Dayton Contemporary Dance Company 55th Anniversary Season
Saturday, Oct 14 7:30 PM
Sunday, Oct 15 4:00 PM
Jacob's Ladder, a hip hop dance performance choreographed by the legendary Rennie Harris, premiered at the Victoria Theatre in 2006 as a part of the COLOROGRAPHY Tour, a program dedicated to the influential art of Jacob Lawrence. Harris was invited to create a work on the company with no directive except that the art would be integrated into the work. Harris chose to create a work simply to demonstrate the power of the cultural movement that became known as hip hop.
Jacob's Ladder is a manifestation of Harris's vision to elevate hip hop to the status of a legitimate art form. The work is a powerful and moving exploration of the history and culture of hip hop, from its humble beginnings on the streets of New York City to its worldwide influence today.
Through Harris's masterful choreography, Jacob's Ladder showcases the full range of hip hop dance, from its acrobatic athleticism to its expressive artistry. The dancers perform with incredible skill and passion, captivating the audience with their energy and dynamism.
CHARLES O. ANDERSON, a native of Richmond, Virginia, is artistic director of Dance Theatre X, a critically acclaimed afro-contemporary dance theatre company he founded in 2003 in Philadelphia. He is the Chair of the Department of Dance at The Ohio State University. He was formerly associate chair of The Department of Theatre and Dance and head of the dance program at The University of Texas at Austin. He has performed for such choreographers as Ronald K. Brown, Sean Curran, Mark Dendy and Joy Kellman. He received his BA from Cornell University and his MFA in Dance from Temple University where he was mentored by Kariamu Welsh and Brenda Dixon Gottschild. Anderson describes himself as an artist, an activist-educator and institutional change-maker- a kinetic storyteller. He is moved to create dance theatre that bears witness to human experiences through the cultural lenses of the African Diaspora. Among his achievements in afro-contemporary choreography and dance theatre, Anderson was selected as one of “The 25 Artists to Watch” by Dance Magazine and is a Pew Fellowship in the Arts recipient. His professional work has been presented nationally and internationally receiving support from such foundations and organizations as The National Performance Network, The Pew Foundation for Arts and Heritage, The Independence Foundation, The Puffin Foundation, and The Philadelphia Cultural Fund. In 2018 he was the first Texas-based independent artist to receive the prestigious National Dance Production Grant awarded by the New England Foundation for the Arts for his critically acclaimed evening-length work (Re)current Unrest which premiered in 2020 as a dance film due to the pandemic. He has had residencies with MANCC, NCCAkron, and The American Dance Festival among others. Anderson also nationally serves as an Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism consultant for university dance programs investing in anti-racist approaches to creating dance curriculum and training. To learn more about Anderson and his current projects visit www.charlesoanderson.me.
.jpg?width=267&height=400&name=Cleo%20Newest%20headshot_pc_%20Jerry%20Metellus%20(1).jpg "Cleo Newest headshot_pc_ Jerry Metellus (1)")
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON is founder and artistic director of the 53-year-old Denver-based artistic institution, CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE (CPRD), leading a professional Ensemble (CPRDE), Cleo II (her 2nd company), a Youth Ensemble, an Academy of Dance, an International Summer Dance Institute, a 240-seat theatre, and numerous community outreach programs nationally and internationally. She has received honors and awards from corporate, civic, community, and artistic entities world-wide, bringing CPRDE to myriad organizations and venues for performances, teaching residencies and community engagement programming. A master teacher/choreographer and cultural ambassador, she and CPRDE have performed nationwide and throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and the African continent, with their most recent international tours taking them to Bogota, Colombia in Spring of 2019 and Mexico in Fall 2019.
Ms. Parker Robinson’s awards and honors include the Colorado Governor’s Award for Excellence (1974), Denver Mayor’s Award (1979), induction into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame (1989) and the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame (1994). Recognized in Who’s Who in America Colleges and Universities she holds an Honorary Doctorates from Denver University (1991), an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Colorado College (2003), an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from Regis University in Denver (2008), an Alumni Award from University of Denver (2021), the 2020 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, Honous Causa from CU Boulder, and was named an Honorary Member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (2021).
In 1991, Ms. Parker served on the task force creating a permanent location for the Denver School of the Arts (DSA), Denver’s first performing arts magnet school, and was subsequently honored In September 2017 at their 7th Annual Fall Gala, in recognition of her long-term commitment to excellence in arts education. She is also co-founder of the National Bahamian Dance Company, based in Nassau. In 2011, Ms. Parker Robinson was voted an Honorary Lifetime Trustee of the Denver Performing Arts Complex, in recognition of her longtime commitment and lasting impact. In June 2017, she received the highly prestigious DanceUSA Honor Award and in September 2017, the Randy Weeks Arts Leadership Award from the Denver School of the Arts. In March 2023, Ms. Parker Robinson, along with the other four founders of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), was honored at the White House as the IABD received the 2021 National Medal of the Arts.
Ms. Robinson has served on NEA panels on Dance, Expansion Arts, Arts America, and Inter-Arts panels for the USIS, and for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts as well as other national task forces, boards, and committees on the arts. In April 1999, she was appointed by then-President William Jefferson Clinton, with Senate confirmation, to serve for four years on the National Council on the Arts, a 14-member panel advising the Chairman of the NEA on agency policy and programs, evaluating and making recommendations on grant applications.
