Now considered Washington’s premier contemporary ballet company, Chamber Dance Project (CDP) was actually founded in New York City in 2000 by Diane Coburn Bruning with a determination to always perform with live music. She relocated the company to Washington, D.C. in 2013. In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, CPD just announced the presentation of New Works 2020 (& beyond). Reaching out beyond the footlights and virtually into the audiences’ homes, the company will present events performed both in and outdoors “that showcase our artists with exciting new dimensions of innovation and intimacy.” CDP rehearsed, performed, and filmed in four cities across the country with eight dancers, three choreographers, and a commissioned original music score. The screenings of these films will be presented online on July 31 and September 24, 2020 and the admission is free.
Bruning is an award-winning choreographer who has worked with dance, theatre, and opera companies throughout the U.S. and abroad. She has worked with Atlanta Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Boston Ballet, Juilliard Dance Ensemble, American Repertory Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Joffrey II, Nashville Ballet, Aspen Ballet, Ballet Chicago, Ballet Memphis, Daghdha Dance (Ireland), Minnesota Ballet, Chautauqua Ballet, Woolly Mammoth Theatre and Studio Theatre among others. Bruning has worked in Opera and she has done commercial and theatrical work. Dance Magazine named her in its list of “25 to Watch” in 2003. Choreographers who have created works for CDP include, Cooper Verona, Andile Ndlovu, Alejandro Cerrudo, Victor Adebusola, Matt Torney, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Jennifer Archibald, Jorge Amarante, Darrell Grand Moultrie and Bruning.
The programming on July 31 includes world premiere screenings of contemporary ballets Berceuse with Luz San Miguel and Davit Hovhannisyan (Milwaukee), Sarabande featuring dancer and choreographer Christian Denice (Los Angeles), and In the Silence with Emmy Award-winner Grace-Anne Powers and Austin Powers (Columbus). It will also include a preview of a new work, Dwellings, created during the July virtual rehearsals. Preceding the ballets will be a live red carpet pre-show with the dancers, filmmakers and Artistic Director, Diane Coburn Bruning.
The programming on September 24 includes a world premiere of the new film that will incorporate seven of the company’s dancers and will be a collaboration by the creators of last season’s acclaimed Prufrock: choreographer Diane Coburn Burning, and composer James Bigbee Garver working with award-winning producer and filmmaker David Hamlin. The evening will also include the first public screening of a film made of Exit Wounds with the original cast. In keeping with the positive and creative outlook of CDP founder, Diane Coburn Bruning, there will be another “red carpet” pre-show before the film.
Three guest videographers (Jennifer Zmuda, Rachel Malehorn, and Aaron Cot) worked with dancers in Los Angeles; Columbus, Ohio; and Milwaukee to film the ballets to screened on July 31, 2020 at 7:00pm EDT (4:00pm (PDT), and the other cities involved in the production of a new dance film to be shown online on September 24, 2020 at 7:00pm EDT (4:00pm (PDT), include Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. Both screenings will be presented nationally. Reserve a free ticket at chamberdance.org/beyond or call 202-499-2297 for more information.
The ballets are being staged remotely for online streaming and to build new repertoire for CDP’s June 2021 theatre season while ensuring the health of both audience members and performers. In addition to the outdoor shoots with professional videographers, the dancers will be filmed themselves in their homes in their home cities. The July screening, the outdoor performance is at the Sepulveda Dam in Los Angeles and in Milwaukee at an art museum. – Michelle Tabnick Public Relations.
A little about the Dancers:
Christian Denice is in his first year with Chamber Dance Project. He has worked with Odyssey Dance Theatre, River North Dance Chicago, Company E, Montgomery Ballet, BODYTRAFFIC, the Cambrians, and Les Ballets Jazz de Montreal.
Davit Hovhannisyan is in his seventh season with Chamber Dance Project. Born in Armenia, Hovhannisyan began his professional career with the Armenian National Ballet Company and joined Milwaukee Ballet in 2004 where he is now a principal dancer.
A native of Portland, OR., Austin Powers is in his first season with Chamber Dance Project. He began his professional career in 2014 as a trainee with Ballet San Jose, and the following year was a silver medalist at the Youth America Grand Prix competition. He joined BalletMet in 2015, where he has been performing for 5 seasons.
Grace-Anne Powers is in her first season with Chamber Dance Project. A Pennsylvania native, she is currently an artist with BalletMet. Ms. Powers has also been involved in several film projects for BalletMet including “In Tandem” and “Becoming Violet”, for which she received an Emmy Award.
Born in Madrid, Spain, Luz San Miguel is in her seventh season with Chamber Dance Project. Prior to joining Milwaukee Ballet, she danced with BalletMet, Charleston Ballet Theater, Tulsa Ballet, Dresden Ballet and Leipziger Ballet in Germany.
Reserve a free ticket at chamberdance.org/beyond or call 202-499-2297 for more information.
To visit the Chamber Dance Project website, click HERE.
To watch a video of highlights from Chamber Dance Project, click HERE.
Written and compiled by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Chamber Dance Project – Christian Denice performing Sarabande in Los Angeles – Photo by Owen Scarlett
