Andrea Dawn Shelley will be expanding her work from last season on HCDC November 18-22nd, 2024. . Catch this restage/expansion of "Forget Me Not” on HCDC in “Resolve” April 12th , 2025 at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts at 7PM.
Natasha Adorleewill be in residence with HCDC March 3-7th, 2025. Catch her NEW World Premiere on HCDC in “Resolve” April 12th , 2025 at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts at 7PM.
Read more about here below and dance with her on March 4th from 7:30-9PM at the Institute!
NATASHA ADORLEE is an Emmy Award-winning choreographer, filmmaker, composer, and educator in San Francisco, CA. A first-generation Asian American woman, she was the final Artistic Fellow with Amy Sewiert's Imagery. Natasha began choreographing in 2016 while maintaining an award-winning dance career with Robert Moses' Kin, ODC/Dance, Kate Weare and Co., and The San Francisco Symphony. After winning over ten international awards for her acclaimed short film "Take Your Time" in 2018, she has been a sought-after filmmaker, choreographer, and composer ever since. After attending SUNY Purchase and graduating from UC Berkeley, Natasha was invited to join ODC/Dance. As a performer, Natasha has danced a vast repertoire of works and contributed original choreography, sound design, and art direction to over 20+ ODC/Dance repertory works. In addition, Natasha has created over 20 original dance-based works- spanning stage, film, and immersive performance mediums.
Most recently, she was commissioned to create for Joffrey Ballet's Winning Works, Kansas City Ballet, BalletX, Ceprodac (Mexico), Kawaguchi Ballet (Japan), Ballare Carmel, Ballet22, and Imagery. In addition to working for dance companies, Natasha has created original work for Pixar Animation Studios, Occulus, National Geographic, and New Yorker Magazine. Natasha founded Concept o4 to create multimedia dance-based experiences advocating for more accessibility to the arts. Awarded an NEA Grant, Jacob's Pillow Choreographic Fellowship, a two-year residency with Zaccho Dance, and multiple commissions for new works in 2024, Natasha is pursuing a prolific creation period while sharing her deep knowledge of movement and film with the greater community through Dance on Camera workshops. She is also an Artistic Advisor for Ballet22.
Taryn Vander Hoop will be in residence with HCDC March 17-21st, 2025. Catch her NEW World Premiere on HCDC in “Resolve” April 12th , 2025 at the Hobby Center for Performing Arts at 7PM.
Read more about here below and dance with her on March 18th from 7:30-9PM at the Institute!
Taryn Vander Hoop (she/her) is a dancer, choreographer, educator, and producer. She received a B.S. in Dance, English Literature, and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a M.F.A. from NYU Tisch School of the Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography. She is the Co-Founder, Executive Director, and Associate Artistic Director of Summation Dance, an NYC/LA based modern dance company, called “full of energy and creativity” by The New York Times. Summation has performed at Baryshnikov Arts Center (BAC), Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM), Judson Memorial Church, Jacob’s Pillow, and more, and received commissions from numerous venues and universities across the country. Additionally, Taryn has performed the works of Bill Evans, Andrea Miller/GALLIM Dance, Larry Keigwin/Keigwin + Co, Gus Solomons jr, and Sydney Skybetter/skybetter & associates, among others, and has been involved in projects with Gerald Casel Dance and Laura Peterson Choreography. Taryn has studied throughout her career at the Dance Education Laboratory (DEL) at the 92nd St Y in New York City and is a DEL Facilitator. With DEL, she has choreographed large-scale Movement Sentence Choirs in collaboration with Sidra Bell, Monica Bill Barnes, Larry Keigwin, Urban Bush Women, Nicole Wolcott, and Yin Yue. Taryn is an E-RYT 500 certified yoga instructor, and has led 200hr certifications in Costa Rica, New York, South Korea, Vietnam, and New Jersey. She wrote her own certification curriculum in 2017 and started Lila Flow Yoga, which is recognized by the Yoga Alliance.
