Press Kit 10th Year Anniversary
Dissonance Dance Theatre Shawn Short, Founder/Producing Artistic Director Perfoming Since 2007
Washington, D.C.
Letter From The Producing Artistic Director
Greetings, I want to thank you in advance for taking the time to read about Dissonance Dance Theatre (DDT). DDT turns 10 years old, during its 2016-2017 theatrical season. As Founder and Producing Artistic Director, I am humbled and excited to share with you what great opportunities DDT can provide your art-supporting community. Our dance repertoire ranges from contemporary ballet to expressive modern dance, delighting audiences with enlightening narratives, and human reflection through kinesthetic refinement. We serve communities through educational workshops, that we conduct prior or after performances. Community engagement is key to our mission and vision as we challenge audience’s assumptions about the human experience. Enjoy learning more about Dissonance Dance Theatre as you turn each page. We would like that. Yours in Dance, Shawn Short, MFA
Cover Image: Damon Foster performing The Ostrich Dance by Dafora.
Table of Contents Vision, History & Outreach Pg 1 Press Pg 2 Education Pg 7 Outreach Pg 9 Presenting Becomes Partnership Pg 10 Bio: Shawn Short, Founder/AD Pg 12 Bio: Chris Holland, TD Pg 13
Company Dancer Shannon Evans
Vision Dissonance Dance Theatre (DDT) is an artistic vision combined with vigorous athleticism. True to its own distinctive style, DDT is eager to encompass diverse artistic challenges through cultural influence and styles. Choreographic style of Principle Choreographer Shawn Short takes a humanistic and objective view on movement. DDT dancer’s rise to the creative challenge in an ecstatic display of physical beauty and honesty.
History Dissonance Dance Theatre is a Washington, DC-based professional dance company founded in 2007 by Shawn Short. Since its inception, Dissonance Dance Theatre has performed for local and national audiences on the east coast and in the mid-west states. Starting as a project of dear friends, Dissonance has grown to house artists from across the US and beyond. A contemporary ballet that blends “classic” modern styles such as Horton, Graham, Limon with nuances of classical ballet, Dissonance is becoming known for its theatrical presence and exceptional artistry. Evoking emotional experiences in the audiences we touch, Dissonance’s cutting-edge repertoire features works that are socially and visually appealing to audiences while remaining true to its mission; challenging audience’s assumptions about the human experience through dance.
Outreach Our parent organization, Ngoma Center for Dance, believes in dance education and Dissonance Dance Theatre is a main component to Ngoma’s outreach success. We teach workshops and master classes, as well as conducting lecture demonstrations and open rehearsals. DDT and other specifically-tailored educational activities are created for any venue through out the United States and the world.
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“We were thrilled to have Dissonance participate in Velocity DC 2012! We hope you had a positive experience and we look forward to working with you in future seasons!” - Samantha Pollack, Director of Programming (Washington Performing Arts) “Incredibly connect emotional/physical choreography with stunning and engaging performers” - Artists’ Bloc “One of the 11 small-but-mighty emerging dance companies outside of NYC and LA” - Dance Spirit Magazine (Feb ‘16)
PRESS The Washington Post describes Dissonance Dance Theatre as “Ambitious and Evoking” “There was no telling what was coming onstage each time the lights cam up, but golly, the dancers Short has working for him are good.” - Rebecca Ritzel, Washington Post
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Abigail and Damon in Rehearsal for Short’s work Violin Sonata.
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Dominique Atwood, Devin Hamilton and William Wilson in rehearsal for Short’s work Stitch.
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Female dancer dancing during audition.
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Education
Residency Activities Dissonance Dance Theatre is very, very...Flexibile company. We are able to work with institutions of varying student levels and financial restrictions. Dissonance Dance Theatre will be able to create a unqiue residency experience customized to your school’s population either through the activities mentioned here or through our many add-on activities such as single master classes, lecture/demonstrations, open rehearsals, as well as full performances. Images: Various workshop and master class images.
Master Class Workshop Repertory Workshop Choreography Workshop Specialty Workshop Customize Your Residency
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Outreach Youth K-12 Activities Lectures/Demonstrations & Master Classes Combines age-appopriate lessons in Modern, Ballet, Jazz, and Creative Movement techniques with hands-on tutorials in choreography.
