ODC, formerly the Oberlin Dance Collective, is a

contemporary dance Contemporary dance is a genre of Concert dance, dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly stron ...

and arts organization founded in 1971, in Oberlin, Ohio, by current artistic director Brenda Way. ODC relocated to

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

in 1976 and in 1979 became the first modern dance company in America to build its own facility, from which it still operates. ODC comprises ODC/Dance, its contemporary dance company, ODC Theater, and ODC School, which provides classes and training for youth, teen, and adult dancers. ODC/Dance's programs involve 16,000 artists and students and reach 50,000 audience members annually. The company is noted for its fusion of classical and modern techniques and for its collaborations, including with writers

Leslie Scalapino Leslie Scalapino (July 25, 1944 – May 28, 2010) was an American poet, experimental prose writer, playwright, essayist, and editor, sometimes grouped in with the Language poets, though she felt closely tied to the Beat poets. Writes Hejinian: ...

and Rinde Eckert; actors

Bill Irwin William Mills Irwin (born April 11, 1950) is an American actor, choreographer, clown, and comedian. He began as a vaudeville-style stage performer and has been noted for his contribution to the renaissance of American circus during the 1970s. ...

Geoff Hoyle Geoff Hoyle (born 15 April 1945) is an English performer who originated the role of Zazu in the Broadway theatre production of ''The Lion King.'' Hoyle has also performed in vaudeville shows, worked with Bill Irwin in "The Pickle Family Circus", ...

and

Robin Williams Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comedie ...

; and visual artists

Wayne Thiebaud Wayne Thiebaud ( ; born Morton Wayne Thiebaud; November 15, 1920 – December 25, 2021) was an American painter known for his colorful works depicting commonplace objects—pies, cakes, lipsticks, paint cans, ice cream cones, pastries, and hot d ...

, John Woodall, and

Eleanor Coppola Eleanor Jessie Coppola ( Neil; May 4, 1936 – April 12, 2024) was an American documentary film director, screenwriter, and artist. She was married to director Francis Ford Coppola from 1963 until her death. She was best-known for her 1991 docum ...

Name and move

The company was named after

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1833, it is the oldest Mixed-sex education, coeducational lib ...

in Oberlin, Ohio, where Brenda Way was a member of the faculty. In the 1976 move, the company moved west in a yellow school bus.

Repertory and awards

ODC/Dance Company has three resident choreographers, Brenda Way, KT Nelson, and Oberlin College's first dance major Kimi Okada. The company's repertory of over 120 works includes commissions for

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Founded in 1958, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (AAADT) is the largest modern dance company in the United States.Dance Data Project (October 2024) 2024 Largest Contemporary and Modern Companies Report Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater ...

, the

and

Oakland Oakland is a city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is the county seat and most populous city in Alameda County, with a population of 440,646 in 2020. A major West Coast port, Oakland is ...

Ballets, the

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and Santa Fe Operas, the

Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill, Minneapolis, Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in ...

and the Festival des Etoiles, among others. Awards include five

Isadora Duncan Dance Award The Isadora Duncan Dance Awards or Izzies honor San Francisco Bay Area dance artists for outstanding achievements in a range of categories including: choreography, sustained achievement, individual performance, company performance, costume design, a ...

s, a

Guggenheim Fellowship Guggenheim Fellowships are Grant (money), grants that have been awarded annually since by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, endowed by the late Simon Guggenheim, Simon and Olga Hirsh Guggenheim. These awards are bestowed upon indiv ...

(American Academy of Rome) residency for Way, and a

Tony Award The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ce ...

nomination for Okada. ODC was named "Best Dance Company" in the ''

San Francisco Bay Guardian The ''San Francisco Bay Guardian'' was a free alternative newspaper published weekly in San Francisco, California. The paper was shut down on October 14, 2014. Parts of the paper were relaunched online in February 2016. History The ''Bay Guar ...

'' for 2005 and 2006 and the San Francisco Business Arts Council's choice for "Exceptional Non-Profit Arts Organization—2004". Composed of eleven dancers, ODC/Dance performs its repertory for more than 50,000 people annually. ODC/Dance presents two home seasons at the

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Yerba Buena Center for the Arts (YBCA) is a multi-disciplinary Contemporary art, contemporary arts center in San Francisco, California, United States. Located in Yerba Buena Gardens, YBCA features visual art, performance, and film/video that cel ...

, which feature new and repertory work, and the family production of ''

The Velveteen Rabbit ''The Velveteen Rabbit'' (or ''How Toys Become Real'') is a British children's book written by Margery Williams (also known as Margery Williams Bianco) and illustrated by William Nicholson (artist), William Nicholson. It chronicles the story of ...

'' during the winter holiday season. ODC/Dance's touring roster has included the

Kennedy Center The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...

, the

Spoleto Festival The ''Festival dei Due Mondi'' (Festival of the Two Worlds) is an annual summer music and opera festival held each June to early July in Spoleto, Italy, since its founding by composer Gian Carlo Menotti in 1958. It features a vast array of conc ...

Jacob's Pillow Jacob's Pillow is a Dance studio, dance center, school and performance space located in Becket, Massachusetts, in the Berkshires. The facility itself was listed as a National Historic Landmark District in 2003. History The site of Jacob's Pi ...

, (BAM)and the

Joyce Theater The Joyce Theatre Foundation is a leading presenter of dance in New York City and nationally. It is runs, in part, from the Joyce Theater, a 472-seat dance performance venue located in the Chelsea, Manhattan, Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in ...

, as well as venues in Europe, Australia, Southeast Asia, and regions across the former Soviet Union.

ODC School and Rhythm and Motion Dance Program

ODC School and Rhythm and Motion Dance Program offer a weekly schedule of over 200 classes for all ages and skill levels. In conjunction with ODC Theater, the School provides several mentoring programs for emerging and mid-career choreographers and was the first organization in San Francisco to offer a modern dance curriculum for children. ODC School offers tuition scholarships and educational outreach to

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

youth. Its diverse array of classes include ballet, dances of the African diaspora, salsa, belly dance, hip hop, and tap, among other forms.

ODC Theater

The ODC Theater is the site of over 150 performances a year involving nearly 1,000 local, regional, national and international artists. It sponsors curatorial, educational and mentoring opportunities, including a comprehensive three-year residency program that offers presentation, development and advocacy subsidies for emerging and mid-career artist in the San Francisco Bay Area.

References

External links

*
ODC Theater

ODC School/Rhythm and Motion Dance Program
{{DEFAULTSORT:ODC Dance Dance companies in the United States Contemporary dance companies Dance in California Theatres in San Francisco Arts organizations based in the San Francisco Bay Area Non-profit organizations based in San Francisco Arts organizations established in 1971 1971 establishments in California Education in San Francisco Art in San Francisco