Since 2011, Ms. Parker Robinson has significantly returned to her greatest passion as a choreographer, creating and presenting Dreamcatchers: The Untold Stories of the Americas and the world premiere of her Romeo and Juliet, in collaboration with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Her work On the Edge… Reaching to Higher Ground premiered in October of 2014 in answer to resurging racial and human rights infractions world-wide. In Spring 2017, she re-staged two works, melding classical and jazz composition with the power, passion and beauty of modern dance – Romeo and Juliet and Porgy and Bess. Fall 2017 saw the premiere of Copacetic: A Tribute to Jonathon “JP” Parker, honoring her late father. In Spring of 2018, she premiered Lark Ascending in collaboration with the Boulder Philharmonic. Her Rhapsody in Black, created in collaboration with CPRD Associate Artistic Director, Winifred R. Harris, premiered at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, University of Denver. In January 2019, in collaboration with the Denver Brass, she choreographed an innovative interpretation of Bernstein’s On the Town and Spring 2019 saw a collaboration with the Colorado Ballet entitled The MOVE/ment as part of the Tour de Force series at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Center for the Performing Arts. In 2019, she traveled to UMKC, Kansas City, to set a work on the students of CPRDE alum Gary Abbot, entitled Check Cashing Day in tribute to the jazz genius of Bobby Watson and Milt Abel. In August 2021, she premiered Standing On the Shoulders, a work commissioned by the Vail Dance Festival. September 2021 saw the debut of her work Freedom Dance, created in collaboration with jazz icon Dianne Reeves and CPRD co-founder and poet, Schyleen Qualls and in October 2021, she premiered R.I.Power, an original work commissioned by the Colorado College Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs. Her newest work, Sacred Spaces?, set to an original score by Adonis Rose, Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, premiered in September 2022 at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. September 2023 sees the reprise of her innovative interpretation of The Firebird, set amidst the pantheon and legacy of Hawaiian culture. As part of its mission and vision to preserve the legacy of Black Dance in America, the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble also proudly holds within its extensive repertoire the works of many of the icons of American dance, including those of Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Alvin Ailey, and Eleo Pomare.
Cleo Parker Robinson continues to be dedicated to celebrating the human experience and potential through the Arts and Education. Her life-long vision of “One Spirit, Many Voices” remains strong and steadfast, expanding to welcome, embrace, and sustain all people.
Elizabeth Ramsey, originally from Toledo, Ohio, entered her eighth season as a dance artist with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company this year. She graduated from Wright State University summa cum laude with a BFA in dance, and was also a member of DCDC's second company for three years. She has attended several prestigious training programs throughout her career, most recently traveling to Tel Aviv, Israel, learning and training in the Gaga Technique under the dancers of the Batsheva Dance Company, and Ohad Naharin himself.
In addition to performing several of DCDC’s historical works such as “Vespers” by Ulysses Dove and “Children of the Passage,” choreographed by Donald McKayle and Ronald K. Brown, she has returned to DCDC2 as a teacher and choreographer. Her work has been featured in productions all over the state of Ohio, including those at the Toledo Ballet and Toledo School for the Arts, as well as Wright State University's Spring Dance Concert, the University of Dayton Dance Ensemble's Spring Concert, and a collection of DCDC company performances. Additionally, in 2021 she was named Resident Choreographer for the School for the Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio, where she also co-directs the junior dance ensemble. Elizabeth is an inaugural member of Dayton’s own Dayton Dance Initiative, a dancer-led collaborative project featuring the professional artists of DCDC and Dayton Ballet. Most recently, her DDI-created work “Love Letter for Mothers” was awarded first place in SALT Contemporary Dance’s SHAPE Choreography Festival.
Her experience with making dance for film includes her choreography for the WSU film department in a work titled "Anesthesiaphobia," which premiered at the Dayton Art Institute in 2015, as well helping in the creation of many DCDC projects that have surfaced as a result of the pandemic. In collaboration with DCDC’s mission to extend dance education and outreach into a virtual space, she created a science-based lecture demonstration designed to help engage and teach children about the effects of climate change. This work now exists as a part of DCDC’s online education database.
Lorenzo “Rennie” Harris is a leading ambassador for Hip-hop. Harris grew up entrenched in Hip-hop culture and was immersed in all its forms — music, dance, language. Throughout his career, he has embraced the culture and sought to honor its legacy. He believes Hip-hop and Street Dance is the purest form of movement in that it honors both its heritage from African and African American-Latino culture. His life has been devoted to bringing Hip-hop and Street dance to all people. Harris’s artistic philosophy reflects a deeper understanding of people that extends beyond racial, religious, and economic boundaries. He believes that Hip-hop, because of its cross-racial and transnational popularity, can help bridge these divisions. Harris’s work encompasses the diverse and rich traditions of the past, while simultaneously presenting the voice of a new generation through its ever-evolving interpretations of dance.
Harris is well versed in the vernacular of what he calls Hip-hop “proper” as well as the various techniques of B-boy (often mistakenly called “breakdancing”), house, GQ and other styles that have emerged spontaneously from the urban, inner cities of America like the North Philadelphia community in which he was raised. Noted for coining the term “Street Dance Theater,” Harris has brought “social” dances to the “concert” stage, creating a cohesive dance style that finds a cogent voice in the theater. He is a powerful spokesperson for the significance of “street” origins in any dance style. Intrigued by the universality of Hip-hop, he seeks inspiration from other forms and performance art. Harris has developed works that challenge his audiences’ expectations about Hip-hop and street dance. Much of Harris’s work has explored his personal experiences as an African- American male growing up in North Philadelphia. However, Harris returns here to the ideas of “Puremovement” and seeks to challenge those who see Hip-hop/Street Dance as a purely male form of expression.
