CIRCUIT PRODUCTIONS: Promoting Education in Music, Dance and the Performing Arts

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Members:

Ella Thompson Moore
(Artistic Director)

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Additional photos
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Upcoming Circuit Productions Sponsored Performances:

8/24/08 - Harlem Meer
9/13/08 - Brooklyn Library
10/10/08 - Brooklyn Children's

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Circuit Productions Inc. (CPI) is supported, in part, with public funds from New York State Council on the Arts and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The Charles Moore Dance Theatre

The Charles Moore Dance Theatre (CMDT) is presently one of the oldest not-for-profit Blacks Arts Organization in Brooklyn. Founded in 1974 by Charles and Ella Thompson Moore to demonstrate the beauty and great variety of African, Caribbean and African-American culture, the company also proves that multiculturalism and traditional black American arts are inseparable.

In their lecture demonstrations and residencies, the company performs in a variety of movement and musical styles, creating programs that are both entertaining educational. The CMDT repertory included work by outstanding choreographers from Africa, the West Indies, Brasil, the U.S. and the traditional African and Caribbean. Works of Charles Moore, Asadata Dafora, Katherine Dunham, Odukwe G. Sakeyfio, Madu Niasse, Mercedes Baptista and others continue to be presented in “Dances and Drums of Africa” and taught at the school.

The company is especially noted for its reconstructions of Africa dances thought to be lost forever, notably Charles Moore’s recreation of the first full program commemorating the dances of the great African dancer, Asadata Dafora, which have been shown on Channel 13’s Great Performances and since become world famous.

The company and teachers present outreach programs in community centers, (Red Hook, Bedford Stuyvesant), schools in all five boroughs with mini performances, workshops, and lectur-demos, street and summer festivals, (‘Atlantic Antic’, ‘Celebrate Brooklyn’, Prospect Park Out-of-Doors’, Statue of Liberty Park.) and special events, (N.Y. Foundling Hospital’s foster children’s recognition day, Convent House).

The Charles Moore Dance Theatre and Centre for the Ethic Studies, located at 397 Bridge Street in Brooklyn offer a variety of classes in African, Dunham Technique, Ballet, Modern Jazz, Percussion and special class series with outstanding visiting ethnic teachers (Irene Tassembedo of the Ivory Coast sponsored by 651 at BAM and Alexandrino Ducarmo of Brazil). The annual school recital is held each June enabling the students to put into practice what they have learned in class during the year. Students are also involved in our community outreach program, performing for churches, schools, senior citizens centers, and special events in the Brooklyn community. Read more about our AIE program.

The company celebrates their 20th anniversary with a treasure trove of African & Caribbean dance and music performed for a sold-out Carcy Playhouse at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). The New York Times called the company “required viewing”. At these performances ten of our scholarship students performed “Moon Dance”, from Ghana, and…”brought down the house”.

The company has been lauded in Dance Magazine, The Village Voice, The New York Times, Attitude Magazine, and the Daily News among others, and is represented in most books on the Black dance movement in the United States. The company has been seen at Lincoln Center, the Brooklyn Academy of Music, Central Park with Channel 13, and on both Public Television’s “Great Performances” in Dance Black America, and on Puerto Rico’s public television.

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Photos

Charles Moore Dance Theatre
(left) photo credit: Mansa Mussa

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