Under the artistic leadership of co-founder Deborah Vaughan, DDT has become widely recognized for its presentation of traditional dances and contemporary choreography drawn from African, jazz, and modern dance idioms. The diversity and inclusiveness of DDT’s repertoire are unique to the company and have contributed significantly to its reputation for innovative dynamism. DDT has garnered national and international acclaim for its performances.
cross cultural collaborative concerts
Featured world-renowned African American poet, Nikki Giovanni.
Recognized for its presentation of traditional dances and contemporary choreography drawn from African, Jazz, and Modern dance idioms.
There was a riotous New Orleans funeral band, MJ’s Brass Boppers. A kickin’ line of mourners in turquoise and white, including the teenage talents of a junior company, Dimensions Extensions Performance Ensemble.
The company has traveled to Nigeria, Jordan, Germany, Zimbabwe, and Cuba, and has danced throughout the United States. DDT has advanced African American dance as an art form through a series of interdisciplinary collaborations with composers, musicians and singers working in a wide variety of African and African American traditions: Hugh Masekela, the Edwin Hawkins Singers (gospel), Street Sounds (a capella spirituals and blues), Cab Calloway (jazz), Chanticleer (a capella spirituals), Omar Sosa (Cuban jazz pianist), and Anthony Brown and Fifth Stream Music.
DDT has also become known for its cross cultural and issues oriented collaborations, bridging cultural, racial, and ethnic differences through the arts. In September 1994, the company staged a Full-Length cross cultural collaborative concert with Lily Cai Chinese Dance Company that confronted rising racial hostilities between the African American and Asian communities.
All Power to the people
In 1996, Dimensions premiered another issue-driven community collaboration: “Project Panther/Phase I: All Power to the People” was a large-scale effort to create a truthful portrayal of the origins, intentions, accomplishments, and significance of the Black Panther Party. DDT celebrated 25 years of artistic excellence and community involvement with a concert that featured world-renowned African American poet Nikki Giovanni.
Zimbabwe
“Between Shores” (2001) and “Mudzimu” (2002) were the first and second segments of the multi-disciplinary artistic collaboration "From Africa to America.” “From Africa to America” is an international collaboration between Dimensions Dance Theater, Cuban choreographer Isiais Rojas, and Zimbabwean mbira player Stella Chiweshe. Dimensions presented performances of “Between Shores” for sold-out theater audiences in Zimbabwe at Harare’s Mannenberg Theatre, Girl Child Network and the residents of the township Chitungwiza, and Zimbabwe Association of Community Theater’s Ken Zim Cultural Centre. The company also participated in cultural exchange dance and music workshops with Harare’s Tumbuka Dance Company. In July 2002, Dimensions performed “Mudzimu” in Santiago de Cuba’s Festival del Caribe.
congo
The most recent collaboration is Rhythms of Life/ Down the Congo Line. The concept of "Down The Congo Line" came about when Artistic Director Deborah Vaughan traveled to the Congo. The goal of this project was to build a collaboration that would recognize the extraordinary contribution that Congolese culture has made to the music and dance of the Americas by engaging traditional artists from the Diaspora to create contemporary work that is both rooted in their own community’s traditions, and that also reflects their Congolese origins. "Down The Congo Line" features four works by choreographers Isaura Oliveira (Brazil) Latanya D. Tigner (New Orleans), Jose “Cheo” Rojas (Cuba), and Herve (Kayos) Makaya ( Brazzaville, Congo. The company will be accompanied by Cuban and Congolese percussionists.
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