Press Release: Mutual Dance Theatre announces 2025-2026 season
Press Release
Mutual Dance Theatre announces its 2025-2026 Season
Please do not download these images, which are a sampling and low-resolution preview of the asset folder.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 8, 2025
Contact:
Name – Micky Sikorski, Marketing and Communications Manager
Organization – Mutual Dance Theatre
Email – communications@mutualarts.org
Phone – 513-494-6526
Website – mutualdance.org/performances
CINCINNATI, OH — Mutual Dance Theatre (formerly known as Contemporary Dance Theater and MamLuft&Co. Dance until their merger in fall of 2021) announces its 2025-2026 season, Embrace: A Season of Connection. The four productions bring nationally- and internationally-recognized Modern and Contemporary Dance to Cincinnati, including performances by guest companies, as well as commissions of numerous choreographers who will create work on the company’s local artists.
Running from October 3, 2025 to May 2, 2026, the season’s theme points to our undeniable connections, in all their complexity and power. Mutual Dance Theatre’s resident company and two guest companies (who are presented in our Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series) will examine connection in some of its many forms: the reciprocal reliance of bodies in choreography, the deep resonance of shared stories, and the collective experience of live performance.
“Embrace is more than a season theme: it’s an invitation,” says Jeanne Mam-Luft, Mutual Dance Theatre’s Artistic and Executive Director. “We want audiences to feel the deep, human connections that contemporary dance can reveal and to experience the rich perspectives we uniquely bring to Cincinnati.”
Highlights of the season and related community events include:
- Two acclaimed guest companies, both of who will be making their first appearances in Cincinnati: the riveting Deeply Rooted Dance Theater of Chicago (October 3-4, 2025) and the sensationally popular Yue Yin Dance Company of New York City (February 20-21, 2026).
- Two productions of world premieres performed by Mutual Dance Theatre’s highly talented resident company: the perennially-sold-out Up-Close (December 4-13, 2025) and the bold Modern Mix (May 1-2, 2026), featuring works by a Princess Grace Honoraria recipient, an artist voted “Best Choreographer” in Chicago by Chicago Reader, a former Phantom of the Opera touring cast member, and more.
- Fascinating and approachable audience talk-backs.
- Masterclasses and community classes that offer audiences chances to connect to each other and artists.
Season Details
All performances take place at 7:30pm at the Aronoff Center for the Arts, except for Up-Close, which takes place at Mutual Arts Center Hartwell.
Presenting Deeply Rooted Dance Theater of Chicago: October 3-4, 2025
Richly dramatic, riveting, and culturally resonant.
Hailed as a “major force” in Chicago dance, and described as richly dramatic, riveting, and culturally resonant, Deeply Rooted’s large company commands the stage.
Mutual Dance Theatre in Up-Close ’25: December 4-13, 2025
Sold-out every year, a fourth-wall-breaking experience.
Unlike any other show in the season. World premieres: Breath, Flesh, and Bone / A Manual for Lovers at the end of the world (by Crystal Michelle, a Princess Grace Honoraria recipient) and Look Thrice (by Hannah Williamson, known for crafting mysterious journeys).
Presenting Yue Yin Dance Company of New York: February 20-21, 2026
A sensation, mesmerizing and “goosebump-inducing.”
Speak with any young dance artist today, and they will recognize Yue Yin immediately. YYDC is a sensation capturing the attention of over 80,000 fans across the globe. Described as “gasp-provoking,” “modern dance of the highest quality,” and “goosebump-inducing.”
Mutual Dance Theatre in Modern Mix ’26: May 1-2 2026
A tour-de-force and spectrum of invigorating voices.
A tour-de-force of curated talent with world premieres by: Joshua Ishmon (Chicago, “Best Choreographer” Chicago Reader), Shane Ohmer (Philadelphia, Les Grands Ballet Canadiens, Phantom of the Opera, and more), and Nat Wilson (New York, YYD, Kibbutz Contemporary Dance, ZviDance, Visceral, and more).
Season Subscriptions
This year’s lineup features nationally-acclaimed guest companies from across the country alongside the bold artistry of Mutual Dance Theatre, the resident company; our season subscriptions offer audiences an amazing package deal and first dibs at premium seating:
- Starting at just $100 for a 3-show package.
- Audiences can save time and money while also supporting the non-profit arts organization.
