20 Years of Dance
Hailed by Dance Spirit Magazine as “One of the 11 small-but-mighty dance companies outside of LA and NYC,” Dissonance Dance Theatre (DDT) is the only nationally-recognized, Black-managed contemporary ballet company between New York City and Atlanta. Founded in 2007 under the artistic direction of Shawn Short, DDT has built nearly two decades of artistic impact — and has met each season with resilience and creative purpose.
The 2024–2025 season brought significant challenge. A 70% reduction in funding — driven by shifting government priorities — required DDT to scale its programming, operating a focused Fall season for its 18th year. The 2025–2026 season presented a new set of obstacles, as sweeping federal DEI program eliminations rendered multiple funding streams inaccessible to Black-managed organizations. Rather than retreat, DDT leaned into artistic innovation.
Through a landmark collaboration, DDT joined the renowned Folgers Theatre as a creative partner in the five-month rehearsal process for Julius X — reaching thousands of patrons and affirming the company’s place at the forefront of Washington, DC’s professional arts landscape. Additionally, DDT remastered Company D, its celebrated documentary chronicling the company’s humble beginnings, making it newly available for audiences everywhere.
Now, DDT looks ahead with intention. The 2026–2027 season — marking the company’s historic 20th Anniversary — is a bold celebration of its African American contemporary modern roots. Featuring beloved repertoire alongside world premiere works, the season honors the fullness of the Black experience through the power of dance.
DDT’s story is one of artistry, perseverance, and purpose. Twenty years strong — and still moving forward.
Impacting Lives. Keepers of the Dance
Founded in 2007, Dissonance Dance Theatre has shaped Washington, DC’s professional dance landscape — serving hundreds of patrons annually and launching careers on Broadway, national tours, Netflix productions, and with acclaimed companies worldwide. A former resident arts partner at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, DDT remains DC’s essential stage for Black artistic excellence.
Kareem B. Goodwin
Resident Choreographer
Kareem B. Goodwin’s relationship with Dissonance Dance Theatre began when he was selected as the inaugural choreographer for DDT’s Voices of Dance program — a platform created to invest in emerging Black choreographic voices. That early opportunity proved formative, establishing a creative partnership and mentorship under Founding Director Shawn Short that would shape the trajectory of Goodwin’s career.
Over nearly a decade, Goodwin grew from a promising emerging artist into one of the most sought-after choreographers working in Black contemporary dance today. His work — rooted in modern, jazz, and contemporary movement vocabularies — is distinguished by powerful musicality, emotional depth, and a commitment to cultural storytelling. DDT’s stages provided the sustained creative laboratory where that artistic voice was refined and amplified.
The investment deepened when Goodwin was named DDT’s Resident Choreographer, a role through which he has contributed original works performed at the Atlas Performing Arts Center, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. His choreography has since been commissioned by Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Textures Dance Theatre, and Atlanta Dance Connection, and he was selected as choreographer for the American College Dance Association 2026 Festival.
Beyond the stage, Goodwin serves as Adjunct Professor at Drexel University, Artistic Director of The Pointe! Dance Studio, and a recognized leader in the International Association of Blacks in Dance. A Princess Grace Award nominee and recipient of Philadelphia’s Ellen Forman Memorial Award, his rise exemplifies the power of sustained, intentional artistic investment.