CityDance Ensemble
| Company type | Non-profit organization |
|---|---|
| Industry | Dance, Performing arts, Education |
| Founded | 1996 |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. , United States |
Key people | Alexandra Nowakowski (Executive Director), Lorraine Audeoud Spiegler (Studio education and Conservatory divisions) |
| Products | Dance instruction, Performances, Outreach and educational programs |
| Website | www |
CityDance is a non-profit organization based in Maryland and Washington, D.C., established in 1996. It consists of three main branches: the CityDance Conservatory, which provides pre-professional and professional dance instruction; CityDance Studios, which presents performances at regional venues and supports emerging talent; and CityDance Presents, dedicated to outreach and educational initiatives. The organization formerly managed the CityDance Ensemble dance company until its closure in 2011. CityDance is led by Executive Director Alexandra Nowakowski, while Lorraine Audeoud Spiegler oversees the studio education and Conservatory divisions.
CityDance Ensemble
Operating out of Washington, D.C., and North Bethesda, Maryland, CityDance Ensemble was a contemporary repertory dance troupe founded in 1996 by Artistic Director Paul Emerson. The company ceased operations in 2011 after Emerson's exit.
Awards and recognition
Deemed "Washington's leading modern dance company," CityDance Ensemble earned a spot on Dance Magazine's "25 to Watch" list in 2003. Its FilmWORKS initiative received the 2005 Mayor's Arts Award for Innovation from Washington, D.C. In 2007, The Washington Post praised the ensemble as a homegrown modern dance group rivaling premier national companies.
Repertoire
CityDance Ensemble featured works from international choreographers through three distinctive series, blending historic pieces with contemporary choreography each season.
The Legacy Series focused on reviving pivotal modern dance works from the genre’s early century. In 2007, the company was awarded the "American Masterpieces: Dance" grant by the New England Foundation for the Arts to restage Sophie Maslow’s 1942 piece "Folksay," set to Woody Guthrie's music and recognized as a landmark in modern dance. Additionally, they performed Maslow’s "Dust Bowl Ballads," inspired by the 1930s Dust Bowl migration in the American Midwest, famously depicted in John Steinbeck’s "Grapes of Wrath." Another notable Legacy Series presentation was Jane Dudley’s 1938 solo "Harmonica Breakdown," choreographed to Sonny Terry and Oh Red’s "Harmonica and Washboard Blues."
Education programs
The CityDance Center at Strathmore operates within Maryland’s Music Center at Strathmore, delivering advanced dance training. Furthermore, CityDance serves as the official dance education partner at the Madeira School for girls in McLean, Virginia, managing its dance curriculum.
CityDance Community Programs functioned as the educational branch of the organization, offering year-round after-school initiatives targeting at-risk youth in Washington, D.C. This division collaborated with partners such as the NBA’s Washington Wizards, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and the Children and Youth Investment Trust Corporation.
Partnerships
CityDance maintains collaborative relationships with prominent arts organizations across Washington, D.C., including Washington Performing Arts, the Harman Center for the Arts (home to the Shakespeare Theatre Company), the Music Center at Strathmore, the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, and the Levine School of Music.
References