WESTPORT, CT – When her casting call for a new, innovative, socially-conscious dance company hit international dance publications, Michelle Sperry, director of CT Theater Dance, received a flood of inquiries from across the U.S. and beyond. Dancers from as far as Brazil have now arrived in Westport and are training daily with world-renowned choreographer Rodney Rivera and company resident choreographer Alejandro Ulloa at CT Theater Dance’s studios. The establishment of CT Theater Dance Company (CTDco) is a longtime dream of Sperry’s, and now, as Artistic Director, she is positively beaming in anticipation of unveiling the company’s new pieces at the Westport Playhouse in “Blue for Dance”—a production the company has developed to raise awareness about autism.
Culturally rich and philanthropically engaged, the Westport community is the perfect home for CTDco. The company will share messages of social understanding and performance outreach with local families, at venues all over Fairfield County with hopes to expand into New York. CTDco is comprised of local, national, and international professional dancers coming together to create a new sensory experience on stage. Their goal is to bring awareness to social issues through movement, unique lighting, music, and emotion. CTDco's mission is to inspire empathy and internal awareness through prolific contemporary ballet choreography, deep emotions, pensive thought, and compassionate inquiry. Each performance will champion the cause of a local nonprofit group and contain dedicated pieces of choreography used to highlight the cause and the passion projects of these specific organizations. Sperry, Rivera, and Ulloa are confident audiences will be dazzled, moved, and motivated by eight new works, including the specially commissioned "BLUE FOR DANCE.”
On Thursday, March 29th, CTDco will light up the stage at Westport Country Playhouse in "Blue for Dance" to raise autism awareness. This production features 3 pieces inspired by the struggle and realities of autism. "Blue for Dance," one of three pieces, is twenty minutes of moving choreography, set in 5 movements, that features the main professional company, several local dancers, and students ages 4 – 14 from CTD School, who dance in solidarity with friends and family who have special needs. The pre-show begins at 6 pm. Curtain rises at 7 pm.
“I’m excited to bring CTDco to Westport,” says Sperry, Artistic Director. “I want to create a company with meaning and provide jobs to working artists and opportunities for younger dancers. I miss my artistic roots and am eager to foster an atmosphere where dancers are respected, praised, and challenged.”
Rivera comments, “I am honored to be able to create dance pieces that bring awareness to the audience about how autism affects children, their parents, friends, and family... if you leave questioning, happy, sad, confused—I was successful as my work forced you to FEEL.
Ulloa, Resident Choreographer, adds, “What we are creating in this company is a place for artists to grow as dancers, be challenged artistically, and be able to express their souls through movement.”
BLUE for DANCE Artistic Statement:
“Uniting the beautiful power of dance to the experiences of those who suffer on the autism spectrum is to cross a long tunnel and end up in the sky. The amplitude of this congenital condition allows us to explore through movement what the parents of an autistic person live, how much they suffer, but also how much parental love can achieve. This work intends to invite us to reflect on the role of dance in the community and its own mission in the social and educational transformation. If to you as a spectator, seeing this work causes you to cry, laugh, jump, read, live, love ... Then I can say mission accomplished.” —Rodney Rivera
Tickets are available online from Westport Country Playhouse at www.westportplayhouse.org/CTDance or can be purchased from the Westport Country Playhouse Box Office at 25 Powers Court in Westport, CT 06880. Tickets are $25/child, $45/adult. A limited VIP experience ticket for $75, includes premium seating, private wine reception, and a dancer meet & greet. For more information, please contact Michelle Sperry at (203) 293-4355 or visit the company website at www.CTDanceCo.org.
CT Theater Dance Company, a non-profit, 501(c)3 organization, believes developing confidence, focus, discipline, technique, strength, and poise, through concentrated dance education, benefits the dancer, their family, our local community, and the greater world. CTD provides scholarships to local youth through their ENCORE Youth Scholarship Program, offering children the opportunity to benefit from a dance education – no child left behind. Their repertoire exists for the benefit of all by raising social awareness, supporting local and global non-profit missions, and developing socially conscious and responsible young members of the local community and beyond.
About Michelle Sperry
Michelle Sperry founded CT Theater Dance School (“CTDschool”) to provide professional dance education to dancers of all ages, levels, and interest. She has brought her passion for dance, love of teaching, boundless energy, creativity, and many years' experience in the performing arts as an educator to the wide range of programs and services offered by CTDschool. Ms. Sperry teaches all levels of classical ballet, ensuring that dancers receive professional, age-appropriate training in a supportive, nurturing environment. Her personal mission, "no dancer left behind," is supported through community fundraising, private donations, and scholarships from ENCORE Youth Company. Ms. Sperry has choreographed and directed classical ballets including The Nutcracker , Carnival of Animals , and Cinderella , written several original ballets, and produced musical theater show for local schools. Under her direction and choreography, CTDschool consistently wins top awards, honors, and scholarships at dance competitions. She is delighted to now be the Executive Director and Artistic director of Ct Theater Dance Company.
About Alejandro Ulloa
Alejandro Ulloa—international dancer, ballet master, principal dancer, and resident choreographer—began his professional career in Nicaragua. Under the direction of Maestro William Herrera, Alejandro swiftly became a principal dancer of Gran Ballet Quetzaltnahuatl. Alejandro trained at the Escuela Nacional de Ballet and then joined the Compañía Ballet de Nicaragua, where he became a principal dancer. He has danced with Connecticut Ballet, New England Ballet, Island Moving Company and Neglia Ballet; taught for the Connecticut Ballet Center, Connecticut Theater Dance School, Nutmeg Performing Dance Center, New England Ballet, New England Dance Arts, New Haven Ballet, and The Dance Connection; and guest choreographed for the Connecticut Lyrical Opera. Ulloa was part of the “Art and science unite as a psychological treatment in adults and youth workshop" developed by the Yale Hispanic Mental Health Clinic, and, in 2016, was awarded "Artist of International Projection of the Year" by the Nicaraguan Artist Association.
About Rodney Rivera
Mr. Rivera trained at the Julian Blanco Classical Ballet School of P.R. and continued his training at the Ballet Concierto of Puerto Rico Conservatory. His ballet teachers include Vladimir Issaev, Carlota Carrera, José Parés, Joaquín Banegas, and Silvia Marichal. Trained by María Carrera, he became the first Puerto Rican male dancer to participate in an international event. He has established himself as a master ballet instructor. His students have gone on to dance with ABT, NYCB, DTH, SAB, Eglevsky Ballet, Connecticut Ballet, and Martha Graham Dance Co. His prolific career as a choreographer include collaborations with Island Moving Company, Ballets de San Juan, Zig Zag Ballet, Andanza PR, Connecticut Ballet, Ballet Municipal of San Juan, Ballet Concierto of P.R., Hermanos Cepeda Foundation, Ballet Brio, Point Park University, Balleteatro Nacional of P.R., San Antonio Ballet, and Teatro Repertorio of the University of Puerto Rico, where he was the resident choreographer and staged the musicals: Evita , Les Miserables , The Sound of Music , and Into The Woods . Rivera's latest work, "Lo Que No Fue" (2016) and "Memorias y Vidrios" (2017), have been presented at Festival de Ballet de La Habana Cuba, Boston, Newport, and Kansas City, to rave reviews by the press.