presented by Miller Theatre Advisory Board and Houston Metropolitan Dance Center

Start your summer with an evening bursting with energy, music and the intoxicating spirt of dance. Bringing together an array dance genres, music and movement, Houston Metropolitan Dance Center Inc.’s performance will inspire, enthuse, and entertain audiences.

Featuring choreography and Performances by: Brittany Nicole Bass, Adam Castan͂eda, Roberta Paixao Cortes, Randall Flinn, Lindsay Gary, Christina Gerard-Sylla, Jennifer Mabus, Caleb Mitchell, jhon r. stronks and Lori Yuill.

 HMDC activates it’s goal of gathering Houston based choreographic artists for the purpose of bringing to life an evening that embodies and incites the exclamation YAY DANCE!

We’re LIVE on stage and online! You can choose to watch it on

Miller Outdoor Theatre’s website here,

MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE’S YouTube Channel here,

MILLER OUTDOOR THEATRE’S Facebook here!

TICKETS AVAILABLE STARTING Friday MAY 28 AT 9:00 AM!!

This performance is sponsored in part by the City of Houston through the Miller Theatre Advisory Board.

Production Stage Manager/Lighting Designer - Tiffany Schrepferman

Running Crew - Nicole Rajkumar and Michelle Smith

Miller Outdoor Theater Staff:

Terry Cranshaw - Production Supervisor

Marc Wilson - Stage Supervisor-Props

john Smetak - Head Electrician

Clifford Presswood - Head Sound

2021 Program Information information below

In between

Choreographed and Directed by Roberta Paixao Cortes 

Music composed by Thomas Helton and Performed by Thomas Helton, Seth Paynter 

Danced by Roberta Paixao Cortes, Lindsey McGill

Masks hand made and donated by Conceição Amaral

Costumes by Roberta Paixao Cortes

Photo collage intro by André Amaral 

Videography by Pin Lim with video editing by Andre Amaral and Pin Lim

Original Light Design by Edgar Guajardo

*Group Acorde is funded in part by Dance Source Houston’s GroundWork Grant 2021

Group Acorde

Group Acorde is a performance company formed by two contemporary dancers and two improvisational musicians, who innovatively collaborate in all aspects of the creation process. Its movement is inspired by classical background and its music is primarily composed of saxophone and bass. Its mission is to cultivate and educate audiences through live performances and its main programs are public performances and “pay what you can” outreach classes to the community. The company has performed original works by its members and has collaborated with guest artists; Israeli choreographer Anat Grigorio, Texas choreographer Jennifer Mabus, Texas composer Andrew Leinhard, Brazilian visual artist Andre Amaral and New York based photographer Christopher Peddecord. Its work has been showcased throughout various festivals and venues in Houston and Austin and the company has self produced two evening length works as well as an immersive art/performance installation.  www.groupacorde.org

Movement I: A Quiet Ending 

Choreography: Adam Castan͂eda

Performance: Mia Pham, Tory Pierce, Kristina Prats, and Lena Yeh 

Music: "Lale's Theme," by Warren Ellis; "All Things Beautiful," by Nick Cave & Ellis Warren

For Adelina Castan͂eda 

Movement II: Moor Yourself. Let the tether break through ...

Choreography: Adam Castan͂eda

Performance: Jarred Martin, Jade Devault, Hannah Dunning, Courtney Sherman-Allen, Ashley Boykin

Music: “Blood Family” Alex Somers

Adam Castan͂eda

Adam Castan͂eda is a dancer, writer, and arts administrator living in Houston, Texas. He is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Pilot Dance Project, and his programming has been funded by the Mid-America Arts Alliance, City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Endowment, Texas Commission on the Arts, EmcArts, the Morales Foundation, HoustonFirst, the Midtown Management District, Bunnies on the Bayou, and Dance Source Houston. Through his non-profit, he produces a full season of professional Modern dance as well as the annual Houston Fringe Festival. Adam is a grateful recipient of a Support for Artists and Creative Individuals Grant from the Houston Arts Alliance to produce Lazarus in the Promised Land, a celebration of the Houston Mexican American community. Lazarus in the Promised Land will premiere Fall 2021 at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Center. Stay tuned. www.pilotdanceproject.org

Social Islands

Choreography: Brittany Bass

Videography: SETSVN 

Performance: Jessica Figueroa, Somya Gupta, Gaby Luna, Lia Madrazo, Mary Catherine McReynolds

*This screening of Social Islands is part of a series of screenings and performances is Funded by Houston Arts alliance SACI grant.

