ABOUT THE COMPANY
The Young Dance company is a group of passionate dancers committed to exploring themselves and their world through dance.
Company members, ages 7 to 18, take weekly classes and rehearse on Saturdays, September through May. The company frames its annual season around a theme that immerses dancers in artistic inquiry and produces innovative performances. Dancers work with professional artists to investigate and collaborate on choreography for the selected theme. Their work is presented in venues throughout the year and in a season finale concert each Spring.
JOIN THE COMPANY
To join the company, register for any Young Dance class as well as the Company option corresponding to the age of the dancer. If you’ve never danced before, don’t worry! Company pieces and all Young Dance classes are structured for students of all ages and abilities.
2023-24 PERFORMANCE SEASON
Mind:Body
When we think of our mind-body connection, we often think about mindfulness, attunement, and harmony. While aspirational, those can be challenging, often requiring much practice and patience. In addition, they can look and feel different for every individual.
Dance gives us a space to develop physical skills and a chance to reflect on our experiences in the studio. For years, our curriculum has been focused on giving young people opportunities to observe, participate, and reflect. We talk about nurturing “thinking dancers” and building mind, body, and spirit.
So, what is the mind-body connection? That is the question we will embark on disentangling this year. How do we approach art, art-making—and life—from an embodied and thoughtful place?
This season, we will work with Guest Artists to explore how we build mind, body, and spirit: where those concepts intersect and where they are independent. Emily Gastineau, Gabriel Rodreick, and Meridian Movement Collective (Colin Edwards, Cecil Neal, and Alex Arce) will create original pieces with the company to investigate how we can be both thinking and feeling movers.
Mind:Body
May 17 – 19, 2024 Luminary Arts Center
“…I learned to channel my energy and share my emotions. I learned to love my body for how it can learn and what it can express.”
-Emily Winkler-Morey