Harris is also the founder of the annual street festival Illadelph Legends which he started in 1997/98. Every year since, guest artists and students have been coming from around the world to Philadelphia for a weekend of classes, lecture demonstrations, panel discussions, jam sessions, and performances. The guest artists and teachers are seminal performers in the field of Hip-hop and Street dance. The original teachers included the creator of Campbell Locking, Don “Campbell Lock” Campbell, the creator of Fresno Boogaloo & Popping, Boogaloo Sam, and his group the Electric Boogaloos, and B-boy pioneers Crazy Legs of the infamous Rock Steady Crew and Lil Lep of New York City Breakers, just to name a few.
To date Harris has been awarded 3 Bessie Awards, 4 Alvin Ailey Black Choreographers Award for Rome & Jewels, an Ethnic Dance Award, the Herb Alpert Award in the Arts for choreography. He has also been nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award (UK) for Rome & Jewels and nominated again for best choreography in 2006 for Love Stories (Alvin Ailey Dance Theater). He’s received a Guggenheim Fellowship, PEW Fellowship, USA Artist of the Year Fellowship as well as the coveted “Philadelphia Rocky” Award, and Governor’s Artist of the year to name just a few. He was also voted a Creative Ambassador of Philadelphia. At the turn of the century, Harris – alongside Princess Grace Kelly and Dr. Julius Erving – was voted one of the most influential people in the last one hundred years of Philadelphia history and has been compared to twentieth-century legends such as Basquiat, Alvin Ailey, and Bob Fosse. Noted for coining the terms Street Dance Theater and Hip-hop Concert dance Harris has also received an honorary doctorate from Bates College (Lewiston, Maine) in 2010 and another from Columbia College (Chicago, IL) in 2012. The first choreographer (street dancer) to set a sixty-minute work on Alvin American Dance Theater Harris received a Dance Magazines Legend Award, Palm Desert Festivals LifeTime Achievement Award and is the recent recipient of the Doris Duke Artist Award.
DEBBIE BLUNDEN-DIGGS, daughter of company founder Jeraldyne Blunden, began training at the Schwarz School of the Dance at the age of five and joined Dayton Contemporary Dance Company at age twelve. At seventeen, she won national recognition from The Young Choreographers Showcase for her first piece, Variations in Blue, which was selected for inclusion in the National Choreographic Plan. Many of her works have become part of DCDC’s artistic blueprint, contributing to the long legacy of Jeraldyne’s vision for the company. Blunden-Diggs’ most notable works include Configurations, Kaleidoscope, Fragments, In My Father’s House, Traffic, and No Room, No Place, No Where, for which she received a Monticello Award in 1982. In May 2002, she adjudicated the Regional Dance America Northeast Competitions.
In 2007, after over two decades of appearing in most of the company’s repertoire, including principal roles like the mother in Eleo Pomare’s Las Desenamoradas and the madame in Donald McKayle’s District Storyville, Blunden-Diggs became Artistic Director for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company.
Ms. Blunden-Diggs also served as Co-Director/Choreographer for The Human Race Theatre’s production of Crowns, as well as Director/Choreographer for Central State University’s original production of In The Pursuit of Wind, among others. She created ballets for and worked with students at University of Dayton, Sinclair Community College, Wright State University, Central State University, Stivers School for the Arts, South Dayton Dance Theatre and Canton Ballet.
In addition to her choreographic and artistic leadership, Ms. Blunden-Diggs is the Executive Director of Jeraldyne’s School of the Dance, the cornerstone to Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, and works closely with DCDC’s pre-professional company, DCDC2. She currently sits on the Board of Directors for The International Association of Blacks in Dance, Dance/USA's Board of Trustees, the Seedling Foundation Board for Stivers School for the Arts, and is an adjunct professor at University of Dayton in the Theatre, Dance, and Performance Technology Program.
She has received numerous awards and accolades. Among them are honors from Regional Dance America, Monticello Choreographic Fellowships in 1979 and 1980, and two Individual Fellowship Awards from the Ohio Arts Council in 1981 and 1984. The Fisk University Alumni Association honored her with an Excellence in Artistry Award, and she was awarded a Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District Master Fellowship for artistic excellence and community outreach initiatives in 2000. In 2014, she received the Image of Hope Youth Advocacy Award for her contributions to improve the lives of youth in the Greater Dayton area.
QARRIANNE BLAYR (Fayetteville, North Carolina) (Associate Artistic Director) earned her BFA degree at Howard University, studying under Sherrill Berryman Johnson, Pat Thomas, Sandra Fortune-Green, Katherine Smith, Akua Kouyate and Assane Konte. She also studied traditional Jamaican dance at University of West Indies at Mona. In 2004, Ms. Blayr founded the performing arts group Arts International. She joined DCDC’s first company in 2012 after having performed for two seasons in DCDC2, the company’s pre-professional ensemble. Of the choreographers she has worked with Sherrill Berryman-Johnson has been the most influential in helping her become a “moving/ thinking vessel.” Her favorite DCDC repertory piece to perform is “Amen Corner” of the dance concert “Body Talk"
QARRIANNE BLAYR (Fayetteville, North Carolina) (Associate Artistic Director) earned her BFA degree at Howard University, studying under Sherrill Berryman Johnson, Pat Thomas, Sandra Fortune-Green, Katherine Smith, Akua Kouyate and Assane Konte. She also studied traditional Jamaican dance at University of West Indies at Mona. In 2004, Ms. Blayr founded the performing arts group Arts International. She joined DCDC’s first company in 2012 after having performed for two seasons in DCDC2, the company’s pre-professional ensemble. Of the choreographers she has worked with Sherrill Berryman-Johnson has been the most influential in helping her become a “moving/ thinking vessel.” Her favorite DCDC repertory piece to perform is “Amen Corner” of the dance concert “Body Talk"
Director of Development & Marketing
Shola Odumade
Director of Operations
David Young
Digital Marketing Manager
Michael Green
Director of DCDC2 & Education Outreach Programming
Shonna Hickman-Matlock
Financial Officer
Shirlita Carson
Senior Artistic Advisor & Touring Manager
Kevin Ward
Production Associate & Company Manager
Willie Lindsey
Production Director
Matt Evans
Costume Designer
L'Amour Ameer
Stage Manager, Company Trainer, Dance artist
Sheri 'Sparkle" Williams
Indianapolis, Indiana
Devin joined the company in 2013. He trained with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater in Chicago and has performed for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Seamless Dance Theater, and Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, along with various choreographers such as Ray Mercer, Milton Myers, Kevin Iega Jeff, and Nejla Yatkin. This is his eleventh season with DCDC.