On April 12th, 2025 at 8PM, Houston Contemporary Dance Company will present Resolve, at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts for one night only! This concert will feature a world premiere by two powerful leading women choreographers and artists, Natasha Adorlee and Taryn Vander Hoop. We will also include an expansion of the work, Forget Me Not, which premiered in April, 2024 by local choreographer, Andrea Dawn Shelley. Adorlee is a Jacob’s Pillow Choreographic Fellow and a Joffrey Ballet, Winnings Works Choreographer and Hoop is not only a choreographer and producer but is the co Artistic Director of Summation Dance which is based in NYC and Los Angeles. Her dancers from her company, Summation Dance, will be our Guest Artists for this evening. Don’t miss these amazing leading women artists and creators come together for one night only!
Join HCDC at the Hobby Center for FREE Field Trips to any 5th Grade Students in Aldine ISD, Alief ISD, HISD, Pasadena ISD, Spring ISD, Yes Prep and Sheldon ISD for their Discovery Series. Limited space so book now!!
Houston Contemporary Dance Company will present Vigorous Spirit on November 2nd, 2024 at 7:30PM at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts as a part of our 6th Season. This concert will present Citizen which will be restaged on HCDC by internationally recognized performer and choreographer, Yue Yin. This work blends dynamic and expressive movement, together with dramatic original musical scoring which reflects the intensity of the times we were living in now. We will also present notable and exhilarating works from our repertoire including Sincerely Yours by Princess Grace Award Winning, Norbert De La Cruz III, One Thousand Pieces by NYC based choreographer Brandon Coleman and Sensorium by Houston Ballet’s Soloist and choreographer, Jack Wolff. Come see these four artistic works come together for one night only!
October 18th and 19th 2024, the Houston Contemporary Dance Company and Open Dance Project will join forces to present Butterfly Effect, a weekend of performances at Asia Society Texas Center. Bringing together Houston’s two leading contemporary dance companies, the performances will include an original commission by ODP Artistic Director, Annie Arnoult that combines the powerhouse of both companies on stage together and a repertoire work from each organization. Houston Contemporary Dance Company will also present the premiere on HCDC of Citizen by internationally recognized dancers and choreographer, Yue Yin.
October 18th and 19th 2024, the Houston Contemporary Dance Company and Open Dance Project will join forces to present Butterfly Effect, a weekend of performances at Asia Society Texas Center. Bringing together Houston’s two leading contemporary dance companies, the performances will include an original commission by ODP Artistic Director, Annie Arnoult that combines the powerhouse of both companies on stage together and a repertoire work from each organization. Houston Contemporary Dance Company will also present the premiere on HCDC of Citizen by internationally recognized dancers and choreographer, Yue Yin.
We cordially invite you to celebrate the start of our sixth season with an evening of dinner and dance honoring HCDC Board Advisor and advocate Lauren Anderson. Enjoy cocktails, an elegant dinner from the award-winning restaurant, Bludorn, plus a special performance and meet & greet with company dancers and Houston guest artists!
Houston Contemporary Dance Company will be commissioning an existing work, Citizen by internationally recognized choreographer and performer, Yue Yin. Read more about her below and see the HCDC Premiere October 18th and 19th, 2024 at the Asia Society Texas Center!