- Subscribers secure the best seats, including the new Director’s Choice Seats, hand-picked by Artistic Director Jeanne Mam-Luft.
- An add-on offers first access to Up-Close, which features very limited seating and sells out each year.
Season subscriptions are available now at mutualdance.org/subscription or at the Aronoff Center box office at (513) 621-ARTS or 650 Walnut Street.
For the full schedule and more details, visit mutualdance.org/performances.
Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers’ work is made possible by: the generosity of tens of thousands of contributors to the annual ArtsWave Campaign, the region’s primary source for arts funding; an investment of public funds from the Ohio Arts Council, a state agency that funds and supports quality arts experiences to strengthen Ohio communities culturally, educationally, and economically; and individual donors.
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About Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers
Mutual Dance Theatre is the city’s longest-running and most consistent Modern Dance organization, both as a presenter and a resident company. MDT was formerly known as Contemporary Dance Theater (est. 1972 by Jefferson James) and MamLuft&Co. Dance (est. 2007 by Jeanne Mam-Luft) until their merger in 2021. Both organizations began as performing troupes, but in the early ‘90s, CDT dissolved its company and subsequently focused on presenting guest artists . The two organizations joined to create the aptly-named Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers, taking enumeration from its elder half and thus celebrating its 54th season in 25-26. Mutual has honored and combined the priorities of both founding organizations: investing in a virtuosic local company with the aim of becoming a significant presence both locally and nationally, as well as the continued presentation of Modern and Contemporary Dance from across the States (and sometimes, beyond). Mutual also reaches thousands of children each year through education and its academy, as well as charity-supported outreach. Learn more at mutualdance.org.
Photography / Assets / Links
Downloads for press are available here: https://www.mutualdance.org/seasonprassets. This includes:
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- High-resolution images.
- Video trailer with branding/title cards.
- Video trailer without branding/title cards for media outlet to add their own chyrons.
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Additional images available upon request to communications@mutualarts.org.
This press release can also be found at https://www.mutualdance.org/seasonprassets or accessed as a Google Doc at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eOxERwLaIWZQ-c2Ju263LMsZ8djYCZjiRATAuLMz3do/edit?usp=sharing.
Social Media Handles:
Performances: Facebook and Instagram @mutualdance
The Centers: Facebook and Instagram @mutualartscenters
Press Release: Mutual Dance Theatre Announces 21-22 Season
Press Release
Mutual Dance Theatre announces its 2021-2022 Season, including The Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series’ 50th Anniversary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 4, 2021
CINCINNATI, OHIO — Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers made headlines last year when a merger to form the organization was announced by Contemporary Dance Theater (est. 1972) and MamLuft&Co. Dance (est. 2007). Under Artistic and Executive Director, Jeanne Mam-Luft, Mutual Dance Theatre announces an exciting return of Modern Dance to the stage with Season 50 (adopting Contemporary Dance Theater’s numeration) in 2021-2022, kicking off right away in November.
The season features both home performances by the resident company, Mutual Dance Theatre, as well as the preservation of Contemporary Dance Theater’s most treasured program, formerly known as the Guest Artist Series. This jewel of the region brings nationally-significant art to our stages, schools, and community hubs. This year, the JJCDT features performances by the world-renowned PHILADANCO! (Philadelphia, PA) and the visually-fascinating Sidra Bell Dance New York, both Black-led companies (Sidra Bell being the first African American woman to be commissioned by the New York City Ballet).
The resident company, featuring artists who exhibit virtuosity and powerful nuanced performance, will share numerous world premieres. The performances will take place both in their home studio theatre and in the Aronoff Center, including new repertory acquisitions from the aforementioned guest artists. These acquisitions are part of the company’s exciting pivot to growing their identity as a repertory company with work by nationally-recognized choreographers.
The season will also feature a celebration of CDT founder Jefferson James and her work, commemorating 50 years of her singular work to advance and promote Modern Dance in Cincinnati before her recent retirement.
Audiences can save significantly (and support the organization) by subscribing to the season, with a subscription starting at just $76.50.
Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers extends the impact of these performances by bringing the artists into the community. Activities will include a free lecture-demonstration for children, residencies, public Q&As, and workshops or masterclasses with artists on the Saturday of each performance weekend.
