From Pose to Corru: Dissonance Dance Theatre Embarks on its Tenth Season
Short-term goals expect accomplishment in a short period of time, such as trying to get a bill paid in the next few days.
Originally Posted on December 27, 2016
In a city of lawyers and politicians, one may not think about the arts solely. Washington, D.C. can be a town of left-brainers hell-bent on policies and tech deals. But one cannot live without culture. Dissonance Dance Theatre is becoming one of D.C.’s finest arts institutions.
DDT Beginnings
Dissonance Dance Theatre (DDT) was founded in 2007 by dancer, choreographer, educator, and administrator Shawn Short. ” I started Dissonance Dance Theatre while I was faculty with the Washington Ballet. I finished a small tour with K2 Dance Company, a small but now defunct modern dance company, but I felt there was a void to fill in the dance community”, says Short. “At the time Black-managed dance organization was decreasing, places that I had studied and danced. I wanted to pick up the torch.”
Starting at Culture Development Corporation, now CultureDC, Dissonance operated one day a week for nine hours on a Sunday. The company premiered at the 2nd annual Capital Fringe Festival that year with seven dancers – most of whom were friends of Short – in a three-performance run of Short’s production Human.
The Struggle To Grow
In 2005, Short had to make a decision: incorporate or stay a project. “I didn’t want to be a project. IN my experience, projects tend to not get serious dancers”, says Short. “We weren’t making any money at the time. Our budget was little and I moved from a sole proprietor business model to an LLC with a fiscal sponsorship with New York Foundation For The Arts.” However, D.C. ‘s Commission on the Arts and Humanities doesn’t recognize fiscal sponsorships. Short acted fast to gain assistance for his budding company. In 2012, Short with the help of friends incorporated, Ngoma Center for Dance, a nonprofit to house Dissonance and expand Short’s vision of a dance institution in Washington, D.C.
Short was an accomplished dance educator in the DC area and knew one day he wanted to give back through an educational program of his own. Short worked hard to secure resources to expand his vision. In 2013, Short completed his Masters of Fine Arts in Dance from University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. With the aid of this new level of education, DDT found itself with its first four-production season in 2014.
Money Matters
Arts organizations always face financial peril. Short and DDT know that all-too-well. It takes creativity, innovation, drive and business savvy. With the leadership of Short, DDT has gone from meager $5K a season operation to a projected $110K annual revenue for 2016. Exciting news for their 10th year of operation.
Artistic Development
Since its inception, DDT has served more than 80 dancers, launching the careers of dancers who’ve gone on to perform in companies like Complexions, Garth Fagan, Virginia Ballet Theatre, Philadanco, DV8 (London, England), national tours of Beauty and the Beast, Bring it On, and international tour of Dreamgirls.
DDT has since been nationally-recognized in Dance Magazine and Dance Spirit Magazine, and has been called “One of the 11 to watch outside of NYC and LA.”
“I’m proud to see that Dissonance Dance Theatre, has launched the careers of so many dancers. Some have further perused performing, while some went to get their masters and start their own paths as choreographers. In the end, we are building a platform for future artists in the dance community,” said Short.
This season, DDT launches their emerging choreographer program, New Voices of Dance (NVD). NVD is a new program that promotes the development of choreographers dedicated to contemporary ballet and modern choreography by providing the with the opportunity to develop their talents. NVD’s goal is to increase the number of working, emerging choreographers working in their cities of artistic employment.
For their 10th production season, DDT has five productions scheduled with performances in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, and New York City. DDT’s mission is to challenge the human conditions through dance. I believe they are achieving this through artistic beauty, and thoughtful community care. A win-win for all on and off of the dance floor.
