Dance

Bold, provocative, and intensely motivated by questions of identity, faith, and ethnicity, Dance Theatre X expresses a visual and soul-stirring journey. With fierce, but poetic movements, tales of the African Diaspora bleed out of dtX’s collective motion. Named one of “25 to Watch” in 2008 by Dance Magazine, Charles O. Anderson and his global troupe of collaborators are considered a tour de force in contemporary dance.

This Brooklyn-based company was founded by Jamaican-born dancer/choreographer Courtney Ffrench in 1997. After moving to New Jersey as a teen, Mr. Ffrench joined the Princeton Dance Theater. It was during this time that he would discover the underground club dance, appropriately called “freestyle,” which would later inspire his own choreography. Upon moving to New York, Mr. Ffrench joined Forces of Nature Dance Company while developing his repertoire, finding inspiration in the works and teachings of Ulysses Dove, Alvin Ailey, and Bob Fosse, among others. Vissi Dance Theater has appeared at Jacob’s Pillow, Riverside Church and Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center.

OPEN DANCE CLASSES are offered at the beginning of each day's event, welcoming audiences of all ages and skill levels to learn and enjoy the experience of various dance genres. The dance masterclass will be taught by Calvin Wiley, in the style of Hip Funkin' Hop: A cardiodance workout fused with hip/hop, funk, street jazz and theatre.