Houston Contemporary Dance Company Presents “LOCALISH”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Marlana Doyle, (713) 804-6646 ext 3, marlana@houstoncontemporary.org

Houston Contemporary Dance Company Presents
LOCALISH

FEBRUARY 21 and 22
7pm and 9pm Performance
Reserved Tickets: $25
Institute of Contemporary Dance
1302 Houston Ave. St. 300
Houston, TX 77007
(713)-804-6646

Houston, TX – Houston Contemporary Dance Company presents 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 fu 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 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 nonprof 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.

Marlana Doyle, Founding Artistic and Executive Director, is originally from Massachusetts and graduated from Point Park University in 2001 with a BA in Dance. Marlana is the former Artistic Director of Met Dance, where she held various positions for seventeen years. Under her direction, Marlana’s vision and leadership catapulted the company to new levels of excellence and growth while holding tightly to the company’s long tradition of diversity and versatility in its dancers, choreographers, collaborators, and content. Marlana is the President & CEO of the Institute of Contemporary Dance which houses Houston Contemporary professional concert dance company and HC2, a youth training company. Marlana is a member of Dance Source Houston, International Association of Blacks in Dance, Texans in the Arts and Dance USA, spending 2009-2012 as an emerging leader at Dance USA. She was awarded the Dance USA Leadership Mentee Fellowship for the institute of training in 2012 and was a mentor for the same program in 2019. She served for three years as a Dance USA Board of Trustee member and served as the Artistic Director Council Chair. Marlana has also serving on the Performing Arts Houston’s Educational Committee, San Jacinto College Dance Advisory Board and the Leadership Committee for Arts Connect. As a performer, Marlana has danced and generated roles in a range of works by renowned choreographers and artists. Marlana is also a guest teacher and an award-winning choreographer for her many students in Houston and throughout the United States. She has choreographed for the City of Houston, Levi’s and Walmart, Mercury Ensemble, Apollo Chamber Players, Houston Chamber Choir, Houston Symphony, TUTS, Loop38, Kinetic Ensemble, ROCO, University of Houston, Sam Houston State University, Lamar University, RICE University and University of St. Thomas. She lives in Sugar Land, TX with her husband Ben and her two adorable daughters Olivia and Evie.

For more information about Houston Contemporary Dance Company and how to purchase tickets, please see below:
Houston City Book Article
Dance Dish Article
Houston Contemporary Promo Video
Houston Chronicle Article
Houstonia Article

FOR CALENDAR LISTING:
Who: Houston Contemporary Dance Company
What: Localish
When: February 21-22nd, 2025
Times: 7PM and 9PM
Where: Institute of Contemporary Dance
*Tickets are on sale at: https://houstoncontemporary.harnessgiving.org/events/2410
Why: To be an innovative non-profit repertory dance company transforming how Houston experiences dance as an art form that moves, unites, and inspires.
Contact: Marlana Doyle (Founder & Artistic Director) marlana@houstoncontemporary.org