Dayton Contemporary Dance Company Season of Timeless Grace
Sat. Mar 1, 2025 7:30 PM
Sun. Mar 2, 2025 4:00 PM
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s Power & Presence highlights four Black women choreographers. Winifred Harris’s Shadows Just Before explores deep emotions through fast and slow movements. Qarrianne Blayr’s Call(ing) uses real voicemails to show the power of family and support. Kia Smith’s Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley celebrates Black jazz culture in Chicago. Countess V. Winfrey’s huMAN/NAture blends dance, live jazz, and striking visuals to show community and growth.
Please be advised:
Today's performance will include the use of STROBE LIGHTS and HAZE. Any persons with a pre-existing medical condition for which these elements may cause problems, please inform a staff member and take any necessary precautions before entering the theatre.
DCDC World Premiere 2025 — Dayton, OH
This work explores the expansion and decrease of the companion that is always with us—our shadow. Be it an internal feeling or an external expression, we carry thoughts that move us from place to place in exploring the expansion of ourselves.
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Choreographer ..............Winifred R. Harris
Lighting Design............Matthew J. Evans
Costume Design...........Winifred R. Harris
Costume Build................Deborah Powell
Sound Design....................Willie Lindsey
Music
Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Oliver Nelson
Qarrianne Blayr, Alexandria Flewellen, Fabio Tello Munoz, Sadale Warner, Countess V. Winfrey
Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley (excerpts)
South Chicago Dance Theatre World Premiere 2023 — Chicago, IL
South Chicago Dance Theatre’s first evening-length dance opera work, Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley, underscored the robust contributions of Black people to jazz culture in Chicago. This 75-minute work featured original choreography and direction from Resident Choreographer Kia S. Smith, refreshing compositions from Isaiah Collier, and a landmark performance from Isaiah Collier and the Chosen Few. Today’s performance is an excerpt from the full evening-length production.
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Director/Choreographer................Kia S. Smith
Rehearsal Director.....Jessica Miller Tomlinson
Original Lighting Design............Julie E. Ballard
Lighting Execution............... Matthew J. Evans
Sound Design............................Willie Lindsey
Costume Design......................Trey Alexander
Music
Isaiah Collier and the Chosen Few
Trey Alexander, Kelly Anderson, Mya Bryant, Chloe Chandler, Valerie Chen, Reid Kostroun, Elijah Richardson, Marissa Thomas
DCDC World Premiere 2025 — Dayton, OH
For me, Call(ing) honors the connection with loved ones, taking heed to instructions given by the Most High Spirit. When you get a nudge to reach out to someone you love, or when they call you for whatever reason, pick up the phone! Seize that precious moment… tomorrow isn’t promised, but we can honor the love in our relationships today. When the Most High Spirit puts a “calling” on your life, or rather, when you’ve become clear with what your life’s work is, do everything you can to heed that assignment. Ask your inner self to trust that Spirit is leading you; you face nothing alone. Answer the call, and be blessed. – Qarrianne Blayr
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Choreographer......................Qarrianne Blayr
Choreogrpahy Assistant...Kemosiri A’akhutera
Audio/ Sound Engineer..............Willie Lindsay
Lighting Design...................Matthew J. Evans
Costume Design.....................Qarrianne Blayr
Costume Build..........................Sussanne Kern
Lighting Design...................Matthew J. Evans
Voicemail Memos
C. Beverly McClellan (mother), Skyler P. Wilson (sister), Nettie E. Toomer Council (grandmother)
Music
“Telephone Rings” Finnolia Sound Effects
“Liquid” Peter Gregson
“17 Hands” Alfonso Peduto
“Love is About Daily Leaps” Akira Kosemura
DCDC World Premiere 2022 — Dayton, OH
huMAN/NAture is an exploration of the juxtaposition between nature, humanity, and the spirit that connects our beginning, our ending, and beyond. This work is dedicated to my village for whom, I thank with deepest gratitude for your love and support in my journey. – Countess V. Winfrey
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Choreographer..................Countess V. Winfrey
Composer............................Wesley Winfrey III
Speaker/Writer............................Valisa Griffin
Backdrop Artist.......................... Kanetha Scott
Backdrop Renderer................Infinite Scenic LLC
Costume Design....................... L’Amour Ameer
Lighting Design..................... Matthew J. Evans
Music......................huMAN/NAture Band
Piano Ben Spencer
Alto Saxophone Brian Powell
Bass Conner Smith
Guitar Dave Daniels
Trombone Dustine Malone
Trumpet George Brahler
Tenor Saxophone Grant Kholer
Percussionist Jomo Faulkner
Trumpet Phil Bradley
Bass Trombone Scott Jones
Baritone Saxophone Terry Staten
Drummer Tyler Spears
Qarrianne Blayr (she/her), a Fayetteville, NC native, joined DCDC’s first company in 2012 after having performed for two seasons in DCDC2. 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 studied traditional and social Jamaican dance at University of West Indies at Mona, and most recently trained and performed with The National Theater of Ghana’s National Dance Ensemble in Accra, Ghana.