Professionals Professional Classes Summer DanceLab (UMD) University of Maryland, College Park
At-Risk Populations DDT conducts Dawn, a program for underserved male dancers in need of professional training. Through our financial assistance program, we provide arts access to most income levels.
Public access to the collaborative process including Q&As at selected performances and showings give audiences greater insight into both the arts form of dance and the subject matter presented. Left images: Various images from outreach efforts.
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Presenting...Becomes Partnership Dissonance Dance Theatre (DDT) prides itself in cultivating and maintaining positive relationships with our presenters. To that end we are able to off the following to help aid your staff.
PERFORMANCE *Pre-show meet and greet with members of DDT. *Select specific repertory suited to your audience’s sensibility. *Post-show Q&A with artistic team and dancers.
COMMUNITY CONNECTION DDT will work in partnership with your organization to select residency activities that are mutually beneficial such as master classes or open rehearsal. We have found that offering such activities leading up to performance helps grow audience for the company and the presenter alike.
COMPANY ACCESS Dissonance Dance Theatre is happy to offer the following materials and services for your organization to use to help promote the upcoming engagement: *High quality images *High quality video *Pre-recorded interview with Shawn Short *Reviews *Interaction through our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram pages *Availability for interviews for print, TV or radio.
STAFF
Shawn Short, Founder/Producing Artistic Director sshort@ddtdc.com
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Photos courtesy of Sergey Apasov
Shawn Short,MFA
Founder Producing Artistic Director/Principal Choreographer Growing up in the Washington, DC area. Shawn has studied with nationally and internationally acclaimed artists including faculty and dancers from Alvin Ailey American Dance Center, Lines Ballet, Washington Ballet, Dance Theatre of Harlem, Dance Institute of Washington, Dance Alloy, Philadanco, Towson University, Baltimore and Duke Ellington School of Performing Arts. As a student of ballet pedagogy, Shawn studied with John White, Margarita De Saa and the Washington School of Ballet Director Kee Juan Han. Shawn is a Pointe Magazine’s Video of the Month Editors’ Choice award recipient for his contemporary ballet work, Caught in 2013. A 2014 Princess Grace Award (NYC) in Choreography nominee, Shawn holds a BFA in Musical Theatre with a minor in Theatre Management from Howard University and a MFA in Dance at University Of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a focus on dance history, arts administration and somatic. Shawn is a fiscally sponsored artist through the New York Foundation for the Arts. Shawn has choreographed for The Dance Institute of Washington, The Washington Ballet School of Ballet @THEARC. His has presented his works at the Capital Fringe Festival, Greater Washington Urban League National Conference, Southeastern University, Artists’ Bloc 12X6 Series, Harke Theatre, Jack Guidone Theatre Space, Atlas Performing Arts Center, THEARC Theatre, Joe’s Movement Emporium, DC Parks and Recreation, Sidney Harman Hall, Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, PBS Broadcasting, VelocityDC, and Brooklyn Arts Exchange. His performance credits include work with K2 Dance, Adrian Bolton Dance, El Tearto de Danza Contemporeanea El Salvador, and Bolton/Smith. He has also served as a guest artist with Dance Alloy in Pennsylvania. He has been commissioned by Catholic University of America’s Benjamin T. Rome School of Music to choreograph Mother’s Blood (2008), VF Dance Theater for their Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts to choreograph Genotype Called Love for their Terrace Theatre production of Futurology (2012).
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Chris Holland,MFA Lighting Designer/TD
Chris Holland as been working with DDT since 2010. Other companies he has designed for include The Clarice at the University of Maryland, Intersections Festival at Atlas Performing Arts Center, DC Source Festival, Doorway Arts Ensemble, Pinkyswear Productions, Moveius Contemporary Ballet, Taurus Broadhurst Dance, and assisted for the Houston Ballet. Chris is also a resident artist for Landless Theatre in Frederick, and is a Production Manager for Charm City Fringe. He earned his MFA from Purdue University, and his BFA from the University of Kentucky. Upcoming projects include shows with Maryland Ensemble Theatre in Frederick, and Iron Crow Theatre in Baltimore.
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DDT in Short’s work Violin Sonata.
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Company dancers William Wilson and Momo Sakai
Dissonance Dance Theatre P.O. Box 2377, Washington, D.C. 20013 202-540-8338 (o) info@ddtdc.com 202-399-0174 (f) www.ddtdc.org