Projects

Philadelphia Dance Projects supports contemporary dance through projects that encourage artists and audiences to more fully participate and engage in the experience and pursuit of dance as an evolving form. PDP achieves its mission by presenting stimulating performances, workshops, classes, a film series, and dialogs and forums for artists, aspiring artists, students and a broad-based audience. PDP constantly surveys the contemporary dance world, keeping a close eye on current trends in content and style, while actively engaging in and appreciating the depth of work being created today which plumbs dance precursors’ traditions.

PDP Presents

In 2009, Philadelphia Dance Projects launched Philadelphia Dance Projects Presents, a presenting series featuring dance performances, workshops and “informances” by independent dance artists and companies. The second annual series, Philadelphia Dance Projects Presents 2010 featured a look back and a look ahead, pairing the next wave of contemporary dance artists with influential choreographers from the 1970’s and 80’s Philadelphia dance scene.

Motion Pictures

2011 marks the 10^th annual Motion Pictures, a PDP presentation that explores how film and video serve as natural collaborative medium for dance, highlighting the power of image and motion in both. Over the years Motion Pictures has featured experimental and innovative shorts, documentaries, “moc”umentaries and animations. There have been documentaries about Pina Bausch, Maya Deren, Carmen Amaya, Geoffrey Holder and Carmen DeLavallade Mark Morris and the Paris Opera Ballet along with imaginative ground breaking work by Pooh Kaye, Hilary Harris and Lloyd Newson among many others.

Education Projects

2012 PDP is pleased to begin a new dance artist in residence at the Promise Academy at Martin Luther King, Jr, High School. For 10 years PDP placed this ongoing educational project at Olney High School West, providing students the opportunity to study contemporary dance techniques with some of Philadelphia’s best professional dancers and choreographers and to take field trips to see professional dance performances. For many young people it has been their first foray into dance, both through interaction with creative artists as well as attending a performance in a professional theater.

Local Dance History Project

In 2010 Philadelphia Dance Projects initiated The Local Dance History Project which took an informative look at the development of contemporary dance in Philadelphia through the work of five dance and movement artists who were among the first to explore post modern, improvisation and performance genres in the city during the late 1970s and early 80s. In 1980, dancers Michael Biello and Dan Martin, Jano Cohen, PDP’s Terry Fox, and Ishmael Houston Jones were featured in Dance & Dancers, a sold-out presentation at the Harold Prince Theater at the Annenberg Center for Performing Arts. The five dancers reunited to reconstruct their work, which was performed by young Philadelphia dance artists at part of PDP Presents 2010. The Local Dance History Project is currently being planned to go online as a seed to start an online and interactive archive of Philadelphia dance artists and their history.

*A catalog “Re-Generation” commemorating the Local Dance History Project is available. Click on cover to see excerpts. The 36 page catalog has beautiful photos, and insightful commentary by the over 18 artists who participated. $15. or $10. with DanceUP pass.

Please contact us to receive a catalog: 215.546.2552 or infophiladanceprojects [dot] org