The season is generously supported in part by: donations (big and small) from individuals; the National Endowment for the Arts; The Louise Dieterle Nippert Musical Arts Fund of the Greenacres Foundation; the generosity of more than 40,000 contributors to the ArtsWave Community Campaign; state tax dollars allocated by the Ohio Legislature to the Ohio Arts Council (OAC); The Warrington Foundation; and The Greater Cincinnati Foundation Aronoff Center Rental Subsidy. The workshopping of Bakari Lindsay’s work is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts. To support Mutual Dance Theatre’s important to work to keep the genre of Modern Dance in Cincinnati, please visit mutualdance.org/support.
Mutual Dance Theatre Premieres Pulp and Variations in a Brainstorm, November 12-20, 2021
WORLD PREMIERES: AN IMMERSIVE DANCE EXPERIENCE REVEALED IN CHAPTERS
DATES:
Friday, November 12th, 2021 at 8pm
Saturday, November 13th, 2021 at 8pm
Friday, November 19th, 2021 at 8pm
Saturday, November 20th, 2021 at 8pm
VENUE:
Mutual Arts Center Hartwell, 8222 Monon Ave, Cincinnati, OH 45216
TICKETS:
$20 when purchased before October 20, 2021
$25 when purchased on or after October 21, 2021
Tickets and more information at mutualdance.org/pulp
SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS START AT JUST $76.50
INFORMATION:
Audiences will be immersed in a dance theatre experience that will take them on two, different adventures, both revealed in chapters. In Pulp, as the audience surrounds the performers in Mutual Arts Center’s black box studio, they will first begin by helping to choose a unique sequence of events that will never again be performed in that same order. The theatergoers will simultaneously perceive a common object, but interpret it differently as perspective is weighed in pithy moments. In Variations in a Brainstorm, letters, writings, and musings—all tied to a writing desk—will guide audiences through a tour of divergent identities. In the end, both adventures unearth the human mind’s vast ability to make connections.
Choreographers Rowan Salem and Hannah Williamson are 2nd and 5th-year veterans of Mutual Dance Theatre (respectively). Rowan Salem, originally from Massachusetts, was a Gretchen Moran Scholar at Smith College in Northampton, and her work has been presented at the Redline Contemporary Arts Center, Counterpath Exhibition Space, Green Street Studios, and Art Gym, Denver where she was the 2017 recipient of the Create Award Residency. Hannah Williamson is a local, rising talent whose work has been selected for presentations from Ohio to Virginia; she has performed in works by notable artists Dwight Rhoden and Clifford Williams of Complexions Contemporary Ballet and the Gregory Hancock Dance Theatre in Carmel, IN.
This performance takes place in Hartwell at 8222 Monon Avenue 45216 NOT at The Aronoff Center.
AUDIENCES SHOULD PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALTHOUGH SOME SPACING MAY BE POSSIBLE, THIS IS GENERAL SEATING AND DISTANCING CANNOT BE GUARANTEED. Parking is free and the building is ADA-accessible. For more information about the venue, please see mutualdance.org/hartwell.
American Sign Language interpretation will be provided on Friday, November 19.
Experienced dancers are also invited to an open workshop with choreographer Rowan Salem Saturday, November 13, 2021 at 11am. See mutualdance.org/masterclasses for more information, including pricing and location.
Mutual Dance Theatre’s Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series presents PHILADANCO!, January 21-22, 2022
ONE OF THE NATION’S MOST TREASURED MODERN DANCE COMPANIES, HERE FOR ONE WEEKEND ONLY
DATES:
Friday, January 21, 2022 at 8pm
Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 8pm
VENUE:
Aronoff Center for the Arts, Jarson-Kaplan Theater, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
TICKETS:
$35.00-$46.25 when purchased before December 30, 2021
$40.00-$53.00 when purchased on or after December 31, 2021
Tickets and more information at mutualdance.org/philadanco
SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS START AT JUST $76.50
INFORMATION:
Known across the world for their “brilliant mix of miracle of skill” and “virtuoso physicality,” PHILADANCO! makes a short return to Cincinnati 10 years since their last visit. The Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series (newly renamed since CDT’s merger into Mutual Dance Theatre and Arts Centers) welcomes the 50-year-old legendary dance company who celebrates and preserves predominantly African American traditions in dance. Do not miss this repertory concert chock-full of both old and new favorites.
Experienced dancers are also invited to an open workshop with PHILADANCO! company members on Saturday, January 22, 2022 at 11am. See mutualdance.org/masterclasses for more information, including pricing and location.