Brittany Nicole Bass

Brittany Nicole Bass has earned her Bachelor’s degree in dance from the University of Houston. Currently, she is a Teaching Artist with Houston Ballet’s Education and Community Engagement Department. She is on Faculty for the Houston MET Dance. She is the program associate for Dance Source Houston and has been a member of Karen Stokes Dance Company since Spring 2014.

Brittany’s choreographed works have been featured in American College Dance Association, Houston’s annual Barnstorm Dance Fest, Houston Choreographer X6 at ERJCC, Houston’s 2019 Fringe Festival and Mind the Gap. In addition to this Brittany regularly gives back to the community she grew up in by sharing her knowledge of dance through classes, workshop and performance. http://bbass.dance/

Kassa Dibon/Lamban 

Choreography: Christina Gerard-Sylla

Performance: Adam Carman, Alana Allen, Brittany Lane, Christina Gerard-Sylla, Damon Garfield, Ezenachi Uzoma, Max Incharregui, Nichole Jackson, Teresa Nunnery, Terrell Davenport

Costumes: Christina Gerard-Sylla

KoumanKe’le’ African Dance & Drum Ensemble

KoumenKe’le’ African Dance and Drum Ensemble -  Texas based cultural dance company, KoumanKe’le’ African Dance & Drum Ensemble, is a dynamic and energetic performance troupe that presents traditional West, South, and Central African Dance and culture and its transitions in this country. Comprised of continental Africans and African Americans, KoumanKe’le’ African Dance & Drum Ensemble’s repertoire includes traditional and contemporary dances of Guinea, Mali, Ghana, South Africa, Senegal and the Congo. koumankele.com

Movement I: Gems

Choreography by Caleb Mitchell 

Music by Jane Antonia Cornish 

Costumes by Randall Flinn 

Lighting Design by Tiffany Schrepferman 

Danced by Dylan Allen, Hannah Mettler, Paiter van Yperen

Movement II: Dust to Diamonds

Choreography by Randall Flinn 

Music by Jane Antonia Cornish 

Costumes by Randall Flinn 

Lighting Design by Tiffany Schrepferman 

Danced by Bria Greenwood & Seungyeon Yoo

Movement III: Diadems Unveiled

Choreography by Jennifer Mabus

Music by Jane Antonio Cornish  

Costumes by Randall Flinn 

Lighting Design by Tiffany Schrepferman 

Danced by Jennifer Mabus, Dylan Allen, Bria Greenwood, Hannah Mettler, Paiter van Yperen, Seungyeon Yoo

Program Notes: 

Though we are formed from the dust of the earth, we are crafted to become sacred gems of redemptive beauty. We find our true illumination in the cleansing light of God’s transcendent love and grace.

Ad Deum Dance Company

Ad Deum Dance Company was founded by Randall Flinn as a project based company in 1991. In 2000, the company began their full time organization which included the professional company and a trainee/mentoring program. The company is comprised of amazingly talented dancers that have relocated to Houston, Texas from all across the globe. Ad Deum maintains a national and international performance and workshop touring schedule that has taken them throughout the USA, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Central America. The company, now celebrating over three decades of existence, has flourished under the artistic and spiritual direction of founder Randall Flinn. Flinn also serves as Ad Deum’s resident choreographer. The company has also performed the works of many internationally acclaimed choreographers, including Steve Rooks, former principal dancer with Martha Graham, Alicia Mack - Chair Of Dance at Juilliard, Hope Boykin of the Alvin Ailey Dance Company, Bill Wade of Inlet Dance Theatre, Caleb Mitchell, formerly with Houston Ballet, Whitney Dufrene from Doug Varone, Durell Comedy, former member of Limon Dance Company and Mark Morris Dance Group, Gabriel Speiller of Bruce Wood Dance Company, and Matthew Rushing, Associate Artistic Director of Alvin Ailey.  addeumdance.org

Eleggua (an excerpt); Yemaya and the Flood (an excerpt)

Choreography: Lindsay Gary, MPA, MA 

Dancers: Lindsay Gary, LaKendra Howard, Kierra McKay 

Costume Styling: Lindsay Gary

Music: Ayan Agalu Drum for the Orisa; Kool & The Gang

Dance Afrikana

Dance Afrikana, LLC is a professional dance company dedicated to connecting and celebrating Africa and the African Diaspora through dance. We envision a world where people of the African Diaspora are empowered and connected through the African dance tradition, and where dancers have the safe space and platform to grow artistically and culturally. Our work is critical to the city of Houston as it is the only professional dance company which focuses on all forms of African and Diasporic dance, and the experiences and history of African people globally and locally. danceafrikana.com

