“A brave and talented troupe willing to take risks."
- The Washington Post

CityDance Ensemble is a contemporary repertory dance company based in Washington, DC. Promising its signature power, passion, and purpose at every turn, the company performs athletic, challenging repertory by choreographers from the United States and around the world. Under the artistic direction of Paul Gordon Emerson and rehearsal director and choreographer in residence Christopher K. Morgan, CityDance Ensemble blends strong technique and physicality with a dynamic mix of energy, emotion, and humor to deliver performances full of integrity, expression, and life.

Since its inception in 1996, CityDance has grown from a group of part-time dancers to a professional company of nine full-time dancers, earning a reputation as "Washington's preeminent modern dance company” (The Washington Times). The company has been named as a “Top 25 to Watch” by Dance Magazine (2003) and has won the DC Mayor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Emerging Artist (2003) and Innovation in the Arts (2005). CityDance Ensemble is an Artistic Partner at the Harman Center for the Arts, performing a full season at the Center's Lansburgh Theatre in downtown Washington, DC. The company is a Partner at the Music Center at Strathmore, performing regularly there, at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Arts and at other theaters in the DC metro area. The company tours both nationally and internationally, bringing its “breathlessly innovative” (Dancer Magazine) performances to audiences around the world. 

CityDance Ensemble is a part of CityDance Ensemble, Inc., the parent organization that also includes CityDance Early Arts, an arts outreach program for youth; CityDance Education Centers, two facilities committed to excellence in dance training for youth and adults; and CityDance FilmWORKS, an award-winning creator and presenter of dance-on-camera.

The mission of CityDance Ensemble, Inc. is to advance the appreciation for and participation in the art of dance through excellence in performance, education, film, and artistic innovation.

Repertory & Touring Programs

Han (2006/2007)
Choreography: Paul Gordon Emerson
Music: Airto, Flora Purim, Mickey Hart
Costumes: Jenny Young & Judy Hansen
Inspired by the company’s 2006 tour to Sarajevo, Han is infused with dynamic interaction and piercing solitude. The title is a Korean word that connotes a state of sadness so deep that there are no tears, yet there is still hope.

Bubbles (2006)
Choreography: Kyra Jean Green & Idan Sharabi
Music: Autechre
Costumes: Kyra Jean Green
A quirky dissection of music and movement, Bubbles is a magnetic duet that sharply examines the body in both motion and stillness.

Born to Run (2007)
Choreography: Paul Gordon Emerson
Music: Bruce Springsteen
An anthem to youth, adventure, and growing up in America, Born to Run is a high-spirited, fast-paced ensemble piece set to the classic tracks of Bruce Springsteen.

Harmonica Breakdown (1938)
Choreography: Jane Dudley
Music: Sonny Terry
A powerful, stirring solo that pays tribute to the challenges and accomplishments of the common man during the Depression of the 1930s.

Eclipse (1999)
Choreography: Doug Varone
Music: Michael Gordon
With its repetition of pushes and pulls set to the recurring sound of sirens, Eclipse demands attention as it debates interdependency, vulnerability, and relationships through its stirring choreography and arresting visual and auditory effects

Unravel (1995)
Choreography: Eric Hampton
Music: Maurice Ravel
With intricate patterns and clever movements, UnRavel is a charming, witty quartet delivered in four sections that each carry a personality of their own.

Be Still...Listen (2003)
Choreography: Roger C. Jeffrey
Music: Jaimek Potter
An unreserved female quartet, Be Still...Listen is a consistent audience favorite infused with stark angles, intriguing reactions, and labored emotions.

Contained Infinity (2006)
Choreography: Harumi Terayama
Music: Andrzej Przbytkowski
Costumes: Marija Djordjevic
A stunningly intriguing piece, Contained Infinity positions subtle gestures against profound intention, quiet stillness against chaotic activity. Set to an original score, this multimedia piece manipulates shadows on an oversized screen to capture the essence of one dancer trapped within the illusion of many.

Falling Into the Sea (2002, Revised 2006)
Choreography: Paul Gordon Emerson
Music: Petris Vasks
Costumes: Judy Hansen
Falling Into the Sea depicts a young man at water’s edge, dreaming of what lies over the horizon, calling up the elements, and all those lost at sea as they too sought their dreams at the risk of their lives.

Dust Bowl Ballads (1941)
Choreography: Sophie Maslow
Music: Woodie Guthrie
Costume Reconstruction: Jenny Young
Dust Bowl Ballads is widely recognized as a choreographic masterpiece that presents a wryly poignant picture of migratory workers who were driven from their Midwestern farms by the drought and depression of the 1930s.

Folksay (1942)
Choreography: Sophie Maslow
This 26-minute work for eight dancers features two guitarists who play traditional folk songs such as Old Smokey and Sweet Betsy and recite Carl Sandburg's poem The People, Yes.

Unusable Signal (2007)
Choreography: Christopher K. Morgan
Music: Pan Sonic
A men's trio that explores the modern world’s tendency to use electronic devices as a way to tune out unwanted stimuli.

On a Train Headed South (2005)
Choreography: Brenda Way
An unconventional ensemble piece, On a Train Headed South boldly speaks about global warming and environmental conservation. With suspended ice that drips on the dancers and stage throughout the work, this piece is extraordinarily relevant for today's audiences.

Nocturne Monologue (2003)
Choreography: Jason Hartley
An evocative, athletic, and expressive male solo, Nocturne Monologues is a captivating work robust with interest and mystique.

Jungle Books (2006)
Choreography: Paul Gordon Emerson, Meisha Bosma, Kyra Jean Green, Joseph Nontanovan, Christopher K. Morgan, Jason Hartley
Original Score: Clifton Brockington, Matt Jones, Saleem Wayne Waters
Costumes: Jenny Young & Paul Gordon Emerson
Jungle Books is an original dance and music concert for the young and young at heart telling the timeless stories of Mowgli, Baloo, Shere Khan, and other characters from Rudyard Kipling’s classic tales.

The above repertory is available as part of CityDance Ensemble’s 2008-2009 touring program. Additional repertory may become available throughout the season. CityDance also offers combined performance and teaching residencies, dance-on-camera concerts, and lecture-demonstrations that combine work for children and adults. For more information, please visit our bookings page.
(top)

Interested in CityDance?

We're interested in you too. Please take our brief survey so we can learn more about you.

Purchase a
Class Card
Crazy schedule? Enjoy the flexibility of a class card!
10 Class Card
20 Class Card
30 Class Card

CityDance in Concert:
The Songwriters
Fri June 13, 2008

An evening of dance centered around America's great songwriters

Join Our Mailing List
Sign up to receive CityDance news

More on the Web
Check us out on MySpace and Facebook

Read the new CityDance blog