Ms Blayr has enjoyed performing the work of many notable choreographers such as Donald McKayle, Dianne McIntire, Paul Taylor, Ray Mercer, Sidra Bell, Stafford Berry Jr and Crystal Michelle Perkins. She has been blessed to perform on some prominent stages: The Bolshoi (Moscow, Russia), Victoria Theater (Dayton, OH), The Joyce Theater (New York, NY), and Dance Stages Shanghai Contemporary Dance Festival (Shanghai, China), among others.
Ms Blayr’s original choreography has been presented by DCDC, DCDC2, University of Dayton & Central State University dance and theater productions, Hill Dance Theater Academy (Pennsylvania), Kazyna Dance Ensemble (Kazakhstan), Dayton Performing Arts Alliance (DPAA), and the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD).
Ms. Blayr serves as Associate Artistic Director of DCDC, and is a Founding Board Member and Teaching Artist of Dance Grenada, an annual international dance festival and conference. She also serves as board member for the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District, and is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Winifred R. Harris, Associate Artistic Director at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance, is a multi-faceted artist, teacher, and community activist. Ms. Harris began her training under the guidance of Denver’s critically acclaimed Cleo Parker Robinson. She then went on to dance professionally for Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble for 10 years followed by Dallas Black Dance Theater and enjoyed a solo stint in New York and abroad during that time. In 1991, Ms. Harris relocated to Los Angeles, and founded the critically acclaimed Winifred R. Harris’ Between Lines - a contemporary modern dance company (1991 – 2009). Returning to Denver, she founded Your Soul’s Movement Performing Arts School (2015–2020); and she co-created Dance For Schools, a comprehensive and standardized dance curriculum (2016-Present).
As a choreographer, she consciously balances the inherently beautiful escapism of dance and the social realities that form today’s aesthetic and cultural values. She enjoys working with fantasies and dreams, as well understanding and taking responsibility for issues grounded in reality. In short, Ms. Harris is a visionary who creates art as conversation, a connective tissue to the world, and a means to see beyond what we think of as "limits." Her work is a strong balance of technical prowess and expression through gesture. Ms. Harris’ choreography has garnered special notice from both the Los Angeles Times and the California Arts Council for LA Cultural Affairs. In recognition of her work, she has been nominated for the Lester Horton Choreography Award as well as the Alpert Award. In recognition of her dedication and commitment in bringing dance to underprivileged youth through her teaching efforts within the Los Angeles community, Ms. Harris has received several awards from the Mayor of the City of Los Angeles.
Ms. Harris desires to see beyond what we think of as “limitations”. She is honored to be among the choreographers that have choreographed for DCDC
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Kia S. Smith is a Chicago native and she is the Founder, Resident Choreographer & Director of Vision and Strategy for South Chicago Dance Theatre. As a freelance choreographer, Kia’s recent and upcoming commissions include Scottish Ballet School at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (2024), Resilience Dance (2024), New Dance Partners (2024), James Madison University (2024), Columbia College Chicago (2024), Opera Laguna (2024), Houston Contemporary Dance Company (2023), Chicago Opera Theater (2023), Giordano Dance Chicago (2023) and others.
Kia’s first evening-length work Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley for South Chicago Dance Theatre premiered at the Auditorium Theatre of Chicago in 2023 and See Chicago Dance affirmed “Smith’s first evening-length piece ‘Memoirs’ is a tour de force and a sensory immersion into this artists creative well springs”.
Kia is a member of the International Association of Blacks in Dance where she received the Joan Myers Brown Artist Development Fund scholarship in 2018. In 2021, she was a 3Arts Make A Wave awardee and an Ann & Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellow at the renowned Jacobs Pillow. In 2022, Kia received the prestigious Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist award.
Kia was named a Rising Star in 2023 by Chicago Magazine, Player of the Moment in the category of Dance for New City Magazine's annual 50 Players List in 2023, and one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch for 2024. WBEZ recently recognized Kia as a “breakout artist” for 2024!