Touchstone

Choreography & Video: Karen Stokes

Dancers: Mia Pham, Daniela Romero, Lauren Zernov

Costumes: Barbara Niederer

Music: "Unleashed" by Kenji Bunch & "Crawlspace" by Kenji Bunch

Intro soundscape & text: Karen Stokes

Created for "Skyline Views," University of Houston Dance Program

Karen Stokes

Since 1998, Karen Stokes has created twelve evening length productions in addition to over 45 repertory (short program) works.  Her work emphasizes quirky movement invention, strong rhythmic connections, text, original vocals, and concepts of individuality within a community.  Over the last several years, Stokes has explored creating video projection as an integrated part of her live theatrical productions. Stokes also has created several dance for camera projects and site specific performances. In all three enviroments of stage, film, and site; Stokes works strongly within setting a time and place, whether imaginary or real.

Further background about the history of KSD:  In 1997, Stokes co-founded Travesty Dance Group with colleagues Kimberly Karpanty & Rebecca Malcolm-Naib in Cleveland, Ohio. The group worked extensively together co-producing original work by the founders nationally from 1997-2009, with performances in Seattle, Toronto, Philadelphia, Houston, Cleveland, and NYC. In June 2011, the Travesty Dance Group in Houston (under the direction of Karen Stokes) transitioned to Karen Stokes Dance. Travesty Dance Group in Cleveland continues a strong relationship with KSD as a "sister" company, under the direction of Kimberly Karpanty.

 Stokes has an MFA in choreography from UCLA, and a BFA in dance from Ohio State University. Stokes can also be found at the University of Houston, where she is a Professor and Director of the Dance Program.

to be continued …

a collaboration with Pilot Dance Project, directed by Brittany Bass, Lori Yuill, and jhon r stronks

Performance: Ayan Felix, Adam Castan͂eda, Brooklyn Bass, Brittany Bass, Emily Alvarez, Lori Yuil, Nickel McNeil, and jhon r. stronks 

Music: 

Program notes: to be continued … is phase one of a larger collaboration between choreographers Brittany Bass, Lori Yuill, jhon r. stronks and Pilot Dance Project. A choreographic conversation at the intersection of Jazz, Contemporary, Modern and Postmodern Dance. Brittany, Lori and jhon intertwine their unique perspectives, distinct practices and movement research to create a space thats reveal the histories and lineages of their dancing and the forms that root them. bbass.dance, loriyuill.com, thereinthesunlight.com, pilotdanceproject.org

Pilot Dance Project

Under the direction of Adam Castan͂eda, Pilot Dance Project is dedicates itself to producing original dance theater by some of Houston’s leading independent choreographers. In addition to presenting it’s own work The Pilot Dance Project also produces the Houston Fringe Festival and Texas Latino/a/x Contemporary Dance Festival. pilotdanceproject.org

Choreogrpaher Bios

Brittany Nicole Bass has earned her Bachelor’s degree in dance from the University of Houston. Currently, she is a Teaching Artist with Houston Ballet’s Education and Community Engagement Department. She is on Faculty for the Houston MET Dance. She is the program associate for Dance Source Houston and has been a member of Karen Stokes Dance Company since Spring 2014.

Brittany’s choreographed works have been featured in American College Dance Association, Houston’s annual Barnstorm Dance Fest, Houston Choreographer X6 at ERJCC, Houston’s 2019 Fringe Festival and Mind the Gap. In addition to this Brittany regularly gives back to the community she grew up in by sharing her knowledge of dance through classes, workshop and performance.

Adam Castan͂eda is a dancer, writer, and arts administrator living in Houston, Texas. He is the Executive and Artistic Director of the Pilot Dance Project, and his programming has been funded by the Mid-America Arts Alliance, City of Houston through the Houston Arts Alliance, Houston Endowment, Texas Commission on the Arts, EmcArts, the Morales Foundation, HoustonFirst, the Midtown Management District, Bunnies on the Bayou, and Dance Source Houston. Through his non-profit, he produces a full season of professional Modern dance as well as the annual Houston Fringe Festival. Adam is a grateful recipient of a Support for Artists and Creative Individuals Grant from the Houston Arts Alliance to produce Lazarus in the Promised Land, a celebration of the Houston Mexican American community. Lazarus in the Promised Land will premiere Fall 2021 at the Houston Metropolitan Dance Center. Stay tuned. 