Fayetteville, NC
Qarrianne joined DCDC’s first company in 2012 after having performed for two seasons in DCDC2, the company’s pre-professional ensemble. She earned her BFA degree at Howard University, studying under Sherrill Berryman-Johnson, Pat Thomas, Sandra Fortune-Green, Katherine Smith, Akua Kouyate, and Assane Konte. She also studied traditional Jamaican dance at University of West Indies at Mona.
In 2004, Ms. Blayr founded the performing arts group Arts International.
Of the choreographers she has worked with, Sherrill Berryman-Johnson has been the most influential in helping her become a “moving/thinking vessel.”
Her favorite DCDC repertory piece to perform is The Amen Corner of the dance concert BodyTalk.
Sunset, FL
Nicolay Dorsett joined the company as a JB Fellow in 2020 and was promoted to a company member in 2021. She was born and raised in Sunrise, Florida, and began her dance training at the young age of 7 at Elegant School of Modern Dance. She graduated from the University of South Florida (USF) in the spring of 2020 with a BA in health sciences and a BFA in modern dance performance. During Nicolay’s time at USF, she studied under teachers Bliss Kolmyer, Michael Foley, Andrew Carrol, Andee Scott, and John Parks and performed in works by renowned choreographers, including Vespers by Ulysses Dove and Prowl by Claudia Lavista. In October of 2019, she was selected to be a part of the USF/China Exchange Program to participate in the International Creative Dance Seminar at Beijing Normal University. With her passion for dance, Nicolay hopes to continue performing and growing in her artistry.
Columbus, OH
Ms. Flewellen joined DCDC2 in 2016 then promoted to first company in 2017. Alexandria graduated from Wright State University in 2018.
The choreographer who has most influenced her is DCDC alum Dwight Rhoden; "He challenged my usual way of moving and helped me find a different way of thinking about movement."
"I chose to be a dancer because I need to dance, and it is who I am."
Philadelphia, PA
Aaron joined the company in 2020. He started out dancing in hip-hop and acrobatics at the tender age of 7. By the age of 12, Aaron was training in ballet, jazz, and modern at The POINTE! Dance Studio. In 2010, he was accepted into the Philadelphia Creative and Performing Arts High School (CAPA). Aaron attended The Ailey School Summer Intensive; he was fortunate enough to be accepted into the scholarship program at The Ailey School as well. He spent two years as a scholarship student there and was also a part of the student performance group (ASPG). Mr. Frisby learned and performed works choreographed by Alvin Ailey, Kirven Boyd, Ray Mercer, Ronald K. Brown, and many more. Aaron is so grateful to have made it this far in his dance career and is excited to continue dancing with the DCDC family.
Toronto, Ontario
Niarra Gooden-Clarke is a talented dancer who joined DCDC in 2021 as a JB Fellow. She was subsequently promoted to a company member in 2022.Gooden-Clarke graduated from Kent State University with a B.A. in Dance and a B.A. in Sociology in the spring of 2022.
Throughout her career, Niarra has worked with and performed pieces by renowned choreographers such as Ray Mercer, Yoshito Sakuraba, Tiffany Rae-Fisher, Gary Abbott, Catherine Meredith, Gregory King, and Avery Walker. She has also learned from acclaimed artists like Kayla Farrish, Juel D. Lane, and Baye&Asa. Niarra has attended summer intensives with Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and Emerge125 and received a full scholarship to attend the BODYTRAFFIC summer program.
While completing her undergraduate degrees, Niarra taught dance classes in various styles to students aged 3-18 at nearby studios. She was also an assistant cheerleading coach at Theodore Roosevelt High School.
Niarra is passionate about retelling and preserving African American history through movement. She believes that the dancing body can effectively express the black experience. Niarra is thrilled to continue her professional career as a movement artist, teacher, and choreographer and enjoys experiencing the expression of other artists through physical movement.
Chicago, IL
Da'Rius joins the company for his first season in 2022. He began his training under the direction of August Tye at Hyde Park School of Dance. A 2014 graduate of The Chicago High School for the Arts (ChiArts), he won the award for Scholar-Artist and performed works from DanceWorks Chicago, Muntu Dance Theater, and Joffrey Ballet.
In 2018, he graduated from The Boston conservatory at Berklee with a BFA in Contemporary Dance Performance with an Emphasis in Ballet.
Mr. Malone has trained with the Kibbutz contemporary Dance Company (Israel), Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, NW Dance Project, Alonzo King Lines Ballet, American Ballet theatre, Ballet Austin, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and 10 Hairy Legs. Da'Rius has performed works by Doug Varone, Joshua Manculich, Merce Cunningham, Danny Buraczeski, Gabrielle Lamb, Yury Yanowsky, and Akram Khan.