Nashville native, Countess V. Winfrey, currently serves as a performer, teaching artist, choreographer, and rehearsal director for Dayton Contemporary Dance Company. Winfrey attended the University of Memphis, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Health and Human Performance, and a minor in Dance. Countess has performed nationally and internationally in Bermuda, China, Kazakhstan, and Russia. She has had the privilege of performing works by acclaimed choreographers including Talley Beatty, Rennie Harris, Paul Taylor, Dwight Rhoden, Ron K. Brown, Donald McKayle, Ray Mercer, and many more. Additionally, she has taught and choreographed for various institutions throughout the midwest including DCDC, DCDC2, The Ohio State University, Miami University, The School for Creative and Performing Arts in Cincinnati, Ohio University, and the Regional Dance Association. Her most recent commissions include the world premiere of Homage: What was, Is, To Come (commissioned by the Cincinnati Art Museum and Ohio Dance, 2022) and Somewhere, They Freed Themselves (commissioned by Mutual Dance Theater, 2023). Ms. Winfrey is currently in her 10th season dancing with the professional company and her 12th year with the organization.
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"
Crystal Michelle is a choreographer, dancer, and intermedia artist. She was appointed Associate Artistic Director of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company in 2014. Previous to her appointment, she was a dance artist with the company’s pre-professional ensemble, DCDC2. She then joined the first company for nine seasons, becoming Resident Choreographer, and appointed Arts Curriculum Coordinator in 2010 for DCDC’s education programs.
As coordinator, Ms. Michelle became integral to the design of Dancing to the Curriculum, a highly recognized arts-integration education dance residency for elementary and middle school students in Dayton Public Schools. Over the years, she has taught dance master classes and was a teaching artist for the company’s outreach services. As a choreographer, performer, and researcher, she has traveled nationally and internationally, including to Ougadougou, Burkina Faso, and Port of Spain, Trinidad, where she researched African Diaspora movement styles and began her newest venture: The Beautiful Archive Project.
Director of D2 & Arts Enrichment Programs
Shonna Hickman-Matlock
Acting Marketing Director
Michael Green
Office Manager
Katelyn Smith
Business & Finance Manager
Shirlita Carson
Senior Artistic Advisor & Touring Manager
Kevin Ward
Company Manager & Production Associate
Willie Lindsey
Production Director
Matt Evans
Stage Manager, Company Trainer, Restager
Sheri 'Sparkle" Williams
Costuming & Wardrobe
Susanne Kern
Grants Administrator
Shola Odumade
Indianapolis, IN
Devin Baker, was introduced to dance as a communal galvanizer first. His formal dance training began with the Iibada Dance Company followed by the Deeply Rooted Summer Intensive. He was invited to join Deeply Rooted Dance Theater 2 under the direction of Tracey Franklin and Cece Jones, laying the foundation for his professional performance career with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble (CPRDE), Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC). Mr. Baker has performed the works of notable choreographers including Ray Mercer, Abby Zbikowski, Crystal Michelle Perkins, Tommie Waheed-Evans, Katherine Dunham, Ron K. Brown, Gary Abbott and Kevin “Iega” Jeff.In 2016 he was featured in the Bessie Award winning revival of Donald Mckayle’s “Rainbow ‘Round My Shoulder” as The Captain. Following this triumphant performance, he traveled abroad to Russia and Kazakhstan with DCDC as a US state department Cultural Ambassador, living out a personal dream of performing on the Bolshoi Stage. Under the direction of Debbie Blunden-Diggs, he was appointed DCDC rehearsal director, where he is tasked with re-staging their robust catalog of works including Paul Taylor’s “Esplanade,” Donald Byrd’s “Geography of a Cotton Field,” and Rennie Harris’ “Jacob’s Ladder.” In addition to rehearsal director, he has been promoted to DCDC Touring Associate. Mr. Baker has been with DCDC since 2014. Baker is committed to sharing his vast knowledge of dance and lessons learned at the feet of veritable masters of dance. This has manifested engagements with the Regional Dance Association’s National Choreographic Institute, The Ohio State University Dance Program, CPRDE International Summer Dance Institute, the Shanghai Dance Stages Festival, the GVSU Dance Company, and the International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference. Mr. Baker has expanded his artistry to include the exploration of his own choreographic voice. He is currently in graduate school at Hollins University and is living proof that dance can enhance one’s quality of life by nurturing positive human interaction through movement practices that promote self-awareness, love, and communal appreciation.