Roberta Paixão Cortes was born and raised in Brazil and received her classical ballet training at Ballet Vera Bublitz, in Porto Alegre, RS. There, she danced in numerous classical repertoire ballets and participated in various festivals and competitions. While in the  US, she has had the opportunity to work with a number of independent choreographers including jhon r. stronks, Lisa Gonsales, Sthephan Koplowitz, Susan Blair being a part of “Art Saves Lives” and touring to Nice(France) in 2014, Erin Reck, and Jennifer Mabus. Roberta has also worked with Vault, Psophonia, Earthen Vessels Dance, Hope Stone Dance, The Michele Brangwen Dance Ensemble (performing in Houston and New York), and Chapman Dance. She has an Associate’s Degree in Arts from Houston Community College, where she received the Heinen Scholarship for the Performing Arts in 2005. In 2015 Roberta became an ambassador for Africa Yoga Project, where she spent two weeks in Kenya, among other things, teaching contemporary dance. She graduated from the first Houston class of Artist INC in 2017 and her choreography has been featured at Big Range Dance Festival, Barnstorm Dance Fest, Choreographers X 6, East Meets West, Contemporary World Festival, Artists for Hope and Rice Dance Theater. Roberta is a E-RYT500 yoga teacher, a ballet teacher and serves as co-director, choreographer and dancer for Group Acorde.

Randall Flinn is the founder and artistic director of Ad Deum Dance Company, a professional contemporary/modern dance company established in 1991 in Houston, Texas. He has served as a guest dance educator and choreographer for  Cirque Du Soleil, Hong Kong Ballet, Guangzhou Modern Dance Company, Houston Ballet Academy, American College Dance Festival, Ballet Magnificat, Zion Dance Project, Storling Dance Theatre, Xaris Danz Europe, Project Dance NYC, Paris, London, and Sydney, The Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Belhaven University, High School Of Performing Arts Houston, The University Of Houston, Palm Beach Atlantic University, The University Of The Nations Hawaii, Society For Performing Arts Houston, Overflow Dance Festival Paris, Sofia, Bulgaria Life Camp, Hillsong Church Sydney, and Redding Civic Dance Company. 

His choreographic work with Ad Deum has taken the company nationally and globally, performing for Dance Salad Festival Houston, Dance Gallery Festival NYC, Dance Houston, Texas Weekend Of Contemporary Dance, East Meets West Festival, Project Dance NYC, Paris, London, Los Angeles, and Houston, and performance tours throughout Europe and Asia. 

Mr. Flinn also serves as a guest artist and lecturer for Ballet 5:8 Christian Dance Leaders and Educators Conference, The C.S. Lewis Foundation, Youth With A Mission, The Lausanne Committee For World Evangelism Arts Focus, Creative Missions Europe, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Artists Of Faith Virtual Gatherings.

Lindsay Gary, M.P.A., M.A. is a multidisciplinary artivist, professor-scholar, and social entrepreneur whose mission is to educate, connect, and empower the African Diaspora. She is the founder and artistic/executive director of Dance Afrikana, LLC. She has received numerous awards and recognition for her work including becoming a 2017-2018 Dance Source Houston Artist-in-Residence which culminated in an evening-length production of her original choreography entitled “Eleggua.” Additionally, she graduated from the Artist INC program for artist-entrepreneurs, and developed a partnership with Young Audiences of Houston wherein she brought cultural and historical performances to Houston’s youth. She is also a recipient of three Houston Arts Alliance Grants and was a part of Project Row Houses’s Artist Round 50 (“Formed in My Grandmother’s Womb). She is currently working as an artist and historical consultant for the Memory Builds the Monument project in the Fifth Ward community and her newest solo photographic work “AncesTREE” premiered at the Community Artists’ Collective in May 2021.

Christina Gerard possesses over 20 years of professional performance experience.  She performed and studied under world renowned dancer, drummer, and Griot, Djeli Moussa Diabate, for over seven years. Other professional experiences include Artistic Director and principal dancer with Kuumba House Dance Theatre, under the direction of Lindi Yeni and Dimakatso “Mama D” Hampton; dancer with Djeli Kunda West African Dance & Drum Ensemble, under the direction of Moussa Diabate; and WonLande Dance and Drum Company, directed by Mohammed Diaby. Christina also served as Artistic Director of the Impilo Cultural Dance Troupe, where she created and choreographed a full production, The Seven Gifts of Kwanzaa.

