The Dayton Contemporary Dance Company

Originally founded as a company for dancers of color and rooted in the African American dance tradition, DCDC showcases a strong reverence for its roots while venturing into the many worlds of contemporary dance. This triple bill masterfully embraces the idea of the contemporary in the eyes of the layperson — it is a true demonstration of modern dance, dances of the past century, in all its genres and iterations;...With this presentation at The Joyce, DCDC becomes the first African American company to add Paul Taylor’s Esplanade to its repertoire.

Amsterdam Splash Mag

This 2016 conversation with DCDC Artistic Director Debbie Blunden- Diggs took place during the company’s performances of Rainbow Round My Shoulder as guest artists with the Paul Taylor Dance Company at State Theater in Lincoln Center.

Blunden discusses the importance of keeping masterworks like Rainbow alive and on stage for the next generation of balletomanes. Her comments and commitment still ring true as DCDC becomes the first African American modern dance company to perform one of Taylor’s signature masterworks, Esplanade, during the company’s 2024 Joyce Theater season, October 2- 6. Read more...

Out and About NYC Magaazine Article

DCDC marks a milestone in the history of the national treasure known as Esplanade...

For a company of 17 dancers in a Rust Belt city, Dayton maintains an impressively large tent. Among modern dance companies committed to portraying the African American experience through dance, Dayton may have the broadest repertory – housing work by Donald McKayle, Talley Beatty, Eleo Pomare, Bill T. Jones, Merce Cunningham and Doug Varone, to name a few. Read more...

Bachtrack.com Article

Dayton native Jeraldyne Blunden was a trailblazer. In 1963, during a time of uncertainty and unrest in America, she had the vision to create a dance school for African-American youth, who were excluded from Dayton’s segregated dance studios. With a troop of outstanding dancers, she established the Dayton Contemporary Dance Company in 1968.

Now in its 56th season, DCDC has grown to be widely regarded as one of the nation’s best and most historically significant arts institutions, proudly boasting the largest repertory of works by Black choreographers in the world.

“We are a company of professional dance artists who are bold, electrifying, masterfully skilled and innovative. DCDC engages audiences through their hearts, minds, spirits and our common humanity, artfully demonstrating the power of the moving body,” said Shola Odumade, grants administrator for DCDC. “DCDC remains a vital performing arts institution and a seasoned educational resource locally and around the world.”

Read more here

Be prepared for more Black history to be made during Black History Month as Dayton Contemporary Dance Company presents “In Modern Moves” Feb. 17-18 at the Victoria Theatre.

In one of the biggest coups in its 55-year history, DCDC is the first African American dance company to receive Paul Taylor’s 1975 masterpiece “Esplanade” into its repertoire. Taylor’s acclaimed routine features everyday, pedestrian movement — standing, skipping, sliding, falling, running, walking — set to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Called “a masterpiece of physical joy,” the work serves as the concert centerpiece and will be performed to live music by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra under Peter Stafford Wilson’s direction.

Read more here

Timeless Grace

Uplifting the voices of contemporary African American dance for 56 years

Season & Series

Telling the stories of our time

Experience DCDC in the Gem City, Dayton, OH

The Future of Dance
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