The founder and artistic director of YY Dance Company (YYDC), Yue Yin is an internationally recognized performer and choreographer. Yin studied at the prestigious Shanghai Dance Academy and NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts where she received her MFA in 2008. In 2018, Yin founded YYDC, a NYC-based, non-profit contemporary dance company dedicated to the teaching, production and performance of original choreographic works by Yin. Yin’s signature FoCo Technique™ represents a dynamic fusion of folk, ballet and contemporary dance. YYDC’s mission is to incorporate Yin’s signature movement style into live performances and choreographic commissions as well as educational endeavor. Under Yin’s direction, the company has presented its work to live audiences on U.S. and international stages. Yue was recipient of 2021 Harkness Promise Award. This prestigious award recognizes her innovation in choreography and education. She was the winner of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago 2015 International Commissioning Project, winner of the 2015 BalletX Choreographic Fellowship, and winner of Northwest Dance Project’s 5th Annual Pretty Creatives International Choreographic Competition in 2013. Through these high-profile successes, Yin has received commissions from all three widely-recognized companies as well as other companies and organizations namely Martha Graham Dance Company, Boston Ballet, BalletMet, Oregon Ballet Theater, Philadelphia Ballet, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Limon Dance Company, Alberta Ballet, Balletto Teatro di Torino, Gibney Dance Company, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company, Whim W’him, Bruce Wood Dance, Ririe Woodbury Dance Company, Boston Dance Theater, 10 Hairy Legs, New Dialect, Backhausdance, Tisch School of The Arts, George Mason University, Rutgers University, Point Park University, West Michigan University and Juilliard School for Dance.
On August 1st, 2024, we will announce our 6th Season Dancers! Stay tuned in!
Houston Contemporary Dance Company presents Silver Celebration in honor of our 5th Season milestone, with a guest performance by our second company, Houston Contemporary 2.
Silver Celebration features a premiere by NYC based artist Brandon Coleman and Viola by sought after Thai American artist Keerati Jinakunwiphat. The concert also includes works by Princess Grace Choreographic Fellowship recipient Norbert De La Cruz III, Artist in Residence at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, Christian Denice, and our second company, HC2's presenting works from Director of the Dance Safe, Cat Cogliandro, and Associate Artistic Director of Giordano Dance Chicago, Cesar Salinas.
Always an exciting night of contemporary dance for aficionados and newcomers, Miller Outdoor Theatre is pleased to have us back to help celebrate our fifth year of beautiful and sophisticated performances. Houston Contemporary Dance Company believes that dance should be accessible to all communities. From concert dance enthusiasts who are drawn to our highly skilled dancers and choreographers to our youngest fans who are enthralled by seeing dancers on stage that they can directly relate to, our audiences span a full range of ages, backgrounds, and experiences with dance.
All performances at Miller Outdoor Theatre are FREE but you can reserve your seats with Houston Contemporary Dance Company by clicking below!!
Silver Celebration is sponsored in part by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board. We would also like to thank the Houston Arts Alliance through the City of Houston, Texas Commission on the Arts, Mid America Arts Alliance, Dance Source Houston, Bob Boblitt, Bobbie Nau, Shirley and Brian Colona, Remington and Sarah Tonar, Bank of Texas, Amegy Bank, USI and Jackson Walker for their support this Season.
Join us as we present the 2024 Workshop Attendees in a end of the week Showcase at the Institute of Contemporary Dance as they present new works created on them by Eoghan Dillon and Natasha Adorlee. Special Guests will include the Houston Contemporary Dance Company who will show a World Premiere by Brandon Coleman and a work by Norbert De La Cruz III. Join us! Limited Space available
9:30-10AM Check in
10-3PM Class/ Learning Repertory
Institute of Contemporary Dance
1302 Houston Ave Suite #300
Houston, TX 77007
*Entrance is in the back of the building from the parking off of Dart/ Edwards Street.
Pre Register and submit your materials here. All dancers auditioning, must fill out the form before the audition. Artists must be 21+ and legal to work in the United States at the time of being hired. Identifying BIPOC artists are highly encouraged to audition.
Houston Contemporary Dance Company will be commissioning a New Work from choreographer Brandon Coleman. Read more about him below and see the World Premiere June 28th, 2024 at the Miller Outdoor Theatre.
