Dance Place

Dance Place is an arts organization in the Brookland neighborhood of Northeast Washington, D.C.. "The heart and home of Washington Dance,"^[1] Dance Place aims to "transform lives through performing arts and creative education programs that inspire personal growth, professional success, physical wellness and community engagement."^[2] It is a National Performance Network Partner Theater.

The nearest metro station is Brookland/CUA on the Red Line.

History

DC Wheel Productions, Inc./Dance Place was founded in 1978 as a touring educational and Performing Arts Company, which toured the public schools in the Greater DC Metropolitan area. From 1980-1985 the organization developed and operated a cultural community center called Dance Place in a rented facility located at 2424 18th Street NW, DC in the Adams Morgan neighborhood. In 1986, the organization was forced out of its Adams Morgan location due to gentrification and quadrupled rents. In order to secure the organization's future, DC Wheel purchased and renovated its permanent home located at 3225 8th Street, NE in the Brookland neighborhood. With ownership of its own building, DC Wheel increased development of artistic and educational programs drawing many citizens and new business into its Brookland neighborhood.

The heart of the organization has resided in linking Arts, Education and Community in a rich, diverse atmosphere of nurturing support. In 2002, DC Wheel expanded its campus to include three rented facilities located adjacent to its main space in the Brookland Studios to serve as an additional office space, a teaching studio and a creative education center (CEC). A wide variety of programs have been generated throughout Dance Place's twenty-five year history – feeding the development of a vital community center while simultaneously growing a reputation as a national and international presenter of high acclaim. Dance Place has served as a vital catalyst in parenting, partnering and supporting the growth of individuals, families, schools, organizations and business in the DC area. Also, Dance Place has played a significant role in the creation of a model program for underserved youth and in the development of the DC dance community. Dance Place has enhanced the reach of its national presence while strengthening its connections to DC and its immediate neighborhood. Dance Place has become a strong community arts center and an important thread in the city's cultural fabric, making Washington, DC a safer and more vibrant city in which to live.

Programs

As a "theater, school, and community resource,"^[2] Dance Place's offerings include a wide variety of arts-related and community-building programs.

Theater

Dance Place's year-long performance season includes performances at their home theater in Brookland, as well as "Dance Place Around Town" performances at other Washington theaters. These performances which occur nearly every weekend of the year include

• Artist presentations both of touring companies and of local partner companies.
• Artist co-presentations mostly of local artists
• Presentations of resident companies: Carla and Company, Deborah Riley Dance Projects, and Coyaba Dance Theater.
• Festivals, presenting multiple companies, including the annual DanceAfrica DC Festival

School

Dance Place offers a variety of classes for children and adults in styles including modern, African, and hip hop. Dance Places' unparalleled work in this city since 1980 as a dance presenter, dance training ground and laboratory for experimentation has been realized in the fruition of a healthy and diverse dance community. Dance Place's school is focused on training adults in modern and West African dance, and youth in creative movement. Additionally, resident company Coyaba Dance Theater runs the Coyaba Academy, an African dance training program for children.

With a scholarship program called Work/Study, aspiring adult dancers have an opportunity of intensive training at no cost, while they work in a volunteer position in the operation of our theater. Internships for college students offer an opportunity to explore a career in dance with real-world experience, through on-the-job training in arts administration, intensive training in dance, career counseling and free housing. Established professional dancers come to Dance Place for continuous training, renewal, professional networking, auditions, and workshops which further their career development.

Community Resource

Dance Place goes into its community with its outreach performances by resident companies Coyaba Dance Theater and Carla and Company as well as outreach classes in DC schools. During the school year, Dance Place runs the Creative Education Center after school program, and over the summer Dance Place runs a Summer Camp for under-privileged youth. Dance Place also holds inreach performances in its theater for DC schools and has a Family Series of performances appropriate for children.

About the Directors

Carla Perlo is the founder, visionary leader and Executive/Artistic Director of Dance Place, one of the nation's foremost presenters of dance. Ms. Perlo's work at Dance Place has been vital to the development and support of a growing dance community in Washington, DC since 1980. The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities recognized Dance Place's contributions for "excellence in service to the arts" with the Mayor's Art Award in 1986. As a dancer, choreographer and teacher, Ms. Perlo has had an active career for over twenty-five years. As a solo performer, artistic director of Perlo/Bloom and Company and most recently of Carla & Company, Ms. Perlo continues to teach dance and lecture at universities, colleges and community centers throughout the region including American University, George Mason University, George Washington University and Montgomery College.

Ms. Perlo serves the field of dance regionally and as a panelist, lecturer, and arts consultant. She has worked with the National Endowment for the Arts, the Maryland States Arts Council, the Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation and The National Performance Network among other organizations. From 1995-98 she served as the national coordinator of DanceAfrica, America, an eight city consortium of festivals presenting dance, music and culture of the African Diaspora. Ms. Perlo has been honored with the Tony Taylor Award for Outstanding Service to the Field of Dance presented by the Washington, DC Cultural Alliance in 1988, the Pola Nirenska award for outstanding contributions to dance in 1995, Washingtonian of the Year by Washingtonian Magazine in 1997 and was recognized as a "Hometown Hero" by WETA-TV in 2001.

Deborah Riley has a deep commitment to furthering Dance Place's mission in her capacity as artist-in-residence, faculty and staff member since 1987. In her current position as Director, she assists Ms. Perlo to guide the organization in all aspects including artistic, managerial, programing and financial. As a professional dancer, choreographer and teacher she has been instrumental in the training and development of dancers since 1975 and currently directs her own company, Deborah Riley Dance Projects which tours regionally.

Ms. Riley also appears as a guest artist in various universities around the country, most recently at American University. Her work has been presented in the U.S., the U.K. and France and has been funded in multiple years by the NEA, the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and by the Jerome Foundation. She received a choreographic commission by The Kennedy Center, the Pola Nirenska award for outstanding contributions in dance and was awarded the first Distinguished Alumni of Fine Arts award by Ohio University. In 1993, she presented performances and workshops called Moving Affirmations at various community organizations, serving women survivors of abuse and sexual trauma. From 1978-87, she was based in New York City where she performed and toured extensively with Douglas Dunn & Dancers throughout the U.S. and Europe, and where she created collaborative choreography with dancer Diane Frank.

Notable Performers who have Performed at Dance Place

• The Blue Man Group
• Eiko and Koma
• Philadanco
• Urban Bush Women
• Parsons Dance Company
• Tim Miller
• Rennie Harris
• PearsonWidrig DanceTheater
• Bill Shannon
• Victoria Marks
• Marc Bamuthi Joseph
• Paul Zaloom
• Elizabeth Streb
• CityDance Ensemble
• TaShawn Moore

See also

• Theater in Washington D.C.
• List of theaters for dance

References

1. ^ The Washington Post
2. ^ ^{a b} "Dance Place". http://danceplace.org/content.aspx?ID=17. Retrieved 2008-04-08. 

External links

• Dance Place website