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.
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Edgar Aguirre is originally from Guatemala City, Guatemala and was raised in Redwood City, California. He graduated from the University of California, Irvine in 2019 with a BFA in Dance Performance. Edgar is most proud of having danced in Donald McKayle's Étude Ensemble and having been awarded the Donald McKayle Scholarship. Upon graduation, Edgar danced as a Company Member with the Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble in Denver, Colorado. He toured nationally and internationally, choreographed original works and was a restaging assistant for Donald McKayle’s repertory. Edgar moved back to California in 2021 and worked as a freelance dance artist and choreographer between San Francisco and Los Angeles. Edgar became a Company Member and Teaching Artivist with CONTRA-TIEMPO Activist Dance Theater and an Artist with Los Angeles Contemporary
Dance Company. He also danced as a Guest Artist with Robert Moses’ Kin, Bernard Brown BBMoves, David Herrera Performance Company and Heidi Duckler Dance. Edgar has performed works by Donald McKayle, Katherine Dunham, Cleo Parker Robinson, Lar Lubovich, Michaela Taylor, Ray Mercer, Ana María Álvarez, Stephanie Martinez, Alfonso Cervera, Roderick George and more. Edgar has performed all over the United States as well as Mexico, Italy, Scotland and China.
Edgar also choreographs contemporary dance work that is reflective of his personal experience as a Guatemalan-born Latin American, examining his cultural heritage, ancestry and his connection to the
Indigenous traditions and folklore of Guatemala. Edgar’s continued aspirations involve making art that is healing and empowering for the global majority. Edgar has presented his choreography in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Irvine CA, Fullerton CA, Dominguez Hills CA, Denver CO, Orlando Fl, Rome, Italy and Bari, Italy. Most recently, Edgar was commissioned as a Guest Teaching Artist and Choreographer at the
California State University, Fullerton for the Fall Semester of 2023. He collaborated with choreographer and Dance Department Program Director, Alvin Rangel-Alvarado to create Tesoro (premiered at CSUF Fall Concert 2023) A contemporary work that celebrates African heritage throughout Latinidad, rooted in Afro Latin dance and music. Tesoro was also taken to ACDA - Baja Region and selected for the Gala by the adjudicators. In conjunction with his dance career, Edgar has also embarked on the field of body work. Edgar is passionate about fitness and wellness and is certified to provide one-on-one assisted stretching and is also a certified Pilates instructor. He enjoys working with his clients and providing them with the support that they need in order to improve their bodies and achieve their goals.
Sunrise, 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.
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.
Cuernavaca, Moreles, Mexico
Fabio Tello Muñoz graduated from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. Previously, he graduated from the Boarding Arts High School Idyllwild Arts Academy in Idyllwild, California. He sings and dances, and has participated in several productions in the USA and Mexico. Among these dance productions he had the privilege to be part of residencies with the George Mason School of Dance like: Variation 10 by Rafael Bonachela, Drive by Kyle Abraham, Sunlight Song as well as Visions and Miracles by Susan Shields, amongst others ballet companies in California and Virginia. In his hometown Cuernavaca, Fabio is the Director and Founder of his own summer intensive focusing on different art forms.
He is excited and honored to be part of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company for his first season as a professional.
Bellbrook, Ohio
Sean Ferguson is a Wright State University graduate with his BFA in Dance Performance where he worked with choreographers Elizabeth Ramsey, Stewart/Owen co. and Kiki Lewis. Also being the rehearsal assistant to Teressa McWilliams on her piece “Exits”. Sean attended the 2023 RDA National choreography intensive as a project tier choreographer led by Stephanie Martinez. In 2020, Sean was a member of Dayton Contemporary’s second company working and also performing with the main company’s Christmas production of “Littlest angel”.
Dayton, OH
Allyia Nelloms is a Dayton native whose training includes the University of the Arts (where she obtained a BFA in Dance Performance), Eleone Dance Theatre, and Stivers School for the Arts. She has danced original casted and/or restaged works by Sidra Bell, Tommie-Waheed Evans, Gary Jeter, Bill T. Jones, and Bobbi Jene Smith to name a few. Aside from her role as a performer, Allyia has felt most passionate about serving her community through teaching and choreography, which both allow her to cultivate spaces not only for learning - but healing and community. She’s enjoyed exploring these same passions through her own dialogue-based platform as well as facilitating her own learning programs and “Healing” movement workshops. She has had the opportunity to teach and have her choreography showcased at various dance programs throughout Ohio and beyond, including The International Association of Blacks in Dance Conference. Allyia is excited to further explore her artistic voice as a first year JB Fellow with the company this season.