Mutual Dance Theatre’s Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series presents: Sidra Bell Dance New York, March 25-26, 2022
THE CINCINNATI PREMIERE OF INTERNATIONALLY SOUGHT-AFTER VISIONARY, SIDRA BELL, THE FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO BE COMMISSIONED BY THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET
DATES:
Friday, March 25, 2022 at 8pm
Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 8pm
VENUE:
Aronoff Center for the Arts, Jarson-Kaplan Theater, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
TICKETS:
$30.00-$40.00 when purchased before February 28, 2022
$35.00-$46.25 when purchased on or after March 1, 2022
Tickets and more information at mutualdance.org/sidrabell
SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS START AT JUST $76.50
INFORMATION:
Sidra Bell is one of Modern Dance’s most up-and-coming artists, sought-after across the globe and the nation. Mutual Dance Theatre’s Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series is ecstatic to present Ms. Bell and her diverse Company of dance artists for the first time in Cincinnati, Ohio for one weekend only. Described as “hypnotically seductive” and “brilliant and impressive,” Bell’s aesthetic rings of “Pina Bausch, fashion, and Harlem’s ballrooms” in a unique, visionary style that draws in audiences, deeply. Her distinctive, hyperkinetic movement and dramatic brilliance hone-in on the human psyche and questions of identity. Sidra Bell is the first African American woman to be commissioned by the New York City Ballet. Sidra Bell Dance New York will perform IN | REP, an evening of dance theater works that will leave audiences feeling and thinking for days to come.
The community is also invited to an open workshop with Ms. Bell on Saturday, March 26, 2022 at 11am. No dance experience is required or expected: experience Ms. Bell’s process through movement and space. See mutualdance.org/masterclasses for more information, including pricing and location.
Mutual Dance Theatre’s MODERN MIX, June 17-18, 2022
FOUR MODERN DANCE PREMIERES WITH CHOREOGRAPHY BY SIDRA BELL, PHILADANCO! ARTISTS, STEVEN P. EVANS, AND JASMINE SNELLEN
DATES:
Friday, June 17th, 2022 at 8pm
Saturday, June 18th, 2022 at 8pm
VENUE:
Aronoff Center for the Arts, Jarson-Kaplan Theater, 650 Walnut Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202
TICKETS:
$30.00-$40.00 when purchased before May 31, 2022
$35.00-$46.25 when purchased on or after June 1, 2022
Tickets and more information at mutualdance.org/modernmix
SEASON SUBSCRIPTIONS START AT JUST $76.50
INFORMATION:
MODERN MIX features a proud collection of work, including three Black artists. The season-closer promises variety, athletic prowess, virtuosic dancing, and compelling drama. Mutual Dance Theatre (formerly known as MamLuft&Co. Dance) is undergoing a thrilling transformation as it amplifies its repertory through commissions and re-stagings by national artists! Cincinnati’s Modern Dance company will close its 21-22 season with choreography by Sidra Bell (of Sidra Bell DanceNY), PHILADANCO! artists, and Steven P. Evans and Jasmine Snellen of Mutual Dance Theatre.
Experienced dancers are also invited to an open workshop with choreographer Jasmine Snellen on Saturday, June 18, 2022 at 11am. See mutualdance.org/masterclasses for more information, including pricing and location.
COVID-19 Policies
Along with numerous other venues in Cincinnati, due to the high levels of COVID-19 transmission in Hamilton County and the surrounding area, the following protocols are currently effective until further notice:
- Guests, staff, and volunteers are required to wear masks at all times in our venues, regardless of vaccination status.
- Ticket holders 12 years of age and older will be required to show a proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test for entry into the events.
Read more information and any updates at https://www.cincinnatiarts.org/plan-your-visit/health-and-safety.
Access
Mutual Dance Theatre was founded to create more access to Modern Dance. We believe that all income levels should have the pleasure of attending live performances. Free admission will be provided to persons of low-income. Patrons are encouraged to contact the organization at 513.494.6526 or hello@mutualarts.org for assistance.
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Print-Ready Images
For images and other resources for the press, please visit mutualdance.org/pressroom.
Press contacts
For more information, please email jeanne@mutualarts.org or call 513.494.6526.