Brandon Coleman is a NYC based performer and teacher from Katy, TX. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona and received his BFA in Dance and BA in Communication with a minor in Arts Administration. Formally a member of Visceral Dance Chicago, Brandon has also worked with Hubbard Street Dance Chicago as a guest artist for their 2017 Summer Series. Since moving to NYC, Brandon has joined KEIGWIN + COMPANY, the Metropolitan Opera, and currently a performer in Sleep No More. As a teacher, Brandon teaches across the country for a variety of schools and companies. IG: @itsbrandoncoleman BrandonColemanDance.com
Houston Contemporary Dance Company presents Electrostatic Attraction to continue their 5th Season. This concert will include a world premiere by Houston Ballet Demi Soloist, Jack Wolff and a new solo created by Andrea Dawn Shelley on founding company member Genene Walis McGrath. Houston Contemporary will also present works from the last 4 seasons that were audience favorites including, Intersections by Joe Celej and Let my Hair Down by Robbie Moore in collaboration with Say Girl Say playing live. One night only!
Electrostatic Attraction is funded in part by the Houston Arts Alliance through the City of Houston, Texas Commission on the Arts, Mid America Arts Alliance and Dance Source Houston. We would also like to Thank Bob Boblitt, Bobbie Nau, Shirley and Brian Colona, Remington and Sarah Tonar, Bank of Texas, Amegy Bank, USI and Jackson Walker for their support this Season. This event is being performed at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, sponsored by Houston Area Lexus Dealers and United Airlines.
9:30-10AM Check in
10-3PM Class/ Learning Repertory
Institute of Contemporary Dance
1302 Houston Ave Suite #300
Houston, TX 77007
Pre Register and submit your materials here. All dancers auditioning, must fill out the form before the audition. Artists must be 21+ and legal to work in the United States at the time of being hired. Identifying BIPOC artists are highly encouraged to audition.
Come and see Houston Contemporary Dance Company at the Carver Center in San Antonio, TX!
Join Houston Contemporary Dance Company in their 1st ever immersive dance piece which takes place at the historic Heights Ironworks. Guest Choreographer, Nao Kusuzaki will create and explore the juxtaposition of Houston native, Barbra Jordan and acclaimed author, Harper Lee where the audience becomes part of an intimate gathering, immersed in the atmosphere of the guest house- where the two guests are staying- with each room holding its own secrets and stories.
Join Houston Contemporary Dance Company in their 1st ever immersive dance piece which takes place at the historic Heights Ironworks. Guest Choreographer, Nao Kusuzaki will create and explore the juxtaposition of Houston native, Barbra Jordan and acclaimed author, Harper Lee where the audience becomes part of an intimate gathering, immersed in the atmosphere of the guest house- where the two guests are staying- with each room holding its own secrets and stories.
Join Houston Contemporary Dance Company in their 1st ever immersive dance piece which takes place at the historic Heights Ironworks. Guest Choreographer, Nao Kusuzaki will create and explore the juxtaposition of Houston native, Barbra Jordan and acclaimed author, Harper Lee where the audience becomes part of an intimate gathering, immersed in the atmosphere of the guest house- where the two guests are staying- with each room holding its own secrets and stories.
Join Houston Contemporary Dance Company in their 1st ever immersive dance piece which takes place at the historic Heights Ironworks. Guest Choreographer, Nao Kusuzaki will create and explore the juxtaposition of Houston native, Barbra Jordan and acclaimed author, Harper Lee where the audience becomes part of an intimate gathering, immersed in the atmosphere of the guest house- where the two guests are staying- with each room holding its own secrets and stories.
Join Houston Contemporary Dance Company in their 1st ever immersive dance piece which takes place at the historic Heights Ironworks. Guest Choreographer, Nao Kusuzaki will create and explore the juxtaposition of Houston native, Barbra Jordan and acclaimed author, Harper Lee where the audience becomes part of an intimate gathering, immersed in the atmosphere of the guest house- where the two guests are staying- with each room holding its own secrets and stories.
Join Houston Contemporary Dance Company in their 1st ever immersive dance piece which takes place at the historic Heights Ironworks. Guest Choreographer, Nao Kusuzaki will create and explore the juxtaposition of Houston native, Barbra Jordan and acclaimed author, Harper Lee where the audience becomes part of an intimate gathering, immersed in the atmosphere of the guest house- where the two guests are staying- with each room holding its own secrets and stories.
