Dance Kaleidoscope (DK) is Indianapolis’ longest-running modern dance company. of Indiana formed DK in 1972 to bring dance into the public schools. The company became a not-for-profit corporation in 1975, and Cherri Jaffee was hired as artistic director in 1977. In 1978, the group held its first concert; a board of directors was also created, and DK began its first official fund drive. With grants from and the , the company opened administrative offices and paid salaries on 43-week contracts. Corporate and individual fund drives were initiated in 1981.
Dance Kaleidoscope holds a three-concert subscription series at the . Through the years, it has held rehearsals in the St. Mary Catholic Church School gym and the annex at .
The company has collaborated with the and the . DK performed at the closing ceremonies of the 1987 , at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in South Carolina, and in New York City at the Riverside Dance Festival. In 1990, the company established the Jaffee-Hall Emerging Indiana Artist Award, designed to give Indiana artists the opportunity to work with a professional company.
David Hochoy joined the company in 1991 as artistic director. Hochoy, a native of Trinidad and a soloist and rehearsal director for the famed Martha Graham Dance Company, brought an international perspective to DK, and the company quickly became well-known for its performances. Hochoy’s choreography uses jazz, cabaret, and a variety of other musical styles.
DK has not abandoned its original mission. It performs for more than 25,000 children annually in hundreds of schools throughout Indiana and other states in the U.S. The company includes 14 professional dancers who are trained in the Martha Graham Technique and classical ballet.
In August 2020, DK announced that it was moving to the Circle City Industrial Complex (CCIC). Although DK has been in residence at the Indiana Theatre for its performances, over the course of its nearly 50-year history, it never had its own permanent home for its administrative offices and rehearsals or for a wider variety of performances. The cost of the move to CCIC was estimated to total $2 million.
In June 2021, Kim Guttfreund replaced Jan Virgin, who had led the dance company as executive director since 1997, and in October 2022, David Hochoy, after 32 years of service to the organization, announced his retirement as artistic director.
Help improve this entry
Contribute information, offer corrections, suggest images.
You can also recommend new entries related to this topic.
