A contemporary ballet/modern dance performance inspired by the works of poet Mary Oliver and the photographs that will be projected on the cyc, taken by Dennis Pikus. The dances will be accompanied by a live quartet playing “Quartet for The End of Time” by Messiaen, along with selected songs by singer/songwriter Josh Coad.
*Note: ASL interpretation will be available
This show is funded, in part, (and with gratitude), by the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Rachael Coad has always been in movement. She grew up dancing in Northern Virginia and attended the prestigious Virginia School of the Arts for high school, under the direction of Petrus Bosman of The Royal Ballet. She also worked with amazing guest choreographers such as Keelan Whitmore, Kathy Brenner, Jennifer Medina, and Christopher Huggins. She received her BFA with Honors in Ballet and Modern Dance from Texas Christian University where she trained under Li Chou Cheng, Elizabeth Gillaspy, and Susan Douglas Roberts, among others. She performed in works by renowned choreographers such as Kanji Segawa, Er Dong Hu, Loretta Livingston, and Alexandra Bellar. During her time at TCU, she was honored to perform “Soaring,” an original work of Doris Humphrey; as well as Jessica Lang’s “Confessions” in the American College Dance Festival Association National Gala at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. She has attended intensives at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Dallas Black Dance Theatre, and Ballet Austin. She has been a dance educator for the last twelve years at many schools and studios across the DFW Metroplex, as well as in the DMV area: most notably The Texas Ballet Theater, The Washington Ballet, and Joy of Motion Dance Center. She currently performs throughout the DMV with UpRooted Dance, The Lion’s Den, and Aru Dell’Arte. She was blessed to be a part of the Printz Dance Project’s February 2020 choreography residency at The Kennedy Center’s REACH Program. She enjoys choreographing works for all ages and levels of dancers. Her main passions and areas of exploration are on the human relationship to nature, mental health (particularly in relationship to anxiety), and the mental load of motherhood. She is also a part time event planner under THE GROUND FLOOR PROJECT for luxury apartment communities across the East Coast, curating events to bring together these communities and celebrate local artists and small businesses. Lastly, she is a proud wife and mum to two young daughters and of all her jobs, she takes the most pride in the one that makes her absolutely no money.