As a company member with James Sewell Ballet, Da'Rius became the company's first Resident Choreographer in 2021.
Da'Rius wants to use his dance education and experience as a professional concert dancer to create a platform to make a positive impact in life.
Los Angeles, CA
Robert joined the company in 2015 after he graduated from California State University of Fullerton with a BA degree in dance. He performed in the Dance Teacher’s Summit and Capezio A.C.E. Awards and in The Nutcracker under director Lois Ellyn of Nouveau Chamber Ballet.
In 2016, he performed in Donald McKayle’s Rainbow Round My Shoulder at David H. Koch Theatre in Lincoln Center in New York City.
Mr. Pulido was a teacher’s assistant at the Los Angeles Dance Connection, where he trained for 10 years.
The choreographer who has most influenced him is Alvin Rangel, who has worked with DCDC: “His movement flows continuously with a few surprises here and there. He made me use and adapt the floor to my body.”
Toledo, OH
Elizabeth joined the first company in 2015. For three years she performed in DCDC2 and in 2016 she graduated with a BFA degree from Wright State University. Her choreography was chosen to premiere in Wright State’s Spring Dance Concert.
She has studied with the Joffrey Ballet, Complexions, and MIP.
Ms. Ramsey chose her career in dance because dance “creates beautiful minds and bodies and allows great connections and conversations between humans.”
She names Shonna Hickman-Matlock as a choreographer who influenced her because “she made me mentally sharper and she helped my body understand mature movement.”
Chicago, IL
Quentin joined the company in 2014. He began studying dance with Homer Hans Bryant, a former member of the Dance Theatre of Harlem.
Mr. Sledge graduated summa cum laude from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned a degree in business administration with a concentration in management. He also received recognition as a National Society of Collegiate Scholar and was accepted into a training program at Gotta Dance Atlanta under the direction of Daryl Foster and his LIFT company.
In 2016, Mr. Sledge performed in Donald McKayle’s Rainbow Round My Shoulder at David H. Koch Theatre in Lincoln Center in New York City.
He credits DCDC’s Associate Artistic Director, Crystal Michelle, as an important influence on his artistry because “she is an astounding choreographer who has poured her years of knowledge into her work at DCDC in such a short time!”
Philadelphia, PA
Sadale Warner joined the company in 2020. Philadelphia native with Caribbean roots, Sadale discovered dance at the age of 3. She took her first dance class at Broadway Bound Dance Academy and trained with the same studio until moving on to college. She started out with tap. As time went on, she ventured on to ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, pointe, and modern. The studio she trained at was a competition studio, so Sadale was able to travel to many competitions year after year, competing in about four different styles of dance.
During high school, Sadale majored in dance at The Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts. After graduating high school, she started her undergrad career at The University of the Arts under the directorship of Donna Faye Butchfield, where she was introduced to different ideas of dance.
Sadale is passionate about expressing herself through movement and sharing the experience with other dancers and the audience. She wants to broaden her creative aspirations with concert and commercial work
Nashville, TN
Countess joined the company in 2014. She began her dance training at Dance with Stacy Dance Studio, where she danced more than five years. She also attended Wharton Arts Magnet School where she majored in dance and art. She later continued her training at Nashville School of the Arts. Attending college at the University of Memphis, Countess graduated magna cum laude with a BS degree in health and human performance and with a minor in dance in 2011.
She has also participated in a variety of dance festivals including the American High School Dance Festival, the American College Dance Festival (2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012), the American Dance Festival, and the David Dorfman Dance Winter Intensive.
After graduating, Countess joined DCDC2 in 2012, where she danced for two years while having the opportunity to perform with the first company in her second year. She has performed works by Paul Taylor, David Dorfman, Rodney A. Brown, Rob Priore, William B. McClellan Jr., and many other choreographers.
Dayton, OH
Former Principle Dancer, Contributing Artist, Company Fitness Trainer (CFT, CPT), Calling Stage Manager
Sheri, a native Daytonian, has come to be known among her colleagues and dance enthusiasts as “Sparkle”. She is recently retired after an unprecedented 46th season with the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and is also an original member of the New York based Complexions Contemporary Ballet. Her career as a concert dancer has allowed her to present the marvel that is contemporary concert dance to a number of principalities, countless nations along five continents and all but two of the United States. Ms. Williams has received numerous awards throughout her career, including the JOSIE Award, Fisk University’s Excellence in Artistry Award, both Individual Artist and Lifetime Achievement Awards from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural district, the esteemed Governor’s Award for the Arts, and the coveted New Your Dance and Performance Award (the Bessie) to name a few. All to which she attributes the nurturing bestowed upon her by many dance educators and creators and most of all DCDC company founder, Jeraldyne Blunden.
Ms. Williams has been deemed a Stivers School for the Arts Illuminarian and one of Ohio’s finest citizens in a proclamation sponsored by Ohio House Representative Lloyd E. Lewis Jr., featured as a ‘Dayton Original’ in the City’s “Dayton Patented: Originals Wanted” Campaign, and immortalized among the “Dayton Skyscrapers” - a collection of works in various media by local African-American artists inspired by historical figures and contemporary leaders who continue to make an impact on the region and beyond. Sparkle was honored to have been chosen by the illustrious Academy Award winning film makers Julia Reichert and Steve Bognar to be the subject of their documentary short “Sparkle,” which chronicles her amazing career and triumph over what was diagnosed as a career ending injury to, against all odds, return to the stage. And she has recently added the International Association of Blacks in Dance’ Inspirational Artist Honoree and the illustrious acknowledgment as a Women of Influence by the YWCA Dayton to her acclaim.
