DDT’s Voices of Dance Alumnus Kameron N. Saunders Premieres New Work with English National Ballet
Image: Kameron N. Saunders in Red at English National Ballet’s Curtain Call
April 2, 2026 – Sadler’s Well, London
DDT Voices of Dance Alumnus Premieres New Work with English National Ballet As Latest Black Choreographer
Contact:
Shawn Short, Director
202-540-8338
sshort@ngcfddt.org
Ngoma Center for Dance and Dissonance Dance Theatre (DDT) are proud to celebrate a landmark achievement by one of our own. Kameron N. Saunders, a proud alumnus of DDT’s choreographic development program Voices of Dance, has premiered his world premiere work Proper Conduct with English National Ballet (ENB) as part of the company’s spring program Body & Soul — currently playing at Sadler’s Wells in London and touring to Theatre Royal Plymouth in April 2026. Saunders is among a small number of Black choreographers in ENB’s storied history to create an original work for the company.
Proper Conduct unfolds in three distinct acts, guided by a narrator who leads audiences from a carefree world into one where behavior becomes increasingly self-policed. The work examines authenticity under society’s gaze — how assumptions are projected, and how everyday interactions quietly reinforce ideas of what is and is not considered “proper.” With a score composed by Brandon Finklea and Harold Walker III, the piece draws on orchestral, ambient electronic, and propulsive electronic soundscapes across its three acts, reflecting Saunders’ deep musicality and his training in West African dance, ballet, tap, and jazz.
Image: Kameron N. Saunders (c) Gareth-Cattermole (Getty Images)
Saunders’ journey from DDT’s Voices of Dance program to the international stage is a testament to the power of Black-led choreographic development infrastructure. DDT’s Voices of Dance program was designed with a singular purpose: to identify, cultivate, and launch the next generation of Black choreographic voices. The program has since expanded into a full Resident Choreographer Program — a structured pathway offering emerging choreographers mentorship, production support, and a platform to develop original work at the professional level.
The significance of this moment cannot be overstated. Black choreographers remain chronically underrepresented on the stages of major international ballet companies, and few Black-led organizations offer dedicated programs to address this gap. DDT’s commitment to choreographic development is rooted in the belief that Black artists deserve not only performance opportunities, but the institutional support necessary to build sustainable creative careers. Saunders’ ENB premiere is the clearest evidence yet that this investment yields transformative results.
“We are incredibly proud of Kam and what he has accomplished. Watching him go from our stage in Washington, DC to the English National Ballet is exactly why we built Voices of Dance. Black choreographers have always had the talent — what they have too often lacked is the access, the infrastructure, and an institution that believed in them early. DDT was built to be that institution.”— Shawn Short, Founding Director, Ngoma/DDT
Image: Kameron N. Saunders in his DDT rehearsal of his work Unsettled
PRODUCTION CREDITS — Proper Conduct | English National Ballet | Spring 2026
Choreography: Kameron N. Saunders
Music: Brandon Finklea and Harold Walker III
Costumes: Kimie Nakano
Presented by: English National Ballet | Production Sponsor: Cunard
Performances: Sadler’s Wells, London (March 2026) & Theatre Royal Plymouth (April 2026)
ABOUT VOICES OF DANCE & THE RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER PROGRAM
DDT’s Voices of Dance choreographic development program has served as an incubator for emerging Black choreographers since the founding of Dissonance Dance Theatre. Recognizing the systemic barriers that Black artists face in accessing choreographic development opportunities — particularly within ballet and contemporary concert dance — DDT created an intentional pathway that provides mentorship, rehearsal resources, live production experience, and professional visibility. The program has since expanded into a full Resident Choreographer Program, currently led by DDT Resident Choreographer Kareem B. Goodwin. Saunders’ international debut represents the pinnacle of what this program was built to achieve.
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Ngoma Center for Dance is the home of Dissonance Dance Theatre (founded in 2007) and its award-winning programs based in the Washington, DC area. DDT is named “one of the 11 small-but-mighty dance companies outside of LA and NYC” by Dance Spirit Magazine. Evoking emotional experiences in the audiences we touch, is the only East Coast, nationally recognized, Black-managed contemporary ballet company between NYC and ATL. For more information, visit www.ngcfddt.org