love, we blend classical technique with popular dance convention bringing sophistication and style.
Outside Cover: Victor Lewis Jr. in Short’s The Road. Photo by Shawn Short Above: Catlin Cooley in Short’s Caught. Photo by Jared Traver
Dissonance Dance Theatre is pleased to annouce the 2013 -2014 Repertory Season...won’t you join us?
Velocity DC Ostrich Dance East to West Ostrich Dance Amazon Testament Male Cast, World Premiere Rapture For You.. World Premiere Rowdy World Premiere Watch Me Bounce Feeling Orange World Premiere My Light Shines On World Premiere Rowdy World Premiere Boogie Drop World Premiere Burn   Black To Silver Zero Lo World Premiere First Time My Light Shines On Eye Like A Black Orchid World Premiere Testament Rowdy ** Repertoire subject to change.
Photo by Shawn Short
Ostrich Dance Original Choreography by Asadata Dafora (1932) Staged by Shawn Short Performed by Damon Foster Our seasons begins with a guest performance in Washington, DC’s VelocityDC Festival. The Ostrich Dance is a signature hallmark of African-American dance history. With its polyrhythmic pulse and cool movement undertones, the Ostrich Dance observes the sophisticated physicality of the ostrich as it travels through the African terrain. The Ostrich Dance by Dafora is the first Africanistic concert dance work in the United States to be performed by a Black male dancer.
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Ostrich Dance VelocityDC Dance Festival Sidney Harman Hall October 10 - 12, 2013 Ostrich Dance Performances *Thursday October 10th, 2013 8pm *Friday October 11th, 2013 8pm
Image credits: Damon Foster in Ostrich Dance Photos by Shawn Short
Examining themes of lost, love, and the celebration of life, African-American choreographer Shawn Short presents choreographic works from the heart that blend western/European dance influence; bringing diversity and a universal message.
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East to West: Dances of a Minority Mind The Jack Guidone Theater
November 16th - 17th, 2013 East to West: Dances of a Minority Mind ( East to West), is an evening length concert presenting dance works of African and Afro-American blends constructing stories through contemporary ballet and modern styles. 90 minutes Performances Saturday November 16th, 2013 Sunday November 17th, 2013
8pm 7pm
Company in Short’s Testament. Photo by Amanda Kilgour
Watch Me Bounce Sprenger Theater March 1st - 2nd, 2014
Hit me with a high note! Watch Me Bounce is dance celebrating “America’s indigenous art form” Jazz music through a blend of classical ballet and contemporary dance. Watch Me Bounce demonstrates the “artistic alloy” that manifests when classical ballet intersects with contemporary dance themes and vernacular. This program refines the high art aesthetic of classical ballet through a multicultural cast, raw-and-real humanistic stories and music rooted in the African-American experience. “ Jazz is over 100 years old originating at the beginning of the 20th century within the African-American communities of the Southern United States. Jazz is constantly evolving. Like Jazz music, contemporary ballet answers America’s desire to see classical ballet reflect current times through stories, style and feel. We celebrate change.” Shawn Short Producing Artistic Director Presented as part of INTERSECTIONS at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, Feb 21 – Mar 8, 2014 Performances Saturday March 1st, 2013 Sunday March 2nd, 2013
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9:30pm 2:30pm
Photography by Sergey Apasov
Black To Silver: A Black LGBT Experience The Jack Guidone Theater April 12th -13th, 2014
Experience the beauty and heartfelt energy of Dissonance Dance Theatre latest production Black To Silver: A Black LGBT Experience! Black to Silver: A Black LGBT (now in its 2nd year), is a multidisciplinary arts production that examines and explores interpersonal relationships, identity and love within the African-American LGBT community. Bringing together a majority African-American LGBT cast, Black to Silver provides Washington, DC’s first ever theatrical platform for African-American LGBT dance artists to express personal themes through choreographic narrative. And now we bring the show to you! The goal of Black to Silver is to showcase unique, untold intimate experiences of LGBT African-Americans through text and contemporary styles of dance.
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Performances Saturday April 12th, 2014 Sunday April 13th, 2014
8pm 7pm
Season & Tickets Dissonance Dance Theatre hopes you will join us for a world of dance that awaits you as part of our season. Dissonance is pleased to announce its 2013-2014 Season presenting another exciting line-up of programs. Group sales are encouraged to purchase online where they will see discount in cart balance. Production Ticket Prices: VelocityDC
$18 General Admission
East to West
$15 Online Admission/$20 Door Admission
Watch Me Bounce
$15 Student & Seniors/ $30 General Admission
Black to Silver
$15 Online Admission/$20 Door Admission
Ways to Order Tickets: Due to multiple venues, please observe the “ticket purchase dates” next to season productions. Purchase tickets by phone For our Intersections Festival production “Watch Me Bounce”, tickets can be purchased at the Atlas Performing Arts Theatre by calling 202.399.7993, Monday through Friday, 10am to 4pm. For “VelocityDC” tickets at Shakespeare Theatre call Phone/Box Office: (202) 547-1122. There are no phone ticket sales for “East to West”, “Black to Silver”.
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Purchase tickets in person: Tickets for all performances are available for purchase starting one hour prior to performances. Purchase tickets online Online ticket sales for VelocityDC performances at Shakespeare Theatre and Intersections Festival performances at Atlas Performing Arts Center , tickets can be purchased four hours before show time. Online tickets sales for “East to West” and “ Black to Silver” performances can be purchased for Joy of Motion’s Jack Guidone Theatre the day prior by 8pm. Theatre Venues: Atlas Performing Arts Center 1333 Hst NE, Washington, DC 20002 www.intersectionsdc.org Shakespeare Theatre, Sidney Harman Hall 610 F Street NW, Washington, DC 20004 www.velocitydc.org/tickets/ Joy of Motion Dance Center, The Jack Guidone Theater 5207 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20015 www.joyofmotion.tix.com
Dissonance Dance Theatre is an experience. Now in its 7th season, Dissonance challenges what audiences assume about the human experience, cultivates future audiences, and develops progressive contemporary and classically trained artists. Founded in 2007, Dissonance Dance Theatre is dedicated to preserving and creating contemporary dances that maintain the strength and integrity of classical forms while expressing universal themes with broad appeal in Washington, DC and beyond. Now in its 7th season DISSONANCE DANCE THEATRE, the professional dance c ompany of 501(c)3 arts organization Ngoma Center for Dance. DDT is DC’s only Black Managed contemporary ballet company. Ngoma Center for Dance (Ngoma) provides minority youth, and their enthusiasts, with a deeper understanding of dance as an art form and a discipline. Our mission is to produce and refine competitive level dance artists in a multicultural environment through our resident dance company Dissonance Dance Theatre, Africanistic influenced training, coaching, performance.
To make a monetary donation or to find out more about our programs vist Ngoma Center for Dance at: www.ngoma-center-for-dance.org To found out more about Dissonance Dance Theatre, please check out our website at: www.ddtdc.com
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