Dayton Contemporary Dance's second company isn't shy about bringing dance to the people — wherever they might be.

        “Ribbon cutting ceremonies, church dinners, school mini-concerts, all kinds of public service events — we do about 80 performances a year,” says Debbie Blunden-Diggs, the first company's associate artistic director. “Our job is to keep the community involved.”

        The Dayton modern dance group will get involved in Cincinnati communities and schools the first two weeks of November. As this year's Taft Museum of Art's 2000 Duncanson artists-in-residence, the young dancers will perform, teach, talk and rub elbows with lots of area kids and grown-ups.

        In the early 1980s the late Jeraldyne Blunden formed Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II as an extension of her professional group. It was to be a training company, a place to give dancers experience to become professionals. An unexpected benefit was to put dance smack-dab in the middle of Dayton life.

        Dance groups struggle to make dance “people friendly.” Ask any director. It seems like everybody's little sister takes ballet class, but the numbers aren't reflected at the box office. With its youthful dancers, entertaining repertory and willingness to go anywhere, DCDCII makes dance informal and approachable.

        “The 15 dancers embody the spirit of the Duncanson legacy,” says Taft Museum coordinator Quiera Levy-Smith. “The idea is to give emerging artists a chance.”

        In the 1850s, Robert S. Duncanson, a free-born African American, was commissioned to paint eight landscape murals in the foyer of the Taft Museum. The Taft was at that time the home of Nicholas Longworth, a wealthy Cincinnati arts patron.

        “The members of DCDCII range in age from 16 to 22 and are at the threshold of their careers, just as Duncanson was when Nicholas Longworth commissioned him,” Ms. Levy-Smith says.

        Taft Museum's artist-in-residence program goes back 15 years and has featured such luminaries as writer Nikki Giovanni, jazz violinist John Blake and vocalist Kathy Wade. This year's event is a collaboration with the Arts Consortium, and some events are planned for its Linn Street location.

        Although few of the dancers are still in high school, most are college-age. Six are students at Wright State University. Megan Brennan recently graduated from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. “They get free training and tons of performance,” says Ms. Blunden-Diggs.

        DCDCII rehearsals and classes are from 5:30-9:30 p.m. at the Dayton studios. There's no pay — money to live on comes from parents or work-study through school, but performance-hungry dancers line up to be a part of it. CCM graduate Aoi Funakoshi spent last summer with DCDCII before joing the professional company, performing with them at the Aronoff in September.

        The average stay is four years with the majority of the repertory created by the DCDC staff. When guest choreographers arrive to work with the professional company, the younger dancers get to experience their expertise in class.

        The program has nearly outgrown its initial intent.

        Ms. Blunden-Diggs explains: “It makes sense that you train your own dancers, but we have only so many positions that open up in the main company — we tend to hold our professional dancers for a considerable amount of time.

        “But we make it a priority to place the young dancers in other companies. Our training is good here and it works out well for everyone.”
       
       If you go

        What: Taft Museum of Art's2000 Duncanson Artists-in-Residence: Dayton Contemporary Dance Company II

        Events: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. — DCDC II concert of mixed repertory; opens with a work featuring local students; Aronoff Center's Jarson-Kaplan Theater; free — first come basis.

        Reservations required:

        Thursday 7:30 p.m. — Modern or jazz dance class; Arts Consortium, 1515 Linn St. West End; free, 241-0343, Ext. 33

        Saturday 1-3 p.m. — “Praise Dance” — workshop in liturgical dance; Arts Consortium, free, 241-0343, Ext. 33

        Nov. 11, 1-3 p.m. — Mini-concerts for children 5-10 accompanied by adult, question-and-answer, hands-on activities; Taft Museum of Art, 316 Pike St.; tickets — $4 per child for members, $8 general; 241-0343, Ext. 24

        Nov. 14, 5:30-8:30 p.m. — Reception at American Book Building (next to Taft) and tour of newly restored Duncanson murals in the museum; free, 241-0343, Ext. 33.

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