The Philadelphia Dance Company (also known as Philadanco) is a professional dance

Dance

Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....

 company based in Philadelphia, PA that specializes in modern contemporary dance. The organization was founded in 1970 by Artistic Director Joan Myers Brown

Joan Myers Brown

Joan Myers Brown is an American dance instructor.Brown is the only child of Nellie Lewis, a nuclear scientist, and Julius Myers, a chef and restaurateur. Native to both Philadelphia and North Carolina she grew up mainly on 47th Street and Paschall Avenue of Southwest Philadelphia...

. The company tours both nationally and internationally in addition to their regular appearances locally at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts is a large performing arts venue located on Broad Street, along the stretch known as the "Avenue of the Arts", in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is owned and operated by Kimmel Center, Inc., an organization which also manages the Academy of Music in...

, the Painted Bride Arts Center, and other venues in the Philadelphia area. Part of the company's tour schedule is supported by the National Endowment for the Arts

National Endowment for the Arts

The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...

' Regional Arts Touring Program and the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

Pennsylvania Council on the Arts

The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is an agency serving the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.Established in 1966, its mission is "to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state." Each year...

.

History

The Philadelphia Dance Company (Philadanco) was created in 1970 by Joan Myers Brown with the intention of providing a dance institution for African-American students who were not welcome in other schools and companies. Philadanco’s mission, determined upon the company’s inception is: “To present the highest quality of professional dance performance, and to provide exceptional training for the improvement of skills for emerging professional dancers and choreographers in a nurturing environment while increasing the appreciation of dance among its many communities.” This outlook has stood the test of time, and remains a driving force behind everything Philadanco does.

Divisions

Philadanco conducts programs that are divided into four main components: the professional company, D/2 Apprentice Company, an Instruction and Training Program, and a Summer Training Program.

Professional Company

The professional company of Philadanco is an internationally recognized modern dance company. Throughout the year, the company provides countless performances throughout the year via domestic and international tours, and at their home theater, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, during the months of fall and spring. Philadanco also established the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), an organization that allows the black dance community to address common issues, pool their resources, and establish collaborations which result in beneficial advancements to the dance community as a whole.

Dancers

• Rosita Adamo
• Lamar Baylor
• Chloé Davis
• Brandon Glasgow
• Lindsey Holmes
• Michael Jackson Jr.
• Joan Kilgore
• Alicia Lundgren
• Jesse Sani
• Jermaine Terry

Repertory

Philadanco’s repertory includes numerous works from pioneers of modern dance such as Christopher Huggins and Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar

Jawole Willa Jo Zollar is an American dancer, teacher and choreographer of modern dance. She is the founder of the Urban Bush Women dance company.-Biography:...

. The professional company’s original choreographies and choreographers have been inspiring mentors to other emerging companies in the area. The prevalence of these original works serve as a testament to Philadanco’s artistic abilities as they have weathered the challenges faced by many Black modern dance companies. Below is a list of the pieces currently included in Philadanco’s repertory:

• Back to Bach, by Eleo Pomare
• Ballet: The Blues and the Bible – Genesis, by Geoffrey Holder
• Between Earth and Home, by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
• Blue, by Christopher L. Huggins
• Circular Ruins, by Elisa Monte
• Echoes: A Celebration of Alvin Ailey
  Alvin Ailey
  Alvin Ailey, Jr. was an American choreographer and activist who founded the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater in New York. Ailey is credited with popularizing modern dance and revolutionizing African-American participation in 20th century concert dance...
  
  , by Milton Myers
• Elegy by Gene Hill Sagan
• Enemy Behind the Gates, Christopher Huggins
• Everythin is Everything, by Lynne Taylor-Corbett
• For Mother, by Ronald K. Brown
• Forces of Rhythm, by Louis Johnson
• Gate Keepers, by Ronald K. Brown
• Hand Singing Songs, by Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
• Labess II, by David Brown
• My Science, by Bebe Miller
• Natural Flirt, by Trey McIntyre
• Steal Away, by Alonzo King
• Sweet in the Mornin, by Leni Wylliams
• Temple of my Listening, Eva M. Gholson
• Trance Atlantic, by Walter Nicks
• Xmas Philes, by Daniel Ezralow

D/2

D/2 is the apprentice training company for Philadanco’s professional company. It provides unrivaled experience opportunities for young dancers who are not prepared to make the full transition to the world of professional dance. D/2 is under the instruction of Donald L Lunsford

Donald L Lunsford

Donald T. Lunsford II is a dancer, choreographer, and artistic director located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In addition to his success with the African American modern dance company, Philadanco, Lunsford has a multitude of experiences in dance throughout the Philadelphia...

, and when smaller organizations request a Philadanco performance, D/2 is able to fill the void that might have been left due to the professional company’s hectic performance schedule.

Dancers

• Mecca Allah
• Elyse Browning
• Catherine Kreide
• Allan Harmon
• Ja'Vonna Blake
• Jasmine Powell
• Kendal Williams
• Edward Gillis
• Anthony Silver
• Kingsley Ibeneche
• Subira Taylor
• Monica Rhea

Instruction and Training Program

Philadanco’s Instruction and Training Program is a forty week experience during which, members attend classes with nationally recognized dance instructors. This program is the foundation of Philadanco’s structure as it allows the young people of Philadelphia early and intense exposure to dance in the hopes that their talents will serve to raise the caliber of Philadanco’s future apprentice and professional companies. Students receive training in numerous styles of dance including: ballet

Ballet

Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...

, jazz

Jazz

Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...

, African, tap

Tap dance

Tap dance is a form of dance characterized by using the sound of one's tap shoes hitting the floor as a percussive instrument. As such, it is also commonly considered to be a form of music. Two major variations on tap dance exist: rhythm tap and Broadway tap. Broadway tap focuses more on the...

, and specific modern techniques such as established by Katherine Dunham

Katherine Dunham

Katherine Mary Dunham was an American dancer, choreographer, songwriter, author, educator, and activist...

 and Lester Horton

Lester Horton

Lester Horton was an American dancer, choreographer, and teacher.-Early years:Lester Iradell Horton was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 23, 1906. His parents were Iradell Horton and Pollyanna Horton....

. Their annual concert, “Danco on Danco” allows the students to demonstrate their dance and choreographic skills acquired through the Instruction and Training Program.

Summer Training Program

Through the summer, Philadanco redirects its focus to preparing younger students for entry into the Instruction and Training Program. Although students from the Instruction and Training program commonly participate in both outlets, the summer program can act as an intense “crash-course” providing insight to the rigors of a dancer’s lifestyle. Training is provided in the three core genres of dance: ballet, jazz, and modern.

Community Outreach

In addition to providing quality dance education, Philadanco is an active participant in the arts community and a strong supporter of arts education. A few of the company’s more notable accomplishments include

• Establishment of the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD).
• Being the pilot dance company to participate in the state of Pennsylvania’s Comprehensive Education Training Act to create an arts training program.
• Providing an extension of The Philadelphia School of Dance Arts, and providing underprivileged dancers with opportunities for scholarships and work-study programs to ensure arts education to all.