It was a whirlwind of a weekend in Dayton, Ohio as we joined forces with the beautiful dancers of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company in their Winter Show – “Power & Presence”.

We love any opportunity that allows us to get to know our dance community – near & far – in a better, more intimate way. Kia is an alumna of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company’s Second Company and was invited to show work on their Winter 2025 concert this past weekend!

Nine of us dancers drove to Ohio and had the quickest turnaround – tech rehearsal for lighting and spacing, straight into a dress rehearsal the next day, straight into 2 back-to-back days of shows! We presented our excerpt of “Memoirs of Jazz in the Alley” while DCDC showed three recent works, some choreographed by members of the company!

One of my favorite parts is meeting the new dancers, but I have to admit that my top favorite part of this weekend was being able to sit in the audience and experience DCDC’s second act from the audience perspective. As performers, we often live backstage. When we are granted the opportunity to be an audience member and experience the lighting, staging, costuming, and choreography from the viewpoint of the audience, it’s one of the most delightful things to watch. Sometimes, I forget how magical dance can be in its full production. The dancers of DCDC were FULL OUT and giving so much power and grace. It was inspiring and surely good energy to take back to the studio with us.

That’s truly the most beautiful thing about crossing paths with other dancers – we reignite each others’ love for the art form. I’m heading back to rehearsal this week with a full heart and the reminder of how touching and powerful dance is to its audience.