Chamber Dance Project Continues Free Virtual Chat Series Chats with Young Composer Chris Rogerson

Chamber Dance Project (CDP), Washington's foremost contemporary ballet company, is harnessing creative uses of technology to prepare for its coming New Works 2020 season. Chamber Dance Project has introduced "Get Closer to the Art-Virtual Chat Series," free Zoom sessions that are taking place at 5 p.m. every Tuesday. Attendees at the sessions will get a behind-the-scenes look as choreographer and dancers and designers talk and show their craft as well as look at period of ballet history in slides and music and video.

The next session on April 28th will feature composer Chris Rogerson sharing his techniques with the virtual audience. To receive a link for the Zoom sessions rsvp@chamberdance.org before noon on the Tuesday of the event. Call 202.499.2297 for further information.

On Tuesday, April 28 watch Chris Rogerson, an acclaimed young composer, talk about his powerful and exciting music for Claudia Schreier's world premiere ballet in the coming season. He will engage the audience in an on-the-spot composition to reveal a bit of his creative process. Rogerson, 31, will talk about his early training and why he was drawn to composing. He will walk the audience through one movement of the ballet's score for string quartet, then deconstruct it compositionally. He will present rehearsal videos of Claudia Schreir at work in the studio.

Rogerson was playing the piano at 2 and composing by the age of 6. Unlike many other music students, he loved to practice. "I would throw off my backpack after school and go right to the piano for a few hours as a young kid, Rogerson said. He felt that the label "child prodigy" probably helped him in his career. He loved the music from the film Sleeping Beauty and was particularly taken with it when he found out the music was composed by Tchaifovsky.

His composition, String Quartet #1, will have its ballet world premiere with the Chamber Dance Projects 2020 season. Its three movements provide a great diversity for the dancers. The first is very aggressive and dark, the next is serene and lyrical and the final movement is happy and celebratory.

On May 5 the Zoom chat will feature Emmy Award winning ballet dancer Grace-Anne Powers focusing on a discussion and demonstration of pointe shoes.

"Even though we cannot yet perform in public, we want to connect with our audience in a meaningful way to help keep everyone's spirits up. The arts have the power to boost our hearts and minds and we feel compelled to find ways to share our art and our passion. Grab a glass of wine and join us!" said Diane Coburn Bruning.

Chamber Dance Project in preparing for its 7th season as Washington's foremost contemporary ballet company in July.

Award-winning choreographer and Artistic Director Diane Coburn Bruning founded Chamber Dance Project upon her conviction that dance should be a collaboration between dancers and musicians, and that when artists' share the creative process with audiences, it deepens the audience's experience of witnessing a live performance.

Chamber Dance Project's work is a collaboration of outstanding artists and designers creating new works. The company commissions and performs new and contemporary works by outstanding choreographers and composers in collaboration with dancers and musicians (who appear together onstage). In this series, as well as in open rehearsals, they share the creative process. With its Donated Ticket and Bring a Child for Free programs, CDP provides access to those who otherwise not have the opportunity to see live music and dance.

Chamber Dance Project sponsors include Bloomberg Philanthropies, DC Commission on Arts and Humanities, KPMG, The Share Fund and Macy's, among others.

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