Guest Company
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Kia S. Smith is a Chicago native and she is the Founder, Resident Choreographer & Director of Vision and Strategy for South Chicago Dance Theatre. As a freelance choreographer, Kia’s recent and upcoming commissions include Scottish Ballet School at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (2024), Resilience Dance (2024), New Dance Partners (2024), James Madison University (2024), Columbia College Chicago (2024), Opera Laguna (2024), Houston Contemporary Dance Company (2023), Chicago Opera Theater (2023), Giordano Dance Chicago (2023) and others.
Kia’s first evening-length work Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley for South Chicago Dance Theatre premiered at the Auditorium Theatre of Chicago in 2023 and See Chicago Dance affirmed “Smith’s first evening-length piece ‘Memoirs’ is a tour de force and a sensory immersion into this artists creative well springs”.
Kia is a member of the International Association of Blacks in Dance where she received the Joan Myers Brown Artist Development Fund scholarship in 2018. In 2021, she was a 3Arts Make A Wave awardee and an Ann & Weston Hicks Choreographic Fellow at the renowned Jacobs Pillow. In 2022, Kia received the prestigious Chicago Dancemakers Forum Lab Artist award.
Kia was named a Rising Star in 2023 by Chicago Magazine, Player of the Moment in the category of Dance for New City Magazine's annual 50 Players List in 2023, and one of Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch for 2024. WBEZ recently recognized Kia as a “breakout artist” for 2024!
Trey Alexander (they/them), from St. Louis, MO, began their dance training at the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) under the direction of Kirven and Antonio Douthit-Boyd. Trey received a BFA in Dance Performance and Choreography from the UMKC Conservatory of Dance in 2019. While studying at the conservatory, they were mentored by Deeanna Hiett, Gary Abbott, and Paula Weber. They have performed works by choreographers George Balanchine, Frank Chavez, Gregory Dawson, Kevin Iega Jeff, Christopher Wheeldon and more. Trey has danced professionally with Wylliams-Henry Contemporary Dance Company, Cerqua Rivera Dance Theatre, Deeply Rooted Dance Theater, and DanceWorks Chicago. Trey has performed works by Chicago-based choreographers Katlin Bourgeois, Shannon Alvis, and Stephanie Martinez. Trey is currently dancing with South Chicago Dance Theatre under the direction of Kia S. Smith.
Kelly Anderson, originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a graduate of Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance. She now resides in Chicago, Illinois as a Main Company Member of South Chicago Dance Theatre. This is Kelly’s third season with SCDT in which she also serves as Rehearsal Assistant. During her time with SCDT, she has had the privilege of working with choreographers such as Wade Schaaf, Stephanie Martinez, Ron de Jesus, and Kia S. Smith. In addition to her own dancing, Kelly finds joy in teaching and choreographing at local competitive dance studios and is privileged to share her love for dance with her students, company, and community.
Originally from Fort Worth Texas, Mya Bryant is an artist who values inclusivity and community. Bryant attended Margo Dean School of Ballet led by Margo and Webster Dean where she had the privilege of being a company member in Ballet Concerto, their summer company. In May of 2022, Bryant graduated from Sam Houston State University with her B.F.A in dance and minor in kinesiology.
Valerie Chen is a Taiwanese American artist whose love for dance and movement creation began in Irvine, California. In high school she attended the Orange County School for the Arts in the Commercial Dance Conservatory, developing herself as a multifaceted dancer in both the commercial and classical spheres. Valerie simultaneously trained at Dmitri Kulev Classical Ballet Academy and Jessie Riley’s Westside Dance Project. Continuing her dance education, Valerie received a BFA in Dance at the USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance. While at Kaufman she witnessed new movement styles, a culture of care, and ingenious innovation which nourished her passion for performance and experimentation. She has performed works by Kyle Abraham, Hope Boykin, Jiří Kylián, Micaela Taylor, Justin Peck, Christopher Wheeldon, and Paul Taylor, among others. Valerie aspires to bring dance to new spaces, break boundaries of expectation, and share movement histories with each community she meets.
Chloe Chandler, from Southeast Michigan, is a performer, creator, and dance educator. She received her BFA in Dance from the University of Michigan. She has had the privilege to work with artists such as Sidra Bell and Shannon Gillen, and assist artists such as Elizabeth Parkinson, Suzi Taylor, Will Johnston, John Crutchman, and more. Chloe is honored to be a new member of South Chicago Dance Theatre this season!