Social Media Handles:
Performances: Facebook and Instagram @mutualdance
The Centers: Facebook and Instagram @mutualartscenters
Press Release: Mutual Dance Theatre (formerly known as MamLuft&Co. Dance) to perform live, in |S|P|A|C|E|
Press Release
Mutual Dance Theatre (formerly known as MamLuft&Co. Dance) to perform live in |S|P|A|C|E|, April 16 – May 1, 2021
February 24, 2021
CINCINNATI, OHIO — Mutual Dance Theatre, Cincinnati’s resident Modern Dance company formerly known as MamLuft&Co. Dance, makes its premiere under its new name. This COVID-conscious event will take place live at the organization’s new home in Hartwell (8222 Monon Ave, 45216).
MūDa choreographer Steven P. Evans and the company jump off of pandemic-induced conditions to explore what it means to feel deserving of a claim to space.
Steven P. Evans, choreographer and Company Director. Photography by Jeanne Mam-Luft.
The Modern Dance performance will be like none other, taking place in a unique, studio setting featuring a long, translucent, plastic curtain that defines areas, but also hides and reveals.
Flagship image for |S|P|A|C|E|. Pictured: Hannah Williamson. Photography by Jeanne Mam-Luft.
Evans, a highly talented Cincinnati-native who worked with well-known Modern Dance choreographers in New York City before returning to Cincinnati, likens the dance performance to a journal entry. Through it, he and the Company process some of the conditions we find ourselves in during the COVID-19 pandemic and how metaphorical masking and distancing had been the norm for many prior to it, such as LGBTQ+ persons attempting to blend-in.
Evans struggled in his youth with severe depression as he attempted to hide his sexual identity. A revelation came to him during COVID-19 that masking was all too familiar to him, and from masking comes separation and misunderstandings. And, from social distancing comes isolation and the familiar loss of critical human connection.
Evans writes:
So many people attempt to retreat from their spaces: hiding behind what they can…they don’t — like I didn’t — think they even deserved space for themselves…Each dancer in this work represents various aspects of self-camouflage, and each is cloaked in misinterpretations.
Promotional image for |S|P|A|C|E|. Pictured: Jasmine Snellen and Mutual Dance Theatre company members. Photography by Jeanne Mam-Luft.
When audiences enter the performance space, they are immediately transported into a unique theater experience. They eventually will share space with an enormous plastic curtain — reminiscent of biohazards in films, but also familiar as plastic dividers that have been erected by businesses to protect their workers from the virus. This curtain divides the area and changes during the performance. Audience members can vaguely see what is happening on the other side of the curtain, but given the lack of clarity, masks worn by all, and socially-distanced pod seating, each person immediately feels separation and thus palpably enters into Evans’ world.
The plastic curtain works as a player in this work in multiple ways: it is an intentional homage to COVID-19, it blurs views, it reveals, and it delineates space as very personal or very impersonal.
Additional promotional images for |S|P|A|C|E|. Pictured L: Jasmine Snellen and Jacob Shade. Pictured R: Hannah Neff. Photography by Jeanne Mam-Luft.
Location
The performance will take place in a large studio at Mutual Arts Center, the organization’s new home in Hartwell, quickly accessible from I-75 and other local routes by just a 15 minute drive from most parts of the city. Parking on-site is free and ADA-accessible. The organization is fundraising for renovations to fully complete the transformation of the space into a performance studio theater.
Performers
In this performance, Mutual Dance Theatre (formerly MamLuft&Co. Dance) introduces several new performers previously unseen by Cincinnati audiences: Hannah Neff, Rowan Salem, Jacob Shade, Jasmine Snellen, and Emma Raney (guest artist); in addition to Hannah Williamson and Claire Dieringer who return from previous seasons.
COVID-19 Considerations
Seats will be sold in distanced “pods” wherein a household can share a cluster of 4-5 seats and will be spaced safely from other “pods.” Masks will be worn by all persons: performers, audience members, and front-of-house. COVID-19 screening will take place upon entry, with temperature checks, a masks-required-at-all-times explanation/reminder, and questions regarding symptoms and exposure. More information can be found at mutualdance.org/space#covid.
Tickets and More Information
Tickets are available in pods for 2 through 5 seats, ranging from $60 to $125.
EARLY BIRD PODS are available before March 15, ranging from $50-$100.
Tickets and more information are available at mutualdance.org/space.