Join Houston Contemporary Dance Company in their 1st ever immersive dance piece which takes place at the historic Heights Ironworks. Guest Choreographer, Nao Kusuzaki will create and explore the juxtaposition of Houston native, Barbra Jordan and acclaimed author, Harper Lee where the audience becomes part of an intimate gathering, immersed in the atmosphere of the guest house- where the two guests are staying- with each room holding its own secrets and stories.
Houston Contemporary Dance Company will present Silver Celebration on October 14th, 2023 at 7:30PM at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts to start our 5th Season. This concert will present a work that is an original restaging reimagined on Houston Contemporary by Princess Grace award winner, Norbert De La Cruz III. We will also be showing Sock Hop Sonata by Dallas based artist McKinley Willis, American Land by Japanese American artist, Yoshito Sakuraba and the first work to be set on Houston Contemporary Dance Company in 2019, Porcelain by Josh Manculich. Sean Carmon will present a solo as a Guest Artist and Manculich will also present his new dance company, Whirlwind from Columbus, Ohio for their Hobby Center premiere.
Come and celebrate with Houston Contemporary Dance Company as we host our 5th Season Kickoff Gala on September 30th, 2023 from 6:30-9PM at the Institute of Contemporary Dance. We are thrilled to be honoring donor and advocate for Houston Contemporary Judy Nyquist. Enjoy cocktails, an elegant dinner from Award Winning Navy Blue, a special performance by Say Girl Say with Houston Contemporary Dance Company and a meet & greet with the company dancers after the performance. Tickets on sale until September 22nd, 2023.
Houston Contemporary Dance Company will be commissioning a New Work from choreographer Norbert De La Cruz III. Read more about him below and see the World Premiere October 14th, 2023 at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.
Born in Bayombong Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines and raised in Los Angeles, CA Norbert De La Cruz III is recognized for his versatility in performance and choreography. He is a collaborative artist with roots in classical and contemporary dance. After moving to New York in 2006, he received a BFA in Dance from the Juilliard School followed by an MFA in Dance from Hollins University. He is a New York and Los Angeles based freelance dance artist.
Norbert's movement practice has brought nationwide attention to dance companies and educational programs. His physicality is shaped by his training experiences from the Gabriella Foundation, LA County High School for the Arts, Marat Daukayev School of Ballet, The Juilliard School, and through his performance career as a professional dancer. He started training in classical dance at age 11 (Cecchetti and Vaganova) with ballet masters Vera Ninkovic and Marat Daukayev.
Professionally, Norbert has performed as a soloist with the Metropolitan Opera's production of Aida, Aszure Barton & Artists in Germany & Austria (Blue Soup & Busk), Balletto Teatro di Torino (Italy), Joe Goode Performance Group, Sydney Skybetter & Associates, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet. As a pre-professional, he was honored the Music Center's 17th annual Spotlight Award, the Emerging Young Artist Award, Youth America Grand Prix 2nd place in non-classical, and represented the Juilliard School at Kodak Theatre’s first annual Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala in Hollywood, CA. Norbert recently been casted in Warner Brothers Pictures film adaptation of Tony-winning musical In The Heights.
Additionally, Norbert has performed works by choreographers José Limón, David Parker, Adam Hougland, Johannes Wieland, Ohad Naharin, Aszure Barton, Jerome Robbins, Larry Keigwin, Jiri Pikorny, Hernando Fernando Magedan, Spenser Theberge, Jeremy McQueen, Camille A. Browne, Dwight Rhoden, Desmond Richardson, Lightfoot & Leon, Crystal Pite, Alonzo King, Zachary Tang, Gregory Dawson, and Jirí Kylián.
