COCA Announces 2022–2023 COCApresents Season

COCA, the fourth largest multidisciplinary community arts center in the U.S. and a leader in innovative arts education, announced its 2022-2023 COCApresents Season which is comprised of thought-provoking programming for multigenerational audiences. COCApresents, COCA's signature performance season, features returning favorites and innovative new work. The season runs November 4, 2022-July 23, 2023.

"The dance productions this season include a behind-the-scenes look at a unique, creative choreographic development process; a reimagined version of the COCA holiday tradition, The Little Dancer; and an exciting spring repertoire created by some of the nation's leading voices in dance," said Kirven Douthit-Boyd, Associate Director of Dance Production at COCA. "Multigenerational audiences are sure to be inspired by our student artists as they present these new works on the COCA stage."

The COCApresents season kicks-off with the return of Choreographic Lab. Over a 7-week period, Choreographer Ryadah Heiskell leads a special residency utilizing student dancers from COCA's Pre-Professional Division Dance Program and engages the dancers in a blend of movement vocabularies to construct contemporary dance works. The project includes mentorship from notable working professional artists and opportunities to sharpen pedagogical skills. Audiences have two opportunities to preview the work during informal showings and talk-backs with Heiskell.

In December, student dancers from COCA's Ballet Eclectica bring The Little Dancer back to the stage as a full-length classical ballet. Reimagined as The Little Dancer: Moments in Time, this performance offers a fresh perspective to the beloved holiday tradition by way of renowned Choreographer and Creative Director Kevin Jenkins. This brand-new production was conceptualized using stories from COCA's young artists to put an innovative spin on the well-known classic and features original sound, set, and costume design.

TRIumphant makes a mighty return, showcasing the ever-evolving talents of COCA's three student dance companies. The weekend of performances features the work of renowned choreographers Justin Conte, Nina Flagg, Tom Gold, Abdur Rahim Jackson, and Marcus Jarrell Willis across three different programs. Audiences get to view dance across many genres and experience the power and versatility of COCA's young artists. TRIumphant also marks the final performance of COCA's graduating class.

"At the forefront of this season is work that will challenge and ignite the imagination of our theatre students and audiences alike," said Jennifer Wintzer, COCA Artistic Director of Theatre. "Under the guidance of local and national creatives, we are excited to invite our audiences to explore the boundless themes of both a contemporary work and a reignited classic, all while putting young people at the center."

New this season, audiences are invited for an inside look at the training process of COCA's Pre-Professional Division Theatre Artist Program through student performance and faculty dialogue. With the Vocal Company Fall Concert and Improv Troupe Fall Performance, audiences can see what COCA's student artists on all three tracks of study-Musical Theatre, Stage & Screen, and Design-Tech-are up to this season. For the Improv Troupe Spring Performance, Theatre Artist Program students take their funny on the road with site-specific improv performances throughout the region. Audiences can witness some of the best young vocalists in the St. Louis area for the Vocal Company Spring Concert. The Concert showcases a song-cycle of musical theatre and contemporary works.

In March, the COCAwrites Festival provides students and audiences the opportunity to learn more about documentary theatre and the adaptation process of new work with both a professional production and staged readings of student work based on companion text. Recommended for older teens and adults, the headliner The Wolves, directed by Ashleigh Akilah Rucker, is the debut play of playwright Sarah DeLappe that chronicles a girls' high school indoor soccer team as they prepare for their games each week. In Student Voices, Pre-Professional Division students showcase original works developed within the COCAwrites program that encompass the Festival's theme of adaptation and documentation.

COCA's annual summer musical concludes the season with Pippin, the story of a young man's journey to be extraordinary. With an infectiously unforgettable score from Stephen Schwartz, this circus-inspired version of Pippin captivates and appeals to the young at heart. Pippin finds that happiness lies not in extraordinary endeavors, but rather in the unextraordinary moments that happen every day. COCA student artists perform alongside regional professional artists for this production of Pippin.

Tickets go on sale to COCA Membership on September 1 and the general public on September 6. For more information, visit cocastl.org/coca-presents or contact the COCA Box Office at 314.561.4873 or boxoffice@cocastl.org.

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