Dissonance Dance Theatre
Now in season 16, Dissonance Dance Theatre returns to the studio to create contemporary works through classical ballet and modern styles. Under the direction of its Founding Director/Principal Choreographer Shawn Short, the company reprises Short’s works Time Equals No Man, The Happy Hour, and crowd favorite Gospel Suite this season. Additionally, Resident Company Kareem B. Goodwin is back in the studio creating Heartbeat, a new work to several Black pop/soul music artists.
Kareem B. Goodwin
Resident Choreographer
Resident Company Kareem B. Goodwin is back in the studio creating Heartbeat, a new work to several Black pop/soul music artists. Hailing from Philadelphia, Goodwin was recently nominated for his Princess Grace Award in Choreography (NYC).
DDT Repertory Spotlight:
The Happy Hour
Choreographed by Shawn Short, The Happy Hour is a tutu ballet that sheds light on life’s jovial moments of self-expression, play, and friend interaction.
DDT Repertory Spotlight:
Gospel Suite
Gospel artists Richard Smallwood, Walter Hawkins, and Byron Cage’s inspirational music create the soulful sounds in Short’s Gospel Suite – a work dedicated to the strong women that have shaped his life. Gospel Suite is a contemporary pointe work.
X Marks The Spot Production
On Mar 2nd, 2024, Dissonance Dance Theatre returned to Atlas Performing Arts Center’s INTERSECTIONS Festival. DDT has been a participant in the festival for more than 10 years. The ATLAS PAC Founder Jane Lang was in attendance, as they performed in the Lang Theatre.
Catch Up With Us: The Podcast
Dissonance Dance Theatre presents “The Ballet Basement”, a space for dance conversation centered around all happenings DDT from DDT productions, its artists, and relevant topics. In each episode, we provide perspective on the dance industry, especially as a Black-managed contemporary ballet company. Follow us on Facebook at Dissonance Dance Theatre/Ngoma Center for Dance, on Instagram at Dissonance Dance Theatre, and on major podcast platforms.
World Ballet Day 2023
Happy 10 years World Ballet Day! – Nov 1, 2023 – Dissonance Dance Theatre (Washington, DC) presents a look into the life of DDT dancers as they prepare for their presentation “Up Jump The Boogie”. See the backstage experience and listen to founding director Shawn Short discuss the company style, dancer type, and more.
Founder/Artistic Director Shawn Short speaks about DDT’s return, and coming back after COVID-19.
FilmWorks Presentation
2020 introduced a new decade of technology and expectation in entertainment and communication. DDT’s artistic team has assessed and redesigned its artistic season. Living in a reality that many theaters are moving vigorously to sustain their internal programming with limited rental capacity, Dissonance Dance Theatre – through its new FilmWorks program – has integrated film production into its theatrical offerings; moving from a five-show theatrical season to several film productions and 1-2 presented live performances.
Mute: Dance Silenced By COVID (2021) is an award-winning short documentary of six US dancers and their experiences within the initial months of COVID. A “light on the other end of the tunnel” story, Mute: Dance Silenced By COVID also speaks on personal reactions to George Floyd’s murder, artist unemployment, new hopes, and creativity.