Chamber Dance Project Presents Zoom History Of Ballet April 21

Chamber Dance Project (CDP), Washington's foremost contemporary ballet company, is harnessing creative uses of technology to prepare for its coming New Works 2020 season. Chamber Dance Project has introduced "Get Closer to the Art-Virtual Chat Series," free Zoom sessions that are taking place at 5 p.m. every Tuesday.

Attendees at the sessions will get a behind-the-scenes look as choreographer and dancers and designers talk and show their craft as well as look at period of ballet history in slides and music and video. To receive a link for the Zoom sessions rsvp@chamberdance.org before noon on the Tuesday of the event. Call 202.499.2297 for further information.

On Tuesday, April 21 CDP Artistic Director Diane Coburn Bruning will explore the history of ballet from the Courts to Classicism- An Overview of 300 Years of Ballet History with a multi-media presentation and dialogue on Zoom. She will begin this multi-media survey with what is deemed to have been the first ballet in 1581, Ballet Comique de la Reine in France and move through the centuries to Russia and the period of the classical ballets. Diane will focus on the evolution of the art form from the courts to the proscenium stage. After the ½ hour presentation a discussion with participants will take place.

As a choreographer in New York, Bruning had the opportunity to work in the Dance Collection of New York Public Library - the world's foremost dance archive - and study dance history under its founding curator, Genevieve Oswald. During this time she also taught dance history at Douglass College and Rutgers University before she was able to dedicate herself full-time to her choreographic career and subsequent founding of the Chamber Dance Project.

On Tuesday, April 28 watch Chris Rogerson, an acclaimed young composer, talk about his powerful and exciting music for Claudia Schreier's world premiere ballet in the July season. Rogerson will talk about his early training and why he was drawn to composing. He will walk the audience through one movement of the ballet's score for string quartet, then deconstruct it compositionally. He will present rehearsal videos of Claudia's work in the studio. He will engage the audience in an on-the-spot composition to reveal a bit of his process in composing.

"Even though we cannot yet perform in public, we want to connect with our audience in a meaningful way to help keep everyone's spirits up. The arts have the power to boost our hearts and minds and that's why we are sharing our passion, creativity and human expression in this unique way, enjoy our free weekly virtual chats. Grab a glass of wine and join us!" said Diane Coburn Bruning.

The award-winning Chamber Dance Project in preparing for its 7th season in July as Washington's foremost contemporary ballet company. New Works 2020 will mark the company's most ambitious season ever with four premieres bringing together dancers and musicians of the highest caliber.

Award-winning choreographer and Artistic Director Diane Coburn Bruning founded Chamber Dance Project upon her conviction that dance should be a collaboration between dancers and musicians, and that when artists' share the creative process with audiences, it deepens the audience's experience of witnessing a live performance.

Chamber Dance Project's work is a collaboration of outstanding artists and designers creating new works. The company commissions and performs new and contemporary works by outstanding choreographers and composers in collaboration with dancers and musicians (who appear together onstage). In this series, as well as in open rehearsals, they share the creative process. With its Donated Ticket and Bring a Child for Free programs, CDP provides access to those who otherwise not have the opportunity to see live music and dance.

Chamber Dance Project sponsors include Bloomberg Philanthropies, DC Commission on Arts and Humanities, KPMG, The Share Fund and Macy's, among others.

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