Jennifer Mabus, a dance artist currently living and working in Texas, possesses a rich performance background. Hailed as “bold” (New York Times) and “living calligraphy” (Boston Globe) and she has performed internationally as a soloist and founding member of Battle Works, Robert Battle’s company before he became the director of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Additionally, Mabus has danced for the Amy Marshall Dance Company (NYC), Heidi Latsky (NYC), Takehiro Ueyama (NYC), Bruce Wood Dance Project (TX), NobleMotion Dance (TX), and Dark Circles Contemporary Dance (TX), among others. Mabus has presented choreography in festivals, such as the Dance Gallery Festival (TX), the Dumbo Dance Festival (NYC), Cool/NY Festival, and the 254 Festival (TX), and she has been commissioned to create work for the dance companies, METdance, Contemporary Ballet Dallas, Pilot Dance Project, Muscle Memory Dance Theater, Omega Dance Company, and Elle Danceworks, as well as for university dance programs around the nation.

In Houston, she has been commissioned to create work for the Miller Outdoor Theater and Zilka Hall at the Hobby Center by the Foundation for Modern Music and the Windsync Ensemble. Mabus was a Rice University Dance Artist in Residence, a Noble Motion Dance “Next Step” emerging artist, and a Dance Source Houston Artist in Residence. She is also a founding member of the Transitory Sound and Movement Collective, where she has co-created original, experiential evenings in venues such as the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Rothko Chapel, Rec Room and the Rice University Gallery.

Mabus is the Dance Program Chair at the University of St. Thomas, and has served on the dance faculties of Texas Christian University, Sam Houston State University, Houston’s HSPVA, San Jacinto College, Booker T Washington HSPVA, and Interlochen Arts Academy. Mabus received a BFA in Dance from Southern Methodist University and an MFA from Sam Houston State University, and she is also a 500-hour certified yoga instructor.

Caleb Mitchell was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and started his serious early ballet training at 16 under Rose Marie Floyd. After receiving Caleb’s BFA in dance from the University of Arizona, he joined the Houston Ballet (1998-2007). In June 2009, Mr. Mitchell received MFA in dance from the University of California, Irvine, and transitioned to Assistant Professor of Dance faculty at Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi where he received tenure (2009-2016) and Santa Monica College, Associate Dance Professor (2016-2018). Mr. Mitchell currently serves as full time Assistant Professor of Dance at Florida State University School of Dance.

Since 1998, Karen Stokes has created twelve evening length productions in addition to over 45 repertory (short program) works.  Her work emphasizes quirky movement invention, strong rhythmic connections, text, original vocals, and concepts of individuality within a community.  Over the last several years, Stokes has explored creating video projection as an integrated part of her live theatrical productions. Stokes also has created several dance for camera projects and site specific performances. In all three enviroments of stage, film, and site; Stokes works strongly within setting a time and place, whether imaginary or real.

Further background about the history of KSD:  In 1997, Stokes co-founded Travesty Dance Group with colleagues Kimberly Karpanty & Rebecca Malcolm-Naib in Cleveland, Ohio. The group worked extensively together co-producing original work by the founders nationally from 1997-2009, with performances in Seattle, Toronto, Philadelphia, Houston, Cleveland, and NYC. In June 2011, the Travesty Dance Group in Houston (under the direction of Karen Stokes) transitioned to Karen Stokes Dance. Travesty Dance Group in Cleveland continues a strong relationship with KSD as a "sister" company, under the direction of Kimberly Karpanty.

Stokes has an MFA in choreography from UCLA, and a BFA in dance from Ohio State University. Stokes can also be found at the University of Houston, where she is a Professor and Director of the Dance Program.

jhon r. stronks is often accused of presenting his audiences with seemingly unruly work that reveals itself according to its own logic. Seeing himself as a collage artist stronks combines the fundamental elements of composition and choreography, with a confluence of movement styles and techniques drawn from his personal movement foundation in Modern, Post-Modern, Jazz, Classical Ballet and Africanist dance training. From this place, Stronks dives into the deep end playing with alternative structures for dance making that are more intuitive and often unpredictable. The result is the creation of a broad field for the dancing, where the context is clear; the eye has choices, and the viewer gets to decide.

Choreographer, Lori Yuill, has been engaged in making dances for the past two decades. Her most recent work “Still Life'' was commissioned by the Pilot Dance Project and performed as part of the Houston Fringe Festival (2020). She has made a number of site specific works including “Green Zebras: Moringa Madness'' which was performed at urban farm, Finca Tres Robles (2018-2019), and “Refraction” which was performed at the Houston Kite Festival as a part of the installation “Color Bursting Hermann Park” (2018). In addition to making dances for specific spaces, Yuill has made several evening length works for the stage including “The Remembering Happens” made during a residency at Rice University in 2016. Her work includes ongoing research into the in-between spaces: the space between narrative and abstraction, choreography and improvisation, and between performance and rehearsal.