Tanya Wideman-Davis + Thaddeus Davis
Artistic Directors

Columbia, South Carolina

Wideman Davis Dance, founded in 2003, is deeply committed to revealing social and political issues through an African American perspective. We make work that is inspired by and engaged with current issues including race, social class, gender, and location.

Viewing education as essential, Wideman Davis Dance connects with communities of all ages through residencies and by increasing their awareness of these social and political issues, and the ways in which those issues play out in today’s world.

Wideman Davis Dance make dances that have the capacity to tell the truth and move the spirit, giving voice to the people who both perform and view them. They create a space for truths to be told, rupturing the silence of denial, and retelling history about the African American experience.

Telling such truths can foster a range of reactions, from inspiration to discomfort, from inquiry to debate. In their artistic encounters, the company highly values the exchange that occurs with their audiences as they respond.

They have created and performed with legendary companies and artists, including Dance Theater of Harlem, Alonzo King’s LINES Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, Donald Byrd/The Group, Ballet NY, and Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

Helen Simoneau
Artistic Director

Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Founded in 2009, Helen Simoneau Danse (HSDanse) is committed to creating and performing dance works of its founder and choreographer Helen Simoneau.

In addition to an annual performance in Winston-Salem, NC, the company has been presented in Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Greece, Italy, Spain, Switzerland, and toured throughout Germany, Asia, and the United States. This past Fall, the company made its debut in China at Dance Stages Shanghai Dance Festival.

Her solo “the gentleness was in her hands” was presented at the 13th Internationales Solo-Tanz-Theater Festival in Stuttgart, Germany, where she was awarded 1st place for Choreography. The 2019-20 season marks HSDanse’s 10-year Anniversary of creating and presenting dance in North Carolina and beyond.

She has been described as “a Choreographer-on-the-rise” with a style that is both “athletic and smooth” — Dance Magazine

George Staib
Artistic Director

Avondale Estates, Georgia

In 2005, George Staib and a small group of pick-up dancers created and performed several original pieces, and from these humble beginnings, the inspiration for staibdance was born.

Driven by a growing desire to boost the visibility and viability of contemporary dance in the Southeast, staibdance began to include workshops and educational programming.

With the establishment of the Staibdance Summer Intensive in Sorrento, Italy in 2010, the mission was expanded to include cultural and international exchange. Week-long summer intensive workshops began in Atlanta in 2011. That first workshop was filled to capacity and has been every year since with dancers from around the country.

On the heel of the successful full-length premiere of attic in 2015, staibdance began receiving consistent critical acclaim for his innovative movement combined with energized tension and nuanced virtuosity of the dancers. With the premiere of moat in 2016, Staib’s stature as a choreographer became more elevated.

The premier of wishdust, in 2017, was greeted with completely sold-out performances. Wishdust was recognized by ArtsATL as “one of the most powerful and thoughtfully conceived dance works presented in Atlanta this year.”

Carlos Guerra + Jennifer Kronenberg
Directors

Miami, Florida

Dimensions Dance Theatre of Miami (DDTM) was founded in 2016 by Carlos and Jennifer, two former Miami City Ballet principal dancers. DDTM operates as contemporary ballet company with strong ties to the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center.