Access
Mutual Dance Theatre was founded to create more access to Modern Dance. We believe that all income levels should have the pleasure of attending live performances. Free admission will be provided to persons of low-income. Patrons are encouraged to contact the organization at 513.494.6526 or hello@mutualarts.org for assistance.
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Print-Ready Images
To download high-resolution images, click on the images above or visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/mamluftcodance/albums.
Press contacts
To contact Mutual Dance Theatre, please email hello@mutualarts.org or call 513.494.6526.
Social Media Handles:
Mutual Dance Theatre formerly known as MamLuft&Co. Dance
The Company: Facebook and Instagram @mutualdance
The Center: Facebook and Instagram @mutualartscenter
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Press Release: Contemporary Dance Theater and MamLuft&Co. Dance to Merge
PRESS RELEASE
Contemporary Dance Theater and MamLuft&Co. Dance to merge; ML&Co. takes new name Mutual Dance Theatre first and announces new arts center, Modern Dance academy, and lead artists.
June 20, 2020
CINCINNATI, OHIO — Contemporary Dance Theater (“CDT,” est. 1972) and MamLuft&Co. Dance (“ML&Co.,” est. 2007) will be merging by Fall 2021. MamLuft&Co. Dance will take the new name Mutual Dance Theatre first, effective immediately. The merged organization will be led by MamLuft&Co. Dance’s Artistic and Executive Director, Jeanne Mam-Luft. Contemporary Dance Theater’s founder Jefferson James will retire as Artistic Director Emeritus and continue to lend consultation. ArtsWave has made the merger possible through a $30,000 grant, supporting the idea that a merger between the organizations will lead to more sustainable advancement of Modern Dance.
Jefferson James says about the decision to step down and to pursue the merger:
“This was not an easy decision to make, but I thought the time was right. There is so much change happening in the field of live performance now that one more change seemed appropriate. I will miss the joys of directing my dance organization, but I’m confident I’m leaving the mission of CDT in the hands and heart of an equally dedicated and supremely talented leader. Her job will be to combine the organizations and make an even stronger dance presence in our community than we’ve had.”
Histories
Jefferson James founded Contemporary Dance Theater in 1972 in Cincinnati after leaving Juilliard and New York City, where she trained with the Modern Dance founders and legends José Limón, Martha Graham Dance Company, and Merce Cunningham. While CDT began as a performing repertory company, it eventually became the major presenter of Modern Dance in Cincinnati, as well as an arts service organization which has provided resources to many individual artists and fledgling companies, like MamLuft&Co. Dance, for 47 years. Contemporary Dance Theater was also a founding member of the now-extensive National Performance Network, which supports the presentation, creation, and touring of contemporary arts around the country while advocating for social justice and social equity. (Archival photography and more about CDT’s history can be found at https://vdc.ohiodance.org/exhibits/cdt/.)
Contemporary Dance Theater in Park Dance at Fountain Square, 1980. Photo by Jan Van Dyke. (Download high resolution image here.)
Contemporary Dance Theater and MamLuft&Co. Dance have a long history with each other, starting with ML&Co.’s very first company auditions held at CDT’s studio in 2007. Since then, James has been a mentor to ML&Co. founder Jeanne Mam-Luft, who also later served as James’ assistant director from 2010-2014. As the only self-described Modern Dance company in Cincinnati since 2007, MamLuft&Co. Dance has worked to encourage the presence and consistent work of professionals in Modern Dance.
Jeanne Mam-Luft says about CDT and leader Jefferson James:
“Contemporary Dance Theater — and, really, that means Jefferson — has been absolutely integral to MamLuft&Co. Dance. I’ve never met another person who has single-handedly held up a genre of art for an entire city for as long as Jefferson has. When people call her the ‘mother of Modern Dance in Cincinnati’ (and I know she hates the term), they do it with good reason. My organization — actually, the city — owes so much to her, and it’s an immense honor to be trusted with continuing her work. We both have a deep, deep love for Modern Dance and for Cincinnati, and I know that there is no other work that either of us want to be doing.”
Mam-Luft, a refugee of the Cambodian genocide, is one of only several Asians who are leading arts organizations in Cincinnati. Her vision centers on increasing access and the representation of people of color.
More merger details
- The two organizations will complete the merger over the next season, to be completed by the fall of 2021.
- Contemporary Dance Theater will continue to operate separately until the merger is effectively complete. MamLuft&Co. Dance will be known as Mutual Dance Theatre immediately.