Sheri gives humble gratitude while crediting her accomplishments to her exceptional
discipline acquired through dance, her village of supporters who continuously fuel her fire, and the invaluable love and guidance of her parents whom she strives to proudly represent every day of her life.
Fairborn, OH
Thaliyah joins the company as JB Fellow for the 2022-'23 season. She graduated from The Ohio State University in 2022 with a BFA in Dance and a minor in Fashion and Retail Studies. She has trained in horton technique, hip hop, ballet, Cunningham technique,West African (Sabar, Lambanm Sinte, Makru) as well as Doug Varone contemporary technique. One highlight of her years of experience was performing in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil. Thaliyah is looking forward to growing her artistry within the company.w
Mansfield, Ohio
Wilhelmina Marks trained at the Richland Academy of the Arts in primarily ballet, modern, jazz, and tap under Marden Ramos and Sarah Horrigan-Ramos. In 2016 she attended the Alvin Ailey Summer Intensive in the professional division. She holds a BFA in Dance from Wright State University. As an undergraduate, she was able to be a part of Dayton Ballet’s Second Company and had the opportunity to perform in their version of the Great Gatsby and the Nutcracker in her first year of college. Her Sophomore and Junior year she was a part of DCDC2 and was able to dance in a collaborative concert with the University of Dayton Dance Ensemble, perform with the first company in "The Littlest Angel" and "In the Spirit of Abundant Blessings", along with numerous school/church performances in the community. Wilhelmina is looking forward to gaining experience and excited to continue dancing with DCDC as a JB Fellow!
Guest company
CLEO PARKER ROBINSON is founder and artistic director of the 53-year-old Denver-based artistic institution, CLEO PARKER ROBINSON DANCE (CPRD), leading a professional Ensemble (CPRDE), Cleo II (her 2nd company), a Youth Ensemble, an Academy of Dance, an International Summer Dance Institute, a 240-seat theatre, and numerous community outreach programs nationally and internationally. She has received honors and awards from corporate, civic, community, and artistic entities world-wide, bringing CPRDE to myriad organizations and venues for performances, teaching residencies and community engagement programming. A master teacher/choreographer and cultural ambassador, she and CPRDE have performed nationwide and throughout Europe, the Caribbean, Asia, and the African continent, with their most recent international tours taking them to Bogota, Colombia in Spring of 2019 and Mexico in Fall 2019.
Ms. Parker Robinson’s awards and honors include the Colorado Governor’s Award for Excellence (1974), Denver Mayor’s Award (1979), induction into the Colorado Women's Hall of Fame (1989) and the Blacks in Colorado Hall of Fame (1994). Recognized in Who’s Who in America Colleges and Universities she holds an Honorary Doctorates from Denver University (1991), an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Colorado College (2003), an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service from Regis University in Denver (2008), an Alumni Award from University of Denver (2021), the 2020 Honorary Degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, Honous Causa from CU Boulder, and was named an Honorary Member of the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science (2021).
In 1991, Ms. Parker served on the task force creating a permanent location for the Denver School of the Arts (DSA), Denver’s first performing arts magnet school, and was subsequently honored In September 2017 at their 7th Annual Fall Gala, in recognition of her long-term commitment to excellence in arts education. She is also co-founder of the National Bahamian Dance Company, based in Nassau. In 2011, Ms. Parker Robinson was voted an Honorary Lifetime Trustee of the Denver Performing Arts Complex, in recognition of her longtime commitment and lasting impact. In June 2017, she received the highly prestigious DanceUSA Honor Award and in September 2017, the Randy Weeks Arts Leadership Award from the Denver School of the Arts. In March 2023, Ms. Parker Robinson, along with the other four founders of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), was honored at the White House as the IABD received the 2021 National Medal of the Arts.
Ms. Robinson has served on NEA panels on Dance, Expansion Arts, Arts America, and Inter-Arts panels for the USIS, and for the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts as well as other national task forces, boards, and committees on the arts. In April 1999, she was appointed by then-President William Jefferson Clinton, with Senate confirmation, to serve for four years on the National Council on the Arts, a 14-member panel advising the Chairman of the NEA on agency policy and programs, evaluating and making recommendations on grant applications.
Since 2011, Ms. Parker Robinson has significantly returned to her greatest passion as a choreographer, creating and presenting Dreamcatchers: The Untold Stories of the Americas and the world premiere of her Romeo and Juliet, in collaboration with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Her work On the Edge… Reaching to Higher Ground premiered in October of 2014 in answer to resurging racial and human rights infractions world-wide. In Spring 2017, she re-staged two works, melding classical and jazz composition with the power, passion and beauty of modern dance – Romeo and Juliet and Porgy and Bess. Fall 2017 saw the premiere of Copacetic: A Tribute to Jonathon “JP” Parker, honoring her late father. In Spring of 2018, she premiered Lark Ascending in collaboration with the Boulder Philharmonic. Her Rhapsody in Black, created in collaboration with CPRD Associate Artistic Director, Winifred R. Harris, premiered at the Newman Center for the Performing Arts, University of Denver. In January 2019, in collaboration with the Denver Brass, she choreographed an innovative interpretation of Bernstein’s On the Town and Spring 2019 saw a collaboration with the Colorado Ballet entitled The MOVE/ment as part of the Tour de Force series at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Denver Center for the Performing Arts. In 2019, she traveled to UMKC, Kansas City, to set a work on the students of CPRDE alum Gary Abbot, entitled Check Cashing Day in tribute to the jazz genius of Bobby Watson and Milt Abel. In August 2021, she premiered Standing On the Shoulders, a work commissioned by the Vail Dance Festival. September 2021 saw the debut of her work Freedom Dance, created in collaboration with jazz icon Dianne Reeves and CPRD co-founder and poet, Schyleen Qualls and in October 2021, she premiered R.I.Power, an original work commissioned by the Colorado College Fine Arts Center in Colorado Springs. Her newest work, Sacred Spaces?, set to an original score by Adonis Rose, Director of the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, premiered in September 2022 at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. September 2023 sees the reprise of her innovative interpretation of The Firebird, set amidst the pantheon and legacy of Hawaiian culture. As part of its mission and vision to preserve the legacy of Black Dance in America, the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble also proudly holds within its extensive repertoire the works of many of the icons of American dance, including those of Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Alvin Ailey, and Eleo Pomare.
