PHILADANCO! The Philadelphia Dance Company

Overview

Celebrate Black Dance with the Gantt.

PHILADANCO! The Philadelphia Dance Company

Accompanied by a score that ranges from Afro-house to classical to the late R&B singer Phyllis Hyman, the New York Times applauds PHILADANCO! for its “impressively skilled dancers and their give-it-your-all spirit.”

Like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and Dance Theatre of Harlem, PHILADANCO! was founded during the height of the Civil Rights movement to provide opportunities for Black dancers who were denied entrance to dance schools, and had even fewer professional performance outlets.  

For nearly 55 years – across the nation and around the world – the company has embodied innovation, creativity, and the preservation of African American traditions in dance.  Today, PHILADANCO! is acclaimed globally for its artistic integrity, superbly trained dancers, and captivating performances.  Reviews highlight the company's strong technique, athleticism, and impact. 

Joan Myers Brown – the visionary founder – remains a vital member of the company.  President Barack Obama presented the National Medal of Arts to Brown in 2013, citing her for creating “an artistic haven for African American dancers and choreographers to innovate, create, and share their unique visions with national and global dance communities.”  Brown is in rarified company. Among others, Leontyne Price, Romare Bearden, Aretha Franklin, and Spike Lee have also been awarded the nation’s highest civic honor for excellence in the arts.

Brown serves as honorary chairperson for the International Association of Blacks in Dance (IABD), an organization that she laid the groundwork for in 1988 with the founding of the International Conference of Black Dance Companies.  She was a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and, in May 2015, received an honorary Doctor of Arts degree from the University of Pennsylvania.