Houston Contemporary Dance Company To Present LOCALISH
Founding Artistic and Executive Director, Marlana Doyle has curated 6 Houston based choreographers to present new smaller works on the company in an intimate setting.
By: A.A. Cristi Jan. 29, 2025
Houston Contemporary Dance Company will present Localish at the Institute of Contemporary Dance on February 21st and 22nd at both 7PM and 9PM.
Founding Artistic and Executive Director, Marlana Doyle has curated 6 Houston based choreographers to present new smaller works on the company in an intimate setting with the theme and/ or idea to be based around the City of Houston and its ties to diverse communities surrounding the city. Special Guest Artists include our pre professional company, Houston Contemporary 2.
LOCALISH is funded in part by the Houston Arts Alliance through the City of Houston, Texas Commission on the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, Mid America Arts Alliance and Dance Source Houston. We would also like to Thank Bob Boblitt, Bobbie Nau, Shirley and Brian Colona, Remington and Sarah Tonar, Bank of Texas and Amegy Bank, for their support this Season.
Read more about the 6 Local Guest Choreographer below:
Stacey Allen, is an award-winning performance artist, curator, and advocate for arts education, educational equity, and reproductive justice. A wife and mother to three beautiful children, Stacey centers her artistic and civic work on unearthing untold stories and creating pathways for social change. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Nia's Daughters Movement Collective, a professional dance company dedicated to supporting art and wellness initiatives through the lens of Black women and girls.
Adam Castaneda, is a dancer, choreographer, and arts administrator living in Houston, Texas. He is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Pilot Dance Project, and through his non-profit, he produces a full season of professional Modern dance as well as the Texas Latino/a/x Contemporary Dance Festival and Bayou City Dances. Adam is a three-time recipient of the Houston Arts Alliance's Support for Artists and Creative Individuals Grant for his evening-length works Lazarus in the Promised Land (2021), Migration (2023), and The Women of Northside (2024). Outside of dance, Adam is a proud full-time faculty member of Houston Community College's English department.
Donna Crump, is an award-winning choreographer, artistic director, and performing artist from New Orleans, Louisiana, renowned for her ability to captivate and connect with audiences. With a BFA in dance (Tulane University) and over 30 years of experience in dance and performance, Donna's artistry has earned her widespread recognition. She currently serves as a director and dance educator in the Houston Independent School District, where she inspires the next generation of performers. She believes dance begins with a feeling, transforms into action, and resonates within the soul.
Rivkah French, is an award-winning queer contemporary choreographer and community leader based in Houston and Austin, Texas. French embodies freedom in movement by breaking dance, gender and societal norms--merging multiple dance styles, powerful themes, and innovative technologies. Rivkah engages audiences and participants in a journey of transformational discovery and expression through both performance and social practice events. French won the Outsmart Magazine's Favorite Dancer award and was named Houston's Top Choreographer by Houston Press.
Nao Kusuzaki, was born in Ehime prefecture, Japan, and became a member of Corps de Ballet with Boston Ballet in 2001 and in 2004 she joined Houston Ballet, and was promoted to Soloist in 2009. Nao is also active in the Houston community through producing Dance for Hope, a benefit Concert in response to Japan Earthquake of 2011, co-creating TSURU with Asia Society Texas Center in 2015, and directing and dancing The 45th Anniversary Ballet Performance celebrating Houston and Chiba Sister City Relations, which premiered in July 22, 2017.Nao is Founder of Creative Minds Collaborative Inc., a nonprofit organization which seeks to create meaning across artists, educators, and supporters of the arts utilizing dance as the main medium.
Andrea Dawn Shelley, a native of Miami, Florida, received her classical ballet training predominately from Magdalena Maury and Magda G. Auñon. As a choreographer, she has created original works commissioned by professional dance companies and festivals Currently, Ms. Shelley serves as Ballet Mistress and Rehearsal Assistant for Houston Contemporary Dance Company as well as Rehearsal Director for Vitacca Ballet in Houston, TX.
ABOUT HOUSTON CONTEMPORARY DANCE COMPANY:
Houston Contemporary aims to lead and innovate performing arts in Houston by drawing upon the director's long tradition of inclusiveness and diversity within all facets of the organization. HCDC sets itself apart by employing high caliber performing and choreographic artists from across the country. In setting high technical and artistic standards, HCDC is currently the only contemporary repertory company to provide Houston audiences with opportunities to view works created by some of America's most exciting dancemakers that speak to and are representative of the full spectrum of Houston's diverse populace, while supporting talented Texas based artists as well.
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