Cleo Parker Robinson continues to be dedicated to celebrating the human experience and potential through the Arts and Education. Her life-long vision of “One Spirit, Many Voices” remains strong and steadfast, expanding to welcome, embrace, and sustain all people.
Associate Artistic Director
Ms. Harris, choreographer, artist, teacher, and community activist has created a significant body of work with a strong balance of technical prowess and gestural expression. Having trained under Cleo Parker Robinson, she danced professionally for ten years with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble before moving on to Dallas Black Dance Theater and a solo stint in New York and abroad. In October 1991, she relocated to Los Angeles, CA, founding her own award-nominated contemporary modern dance company. In recognition of her dedication and commitment to underprivileged youth, Ms. Harris received several awards from the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles for her teaching efforts within that community. Having served on faculty at various universities and studios nationwide, including Cal Arts (her alma mater), Cal State Los Angeles and Spelman College, she returned to Cleo Parker Robinson Dance in 2010 as Ensemble Rehearsal Director and became Associate Artistic Director in 2014. Many of her innovative works are part of the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble's repertoire.
From Washington, DC, Ms. Blake began her formal training at BalletNova Center for Dance in Arlington, VA. She attended Duke Ellington School of the Arts under the tutelage of Charles Augins, Sandra Fortune-Greene, & Katherine Smith. Ms. Blake has also studied with various company institutions such as Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, Dance Theater of Harlem at the Strathmore, and Joffrey Ballet Summer Intensive. Blake graduated from Southern Methodist University, with a BFA in Dance Performance and BS in Education & Human Development. While being a full-time student at SMU, she joined B.Moore Dance Company. She has performed in choreographic works by Katherine Dunham, Donald McKayle, Robert Battle, Christopher Huggins, Kevin Iega Jeff, Silas Farley, Nicole Clarke-Springer, and many more. Ms. Blake joined the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in 2022
Growing up in Hammond IN, Mr. Boatner trained in multiple dance techniques at the Hammond Academy for the Performing Arts. An alum of Indiana University, he performed there in notable works including Kyle Abrahams Radio Show, Jose Limon’s Psalm, Andrea Millers Spill, Jerome Robbins Fanfare, and the original restaging of Twyla Tharp’s Deuce Coupe and Rennie Harris’ Home. He has also toured professionally with Elizabeth Shea Dance in Philadelphia and New York and performed overseas with Norwegian Creative Studios. After one season as an apprentice, Mr. Boatner is now in his fourth season as an Ensemble member.
Originally from Houston, Tx , Ms. Francisco began her training at the Fine Arts Magnet School, originally called Johnston Middle School, under Jesse Woodcock and graduated from The High School of Performing and Visual Arts as a dance major under the directions of Luanne Carter and Janie Carothers in 2012. She continued her education and received her Bachelors of Fine Arts 2016 from Point Park University while having an esteemed repertoire from Jessica Lang, Terrance Marling, Troy Powell, Bennyroyce Royon, Garfield Lemonius and MADBOOTS. In her sophomore year of 2010, her student choreography project “Tales of Courage“ was chosen to be featured at ACDA for the University. Six months after graduating from Point Park, she joined the Lula Washington Dance Theater in Los Angeles, CA for two seasons performing works by Kyle Abraham, Donald Bryd, Rennie Harris, Christopher Huggins and David Roussève. In the summer of 2018, Ms.Francisco moved to Denver, CO to start her journey with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble. She is now in her sixth season as a company member, serving also as the Children’s Director for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Academy.
After graduating in 2011 from Douglas Anderson School of the Arts, Mr. Littlejohn apprenticed with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble for one year. In the Summer of 2017, he toured in the south of France touring his original work Evolution of Love. As a choreographer and teacher, he has worked with many diverse communities. In 2014, while performing with Lexington Ballet, he taught children with specific disabilities, and while touring with Ballet Palm Beach, he traveled to Cuba where he worked with the elder community. Having performed with Ballet Eddy Toussaint de Montreal, Lexington Ballet, and Ballet Palm Beach (2015-2018), with leading roles in Giselle, The Nutcracker, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Rite of Spring, and Gatsby, he subsequently returned to the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in 2018. Touring with the Ensemble, he has performed at the American Dance Festival in 2019, the Vail Dance Festival in 2021, and Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival in 2022. Mr. Littlejohn is now in his sixth season with the Ensemble.
