Dance as an art form is represented in every corner of the globe in some shape or form. Outside of the recognized centers of dance in the world in New York, London, and Paris, there are many ballet, contemporary, and modern dance companies creating works that delight and inspire audiences with the magic of dance. What is unique is that only a handful of organizations possess the alchemical mixture of physical prowess, aesthetic beauty, and an indescribably visceral feeling that borders on transcendent. DCDC is in that rarified company as an arts organization.
Credit: Dayton Daily News Archive
Credit: Dayton Daily News Archive
Fifty-five years ago, Jeraldyne Blunden envisioned that a mid-size, Midwestern city like Dayton could be the home of a modern dance company that would eventually evolve and become an internationally renowned artistic entity. A dance troupe performing the masterworks of the Modern choreographic canon and becoming a launch pad for the works of up-and-coming artists who speak to who we areas a society. Jeraldyne could envision a company that would perform on stages and concert halls all over the country and, indeed, the world. She poured her body and soul into manifesting a cultural export that would be the envy of any ambitious and growing metropolitan city in our country and she could have made it happen anywhere. She chose to make Dayton, Ohio, the home for her dreams to become a reality.
Creating an organization that is the conduit for works that speak to the lived experiences of Black folks in America, from Donald McKayle’s “Rainbow Round My Shoulder” to the recent choreography of Countess Winfrey “Human Nature,” is no small feat. And that this creativity blossoms in the Midwest is nothing short of miraculous. By creating a vehicle that carries the collective artistry and observations of the American experience by Black choreographers for over five decades, Jeraldyne positioned DCDC to be our community’s international cultural export.
Every time DCDC performs on a stage across the globe, the dancers and performances are the reflections of not only the best of Dayton, Ohio but also speak to the resiliency and will to survive as the artistic embodiment of the Dayton spirit. DCDC positions Dayton as a cultural hotspot worthy of national and global attention.
Credit: Jeff Sabo
Credit: Jeff Sabo
We have kept the faith that our city will rebound and recover some of its former glory while becoming a new, thrilling place to live. Just like our hometown, DCDC has known its share of ups and downs, but not once has it let us down in being our community’s very best artistic representation.
Dayton Contemporary Dance Company is the very definition of a “Dayton Original.” As it looks forward as an arts organization, we as a community do as well. The funding of the arts at its core has always been a response to cyclical conditions, and this Dayton Original needs our support now more than ever.
Learn more about how you can support this treasured organization by visiting dcdc.org.
Rodney Veal is the host of ThinkTV/CET Connect, an artist, educator and a member of the Levitt Pavilion Dayton Board of Trustees.
About the Author