MISSION
STATEMENT
CoDanceCo,
a non-profit service organization,
is dedicated to fostering the art of
dance through four strands of
activity:
- residency dance programs for
public schools
- professional development for
dancers, teachers, and students
- choreographic residencies with
established and emerging
choreographers
- performance-based projects
celebrating the rich stylistic
diversity of concert dance
CoDanceCo's current
programs:
Dancing Classrooms
Day of
Dance
DansLab
DansTrax
ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND
Founded and directed by Nancy
Duncan, CoDanceCo is designed as a
highly flexible organizational model
in order to best serve the
ever-changing world of dance
creators, performers, collaborators,
presenters, and their audiences.
Originally based in New York City
CoDanceCo's choreographic laboratory
program was at the heart of the
company's mission. The laboratory
provided a creative environment
within which dancers,
choreographers, and composers could
collaborate without the financial,
administrative, and managerial
pressures that were inherent in
producing their own work.
Simultaneously, CoDanceCo brought to
audiences through its home-based
seasons, touring programs, and
educational residencies a
wide-angled view of an American art
form. Under Duncan's direction from
1982 through 1992 CoDanceCo
commissioned and presented works
created by 28 choreographers, 14
composers, and over 50 dancers.
Choreographers commissioned included
Eiko & Koma, Ralph Lemon, Susan
Marshall, Bebe Miller, Mark Morris,
Charles Moulton, Ohad Naharin, Doug
Varone, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane,
among others. Duncan's work through
CoDanceCo garnered her a 1991 New
York Dance and Performance Award
Citation (aka Bessie).
Since 1994 CoDanceCo continued to
serve its original mission through
Duncan's activities as a New York
State DanceForce member. Working in
collaboration with DanceForce
members from the Capital Region,
Duncan supported artists, educators,
and presenters in a multitude of
projects created to nurture and
foster the development of dance
artists and their audiences.
Beginning in the fall of 2003
Duncan's relocation to the
Brookhaven Township of Long Island
provided a new home base for
CoDanceCo's creative, educational,
and performance-based residency
projects.
 BIOGRAPHY - Founding Director Nancy Duncan
As a member of the Minnesota Dance
Theatre (MDT) from 1972-1980, Duncan
performed with the company and was a
principal teacher in contemporary
technique for their professional
dance program in the School of
Performing Arts. She also supervised
and taught MDT's Urban Arts Dance
Program for grades 7-12 sponsored by
the Minneapolis Public Schools.
Duncan
was chosen by the Minneapolis dance
community as the 1991 McKnight
National Fellow for the annual
residency program administered by
the Minnesota Dance Alliance. As a
Fellow, Duncan, in partnership with
choreographer Melanie Lien,
conducted a four-week residency in
the Minneapolis community presenting
dance technique classes,
choreographic workshops, and public
presentations.
Upon relocating to
New York City,
Duncan founded CoDanceCo as a
production and performance company
to nurture the artistic development
of contemporary dance artists. For
her work with CoDanceCo, she was
awarded a Special Citation New York
Dance and Performance (Bessie) Award
in 1991. In addition, through
CoDanceCo, she was on the New York
Foundation for the Arts roster as an
Artist-in-Residence for four years,
during which she worked with the
Dutchess County BOCES and four
school districts to create
individualized dance residency
programs.
Duncan was the Artistic Director of
London Contemporary Dance Theatre
from 1991-1992 during which time she
commissioned works by Arnie Zane,
Nina Wiener, Mark Morris, Amanda
Miller, Christopher Bruce,
Marguerita Guergue, Aletta Collins
and others; programmed three London
seasons; and five touring seasons in
England and abroad. Following her
work in London she served as an Arts
Administration Fellow with the
Presenting and Commissioning Program
at the National Endowment for the
Arts (January 1993-April 1993). In
1993 Duncan joined Pentacle/DanceWorks,
a non-profit service organization in
New York City, and served as
Director of Booking Operations
through February 1998. In the fall
of 1997 Duncan produced a four-week
dance festival, Dancing in the
Isles: British Invasion '97,
featuring five acclaimed British
contemporary dance artists/companies
in collaboration with five of
New York City's
dance venues.
Beginning in the spring of 2000
through the fall of 2001 Duncan
worked for the Baryshnikov Dance
Foundation as Community Outreach
Programs Director for White Oak
Dance Project's production
PastForward. Her responsibilities
included setting dance works on
community volunteer performers,
developing educational activities
with the educational coordinator in
each performance venue, and creating
supplemental educational materials
to accompany the production. Duncan
worked with over 900 community
performers in 18 cities across the
U.S., including international sites
Montreal,
Paris, Berlin, and Edinburgh.
Since 1994
Duncan
has been a member of the New York
State Dance Force. She has served as
chair for the Huntington Arts
Council Decentralization grants
panel, a board member for the
Patchogue Theater for the Performing
Arts, as a panelist for the National
Endowment for the Arts Dance
Program, and for the Dance Program
of the New Jersey State Council on
the Arts. She currently serves on
the Suffolk County Citizens Advisory
Board for the Arts and the Patchogue
Arts Council. She holds a B.S. in
Elementary Education with a minor in
music and an M.A. in Liberal Arts.
BOARD of TRUSTEES
 Paul O'Neil,
Chair
Director of Finance & Operations
Human Rights in China
Vincent J. Pisano, Treasurer
Vice President
Dresdner, Kleinwort
Nancy J.
Duncan, Secretary
Producing Director
CoDanceCo, Inc.
Lynne
Steincamp
Theatrical & Dance Costume Designer
Greg McCaslin
Director of Education
Roundabout Theatre Company
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Danielle Angrisani
Nuala DeGeorge
Claudia Dickson
Diane Giattino
Barbara Mordente
Colleen Murphy |