Samiyah Lynnice is a Florida native. She began her training at Academy of Ballet Arts and Artz 4 Life Academy, Inc. in the Tampa Bay Area, Fl. Miss Lynnice is a graduate of New World School of the Arts and has a BFA in dance from The Hartt School in Hartford, CT. She toured the United States as a principle dancer with DunDu Dole West African Ballet in her youth and starred in the Chocolate Nutcracker as ‘Claire’ and ‘The Dream Princess”. She has performed works by Martha Graham, Jose Limon, Doug Varone, Norbert DeLaCruz, Donald McKayle, Manuel Vignoulle, Brian Arias, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Amalia Viviana Basanta Hernandez, and Katherine Dunham. Her sophomore year of college, she performed at the Joyce Theater during the Jose Limon International Dance Festival. She has performed with Anita Baker for The Songstress tour, at the American Dance Festival premiering the commissioned work Resist by Micaela Taylor in 2019, and the Vail International Dance Festival where she premiered Standing on the Shoulders by Cleo Parker Robinson in 2021. Miss Lynnice was nominated for a Princess Grace award and is elated to start her sixth season with Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble of Denver, Colorado, performing the role of Firebird
Mr. Rogers is a performer and choreographer hailing from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Having graduated from The Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts, he later earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Dance Performance from The University of the Arts under the direction of Donna Faye Burchfield. During his college career, he toured and performed with Eleone Dance Theatre under the direction and mentorship of Shawn-Lamere Williams. He has trained at various institutions throughout the Philadelphia area as a scholarship student attending Koresh School of Dance, DCNS Summer Dance Intensive and the Rock School for Dance Education. Following graduation, he joined the Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO!) as a full-time company artist. He has performed works by Sidra Bell, Kyle & Dinita Clark, Merce Cunningham, Ulysses Dove, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Helen Simoneau, Rennie Harris and other acclaimed choreographers. He now joins Cleo Parker Robinson Dance for his second season with the Ensemble.
The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company staff and dance artists thanks our sponsors for their continued investment in our mission. With their support, we are able to continue to bring high-quality and varied performances to the stage. Become a sponsor today!
IN GOOD COMPANY sponsors
/Culture%20Works.png?width=150&height=150&name=Culture%20Works.png)
/Comp%20Tech.png?width=150&height=150&name=Comp%20Tech.png)
Media sponsors
Hospitality sponsor
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company would not be who we are without your generous donations. We want to thank the many individuals, corporations, government entities, and foundations who continuously invest in our company and help facilitate our work.
Gifts of $100,000.00+
Mellon FoundationVirginia W. Kettering Foundation
Gifts of $10,000.00 - 99,999.00
AES Ohio Foundation
George, Agnes
Gosiger Foundation
Harry A. Toulmin, Jr. and Virginia B. Toulmin Fund
Miriam Rosenthal Foundation for the Arts
Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District
Shubert Foundation, Inc
Trittschuh, Larry & Abby
Gifts of $1,000.00 - 9,999.00
Allegro Fund
Arts and Cultural Development Fund
Benson, Paul
Bigler, Lois
Blunden, Jeraldyne
Blunden-Diggs, Debbie
Brame, Kevin
Brown, Clinton
Brzozowska, Phyllis
Civista Bank
Cosby, Marva
Davis Grotto, Sharon
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company Endowment Fund
Dayton Rotary Club Foundation
Diven, Dave
Duby, John
Earley, Stanley
Harris, Charlotte
Hofstra, Kristine
Jackson, Arthur
Jordan, Rowena
Kreutzer, Judith
Logan, Deirdre
McCormick, Judy
McDonald, Kevin
Mercer, Kelly
Myers, Joan
Peters Brame, Rosemary
Petitjean, Steve
PNC Bank
Rollins, Ronald
Ryterband, Sarah
TWENTIG, Incorporated
Wells, Kevin
Williams, Sharon
Wright, Michael
Gifts up to 999.00
Bartenstein, Frederick
Dickens, Duane
Glynn, James
Hines, Susan
Kim and Shelley Goldenberg Fund
Lain, Laurence
LeRoy, Gary
McCollum, Alice
Moyer, Monti
Righter, Karen
Robinson, Herbert
Schaff, Irving
Snow, Monica
Thomas, Elva
Tomlinson, John
Whitney, Betsy
A special thanks goes out to our community of volunteers, individual supporters and organizations listed below. With their assistance in Dayton and surrounding areas, we continue to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of DCDC.
Patricia Allen Day
Phyllis Brzozowska
Angela Burdon
Dawn Carter
Thaliyah Cools-Lartigue
Jacqueline Colvard
Cassandra Crowley
Lonnie Davis, Jr.
Willis Bing Davis
Christian Davell
Sean Ferguson
Rick Flynn
Kirsten FrickeGary Harris
David Hastings
Amy Jones
Preetamdas Kirtana
Michael London
Sierra McCurtis
Karen Moon Thomas
Terry Morris
Natalie Nagy
Julie NakagawaIf you are interested in acquiring any of these breathtaking pieces, please don't hesitate to reach out to Michael Green at mgreen@dcdc.org. We are proud to announce that 30% of the proceeds will be generously donated to support DCDC, while the remaining 70% will directly benefit the incredibly talented artists behind these extraordinary creations.
Mixed media - 24k Gold thread, upholstery fabric, hair, and more
Pastel - $500
Mixed Media on Canvas - $2000
Mixed Media on Canvas - $2000
Join us on December 2 & 3 as we revive a cherished tradition that brings together the community, the holiday spirit, and the sheer joy of dance. IN THE SPIRIT OF...GRACE is an enchanting event perfectly timed for the holiday season. Under the guidance of music director Deron Bell, a harmonious chorus of exceptional voices from the Dayton community will accompany our dancers in celebrating the wondrous gifts of this festive time. Don't miss out on this enchanting winter spectacle - secure your ticket today and reserve your spot at the Victoria Theatre.