At age four, Reid began studying multiple languages of dance at Kathy Marfin’s Dance School, with a heavy emphasis on choreography exploration and personal creation in his teenage years. Soon after joining his studio’s competitive dance company, Reid joined Celebrity, HEAT, and Elevation On Tour’s assisting programs. Traveling the nation with these convention companies, Reid worked closely with the genius of Jackie Nowicki, Cat Cogliandro, Sophia Lucia, Ivan Maric, Angelica Stiskin and many more. In hot pursuit of a professional dance career in concert dance and choreography, Reid moved to Chicago, Illinois after graduating high school in his hometown, San Antonio, Texas, to join Visceral Dance’s trainee program. While in the program, Reid familiarized himself with Chicago’s expansive dance scene performing works from Nick Pupillo, Monica Cervantes, Braeden Barnes, Keli Gunn, and Tina Diaz. He actively teaches at local studios and schools, along with pop-up classes and can’t wait to see what SCDT Season 8 holds for him.
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Jack began his dance training at the age of five in his hometown of St. Louis, MO at a small dance studio called Charmette Academy of Dance. Over the years, he trained extensively in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Modern. In 2013, he accepted a scholarship to continue his training with the University of Arizona School of Dance. He was privileged to perform incredible works by amazing professors and master artists, including José Limón and Sherry Zunker, as well as have the opportunity to tour in New York City and Europe. In May 2017 he graduated summa cum laude with a BFA in dance and a Minor in Sports Management, in addition to numerous awards and accolades. He feels incredibly lucky and humbled to have continued his training with the eclectic company Giordano Dance Chicago for four seasons, and to have performed with contemporary and street style fusion dance company, Chicago Dance Crash, for two years. In addition to dancing, he instructs group fitness classes at Equinox gyms, guests with AJA Talent Agency, and continues to build his career as an educator and choreographer at several local Chicago studios. Jack is excited to continue his career in his first season with all of the artists in South Chicago Dance Theatre
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Marissa Thomas (she/her) is originally from Las Vegas, Nevada, and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance at The Ohio State University in 2019. Marissa is currently in her second season with South Chicago Dance Theatre. She has previously danced as a Company Dancer with the Dancing Wheels Company in Cleveland, OH. Marissa has had the honor of performing and collaborating in works by choreographers Donald Byrd, Dianne McIntyre, Crystal Michelle Perkins, and André M. Zachery and performing in historic works by Merce Cunningham and Donald McKayle. Marissa is also a Teaching Artist for SCDT’s Education Programs and is the Tour Manager for the Dancing Wheels Company & School.
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!
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company's 56th Season, TIMELES GRACE, is sponsored in part by
Larry & Abigail Trittschuh
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/The%20Dayton%20Foundation.png?width=200&height=200&name=The%20Dayton%20Foundation.png "The Dayton Foundation")
Clive & Geeta Owen
The Virginia W. Kettering Foundation
Dreamcatcher Seats Sponsor
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 Foundation ⋅ Virginia 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 ⋅ CDO Technologies ⋅ 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
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company presents
FANTASTIC
FORWARDS
Saturday, April 26 7:30 PM | Sunday, April 27 4:00 PM
Victoria Theatre
ON SALE NOW!
FANTASTIC FORWARDS is a high-voltage evening of world premieres that propels dance into the future with fearless storytelling and electrifying physicality. DCDC’s powerhouse dancers bring three bold works to life, each crafted by a dynamic African American choreographer at a different stage of their career.
Rennie Harris, a legend in commercial and concert dance, presents SOON, a rhythmically charged exploration of resilience and community inspired by the indigenous dance of Philadelphia, “G.Q.”
Joshua L. Ishmon, in his first commissioned work for DCDC, unveils Pressed, a raw and gripping look at grief, mental health, and the rituals that help us endure.
Ray Mercer, known for his striking theatricality, delivers Mental, a layered, high-intensity reflection on inner battles, set to an original score by Broadway composer Bongi Duma.
Each piece is a testament to the way DCDC transforms movement into meaning. carrying forward the African American tradition of storytelling through the body. These dancers don’t just perform—they embody, electrify, and ignite. With gravity-defying athleticism and deep emotional resonance, they move like thunder and flow like water, pulling audiences into a space where art makes the impossible feel real. When the last note fades and the final breath is taken, you’ll leave knowing one thing for sure—this isn’t just dancing, this is FANTASTIC FORWARDS.