- After fall of 2021, the flagship program of CDT, the presentation of touring companies will be called The Jefferson James Contemporary Dance Theater Series.
- The merged organization will expand and deepen its service to local artists.
- Both CDT and ML&Co./MDT invite the public’s counsel. The organizations are looking for diverse community voices to help re-envision the future. The public can join the effort by visiting mutualdance.org/join.
- Donations can be made at mutualdance.org/support.
Model by Andrea Fernando and David Eppele, rendering by Jeanne Mam-Luft. (Download high resolution image and other views here.)
The Arts Centers: The Hart and The Hill
MamLuft&Co. Dance, in December of 2019 before the pandemic, purchased a 1.5 acre property in the Hartwell area. The organization, now to be known as Mutual Dance Theatre, announces the new arts center. Affectionately termed “The Hart,” the center allows the organization to fulfill its vision of becoming a neighborhood-based community arts center that also creates space specifically for Modern Dance. At the new headquarters, the organization will work to bridge neighboring communities (such Wyoming, Roselawn, Bond Hill, and Carthage) through creative placemaking collaborations and initiatives.
(The rendering above depicts a vision for the center’s improvements.)
Contemporary Dance Theater has been the city’s steward of the College Hill Town Hall since 1999. Under Mutual Dance Theatre management, this arts center (“The Hill”) will continue to serve Modern Dance as one of the very few spaces in Cincinnati appropriate for the genre.
The organization will raise $750,000, which will cover amongst other capital expenses, the creation of black box theater designed specifically for Modern Dance in the Hartwell center, as well as essential updates (including adding much-needed air conditioning) in the College Hill facility.
Tax-deductible donations can be made at mutualdance.org/mergerdonate.
(Download high resolution image here.)
The city’s first Modern Dance academy
Mutual Dance Theatre (as the former MamLuft&Co. Dance) is also proud to announce the establishment of the city’s first Modern Dance academy. The Academy will provide rigorous training for Cincinnati’s youth who seek college degrees in Modern Dance and eventual professional appointments. The Modern Dance academy will provide not only training, but mentorship, resources, connections, and invaluable experiences in preparation for university study. The Academy’s goal is to present racially-diverse, scholarship-worthy, exceptionally-talented cohorts of young dancers to university dance departments.
Artistic changes and appointments
Mutual Dance Theatre (as the former MamLuft&Co. Dance) also announces a transition to a repertory company who will restage works by national choreographers, while continuing support and collaborative opportunities for the Company Members. New Company Members will be announced later this summer, but the organization now announces several artistic promotions.
JASMINE SNELLEN AND STEVEN EVANS, COMPANY DIRECTORS
Jasmine Snellen (Louisville, Kentucky) and Steven Evans (Dayton, Ohio) are promoted to Company Directors. The two will take Jeanne Mam-Luft’s place in daily rehearsal and company leadership, providing fresh lead choreography and exciting new creative direction. The two are extraordinary movement-makers who joined ML&Co. in 2019 and 2013, respectively.
HANNAH WILLIAMSON, REHEARSAL DIRECTOR
A graduate of Wright State University, Hannah Williamson joined MamLuft&Co. Dance in 2017, but began studying in the organization’s summer intensives as just a teenager. Williamson is promoted to Rehearsal Director of the professional company, as well as the Academy’s senior ensemble, in recognition of her outstanding talent.
SUSAN HONER, RESIDENT CHOREOGRAPHER AND ASSOCIATE CURATOR
Raised in Virginia and graduate of the Hollins University/American Dance Festival Master of Fine Arts program, Honer first danced with MamLuft&Co. Dance in 2010. Since then, Honer has been a luminous contributor of artistic vision and choreography. Honer, who led the professional company from 2016-2019, will continue on as a Resident Choreographer and Associate Curator of presentations.
Press contacts
To contact Contemporary Dance Theater, please email dance@cdt-dance.org.
To contact Mutual Dance Theatre (MamLuft&Co. Dance), please email hello@mutualarts.org.
Social Media Handles:
Contemporary Dance Theater
Facebook @contemporarydancetheater
Instagram @cincycdt
Mutual Dance Theatre formerly known as MamLuft&Co. Dance
The Company: Facebook and Instagram @mutualdance
The Center: Facebook and Instagram @mutualartscenter
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