Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Name	Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet
Founded	2003
Founders	Robert Battle; Nancy Riggs
Dissolved	2015
Headquarters	New York City

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet was an American contemporary dance company based in New York City that operated from 2003 to 2015. The company presented works by international choreographers and toured extensively across North America, Europe, and Asia, performing in major venues and festivals. Cedar Lake became known for commissioning innovative pieces and for fostering collaborations among prominent artists from the worlds of Merce Cunningham, Martha Graham-influenced companies, and postmodern collectives.

History

Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet was founded in 2003 by Nancy Riggs and Robert Battle amid a dynamic period for contemporary performance in New York City, following precedents set by institutions such as New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and Martha Graham Dance Company. Early seasons featured commissions from choreographers associated with Judson Dance Theater, Merce Cunningham Dance Company, and European companies like Sasha Waltz & Guests. The company’s trajectory intersected with festivals including Jacob's Pillow, Lincoln Center Festival, and Montreal's Festival TransAmériques, while touring to venues such as Sadler's Wells, Paris Opera Ballet houses, and the Kennedy Center.

Artistic Vision and Repertoire

Cedar Lake’s artistic vision emphasized global contemporary choreography and multidisciplinary collaboration involving designers and composers drawn from institutions like Tate Modern exhibitions, the Juilliard School, and the Royal College of Music. Repertoire commissions included works by choreographers linked to William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, Akram Khan, Wayne McGregor, and proponents of the postmodern dance lineage such as Trisha Brown-affiliated artists. The company also engaged composers and visual artists associated with Philip Glass, John Adams, Rufus Wainwright, Anish Kapoor, and Yayoi Kusama-style multidisciplinary practices.

Choreographers and Dancers

Cedar Lake presented choreography by an international roster including figures from Netherlands Dance Theatre, Batsheva Dance Company, Compagnie Käfig, and makers who had worked with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Taylor 2. Resident and guest choreographers included artists from the networks of Jirí Kylián, Pina Bausch, Alexander Ekman, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Hofesh Shechter. Dancers were recruited from conservatories and companies such as The School of American Ballet, Harkness Ballet alumni, Royal Ballet School, and graduates of London Contemporary Dance School and Tanztheater Wuppertal. The company roster featured performers who later moved to companies like American Ballet Theatre, English National Ballet, and contemporary troupes including BalletBoyz.

Performances and Tours

Cedar Lake maintained an active touring schedule, appearing in international festivals such as Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Venice Biennale, Berlin International Dance Festival, and North American circuits like Spoleto Festival USA. Performances were staged in theaters including Brooklyn Academy of Music, Metropolitan Opera House adjunct spaces, and European houses such as Théâtre de la Ville and Opernhaus Zurich. The company participated in cultural exchange programs with institutions like Goethe-Institut, British Council, and Institut Français, expanding its presence to cities including Tokyo, Seoul, São Paulo, Toronto, and Mexico City.

Organizational Structure and Funding

Administratively, Cedar Lake operated with an executive team comparable to leadership models at New York Philharmonic-affiliated organizations, featuring an artistic director, executive director, and a board of trustees drawn from patrons linked to Metropolitan Museum of Art and Carnegie Hall donor networks. Funding sources mirrored patterns seen at organizations such as Ford Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and cultural agencies like the National Endowment for the Arts, supplemented by corporate sponsorships from companies tied to Brookfield Properties-type real estate patrons and ticket-driven revenue streams through season subscriptions at presenters like Lincoln Center. The company navigated fiscal pressures comparable to those experienced by Dance Theatre of Harlem and other nonprofit performing arts organizations, ultimately announcing a closure that affected staff and company members.

Reception and Legacy

Critics from publications associated with institutions like The New York Times, The Guardian, Le Monde, Der Spiegel, and Le Figaro often highlighted Cedar Lake’s robust athleticism and theatrical production values in reviews alongside commentary about contemporary choreography by artists such as William Forsythe and Ohad Naharin. The company’s legacy persists in the careers of alumni who joined companies including Batsheva Dance Company, Royal Ballet, and major contemporary ensembles, and in archival recordings held by repositories similar to New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and collections affiliated with Lincoln Center Archives. Cedar Lake’s model of commissioning and international curation influenced later ventures in contemporary dance programming at institutions like Sadler's Wells and fueled dialogues in academic programs at NYU Tisch School of the Arts and Columbia University performing arts departments.

Category:Dance companies in the United States