Norbert's choreographic career was further mentored by Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) Directors, Tom Mossbrucker and Jean-Philippe Malaty. His early career was recognized through the support of the Jerome Robbins Foundation’s NEW Essential Works Grant (2012), commissioning his first large-scale ballet, “Square None” (2012) with ASFB. He was then a finalist of Hubbard Street’s National Choreographic Competition (2013), a Princess Grace Foundation-USA Award under the choreography fellowship (2012), Alvin Ailey New Directions Choreography Lab (2013), finalist for the Joffrey Academy of Dance’s 2014 Winning Works and a recipient for the 2015 National Choreographic Initiative in Irvine, CA. He was selected for the 2017 and 2018 Spring Sessions at the New York Choreographic Institute, an affiliate of New York City Ballet, where he created his “Lunar” and "Traces" ballet alongside Juilliard composer and esteemed collaborator, Nathan Prillaman. Additional honorable mentions include the Asian Arts Alliance Jadin Wong Award, McCallum Theatre Choreography Festival Award, and was featured in Dance Magazines Top 25 to watch.
He has since been commissioned to create and premiere new works for companies such as Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Bruce Wood Dance, Hubbard Street 2, Richmond Ballet, Nashville Ballet, Joffrey Academy of Dance, James Sewell Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, Big Muddy Dance Company, Eisenhower Dance, Grand Rapids Ballet, Ballet Florida, Peridance, Golden State Ballet, Attack Theatre, Ballet X, Olympic Ballet Theatre, Periapsis Music & Dance, and for Dallas's 2022 TITAS Command Gala at the Winspear Opera House.
De La Cruz has instructed and created works for such schools as The Juilliard School, SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, Ailey School Fordham University, Point Park University, Princeton University, University of Richmond, Hollins University, Marymount Manhattan College, Barnard Columbia University, Cal State University of Long Beach, Hartford University, Grier Private School, Golden State Ballet, and taught at the International Ballet School intensives at Gdynia, Poland for two summers. He was a former faculty member and New Dances: Edition 2021 guest choreographer at the Juilliard School under the direction of Alicia Graf Mack and Mario Alberto Zambrano.
While navigating a freelance career as a choreographer, performer, and educator, Norbert operates a bi-coastal freelance dance career between NYC and LA. He is in constant search of inspiration; seeking for more valuable collaborations and human connections.
On August 1st, 2023, we will announce our 5th Season! Stay tuned in!
Join us for an informal in studio showcase at the Institute of Contemporary Dance which will feature the Houston Contemporary Dance Company and the attendees of the of our 3rd annual Houston Contemporary Dance Company Workshop.
The Company will perform a few works and the students will present a new work created on them by Guest Choreographers Brandon Coleman and Avree Walker.
Limited Seating so get your tickets now!
Houston Contemporary Dance Company presents Restore, with a guest performance by our second company, Houston Contemporary 2. Restore features a premiere by Dallas based artist McKinley Willis and 4yous by acclaimed artist and chuthis. Artistic Director Peter Chu. The concert also includes works by NYC based artistic associate with Gibney Dance and former member of Nederlands Dans Theatre Alexander Anderson, South Chicago Dance Theatre Artistic Director Kia Smith, Dallas Black Dance Theatre member Carmen Cage and a new work from the Institute of Contemporary Dance Studio and Education Director and Founding Houston Contemporary Dance Company member, Genene Wallis McGrath.
This event is at 8:30PM and is FREE in Celebration of Miller Outdoor Theatre’s 100th Season!
Restore is sponsored in part by the Miller Theatre Advisory Board, Dance Source Houston and the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.
Come and experience a magical performance presented by Houston Contemporary Dance Company and the Institute of Contemporary Dance on June 3rd, 2023 at 1PM and 4PM at Zilkha Hall at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts.
Written by playwright/novelist Elizabeth A. M. Keel, this one-hour fantastical journey follows four travelers as they share stories based on traditional myths from Chinese, Native American, Norwegian, and Ethiopian cultures. The performance utilizes an array of stimulating visual elements including costuming, props, and set pieces, and features sound and video design by BEND Productions. Moving Myths is designed for students of all ages and provides multicultural content to mirror HCDC’s core values of inclusion and equity.
Moving Myths is funded in part by the City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance.
