Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO)

Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO)
Name	Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO)
Founded	1970
Founder	Joan Myers Brown
Location	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) Philadelphia Dance Company (PHILADANCO) is a professional contemporary dance company based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, founded in 1970. The organization is known for its modern concert works, dance education programs, and community partnerships in the Mid-Atlantic region. PHILADANCO has collaborated with major cultural institutions and toured nationally and internationally, performing at theaters, festivals, and universities.

History

PHILADANCO was founded by Joan Myers Brown in 1970 amid the cultural landscapes of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, New York City, Harlem, Boston, and Washington, D.C.; early performances interacted with institutions like the Kennedy Center, Lincoln Center, Curtis Institute of Music, Barnes Foundation, and Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. The company evolved alongside movements represented by figures such as Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey, Katherine Dunham, Paul Taylor, and Merce Cunningham while engaging with venues including Miller Theater, Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Prince Theater, and Academy of Music. PHILADANCO's trajectory intersects with festivals like the Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival, American Dance Festival, Spoleto Festival USA, and Jacob's Pillow, and it has received support from funders such as the National Endowment for the Arts, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, The Pew Charitable Trusts, and Ford Foundation.

Artistic Direction and Repertoire

Artistic leadership at PHILADANCO has reflected influences from choreographers and companies including George Balanchine, Twyla Tharp, Christopher Huggins, Ronald K. Brown, Joaquín De Luz, and Garth Fagan, and it has presented works linked to composers and collaborators such as Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, and Clifford Brown. Repertoire has included premieres and commissions featuring choreographers like Arthur Mitchell, Alvin Ailey II, Dianne McIntyre, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Donald Byrd, and Talley Beatty, staged in partnership with dance presenters including Dance Moving to the Future, Dance Theatre of Harlem, New York City Ballet, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. The company's programming has been presented at performance spaces such as Carnegie Hall, Walt Disney Concert Hall, Strathmore, Lincoln Center Out of Doors, and The Joyce Theater.

Training and Education Programs

PHILADANCO's training wing has offered classes, summer intensives, and certificate programs drawing pedagogical practices associated with Joan Myers Brown, Diahann Carroll, Sylvia Waters, Edna Guy, and institutions like The Ailey School, Juilliard School, School of American Ballet, and The Ohio State University. Educational initiatives have partnered with school districts in Philadelphia, community organizations such as Philadelphia Museum of Art, Mural Arts Philadelphia, and national programs like Dance/USA, Americans for the Arts, and CityDance. The academy has hosted master classes from artists connected to Ballet Hispánico, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, and faculty from Temple University],] University of the Arts (Philadelphia), and Rutgers University.

Company Members and Alumni

Company members and alumni of PHILADANCO have gone on to careers with ensembles and organizations including Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Dance Theatre of Harlem, New York City Ballet, Batsheva Dance Company, Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, and Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra collaborations. Notable alumni have engaged with choreographers and institutions such as Arthur Mitchell, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Garth Fagan Dance, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, and academic appointments at Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, University of California, Los Angeles, and Columbia University.

Community Engagement and Outreach

PHILADANCO's outreach programs have connected with cultural partners like Philadelphia Orchestra, Pennsylvania Ballet, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Independence National Historical Park, Historic Philadelphia, Liberty Bell Center, and neighborhood initiatives including West Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, North Philadelphia community development corporations, and public schools in collaboration with Philadelphia School District. The company has participated in civic events alongside organizations such as Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation, Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (Philadelphia), Philadelphia Cultural Alliance, and festivals including Odunde Festival, Philadelphia Folk Festival, and Made in America (festival). Community residency work has involved partnerships with Temple University Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Council for the Arts at Princeton, and social service agencies like United Way.

Awards and Recognition

PHILADANCO and its founder have received honors and awards from entities including the National Endowment for the Arts, The Pew Charitable Trusts, Guggenheim Fellowship, MacArthur Fellows Program, Kennedy Center Honors, and municipal proclamations from City of Philadelphia. The company and its dancers have been recognized by arts journalism from outlets such as The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and trade organizations like Dance Magazine and Ballet Review. Institutional acknowledgments include listings in programs at Smithsonian Institution, Library of Congress, and archiving initiatives with The Dance Collection, New York Public Library.

Category:Dance companies in the United States