From collisions of comic absurdity to unexpected revelations of beauty, Owen/Cox Dance Group surprises and delights audiences with its free-spirited mix of the classic and contemporary. Based in the historic jazz-town of Kansas City, the group is comprised of diverse yet close-knit group of dancers and musicians with extensive national and international performing experience. With backgrounds ranging from the Bolshoi Ballet and the Leningrad Chamber Orchestra, to Alvin Ailey and Dave Brubeck, these dancers and musicians form a highly skilled and multi-faceted corps. The collaborative results speak for themselves: fresh and vibrant new works that are classical in form, but contemporary in expression.

For over 43 years, MADCO has provided community inspired, innovative dance experiences through collaborations that open a pathway for self- discovery, social connections, and excellent entertainment for audience members, students, teachers, presenters, and corporate clients. The company is proud to co-partner and share facility space with the St. Louis Academy of Dance. MADCO was described in International Dance Magazine as “an army of terrific dancers with high energy, flat- out physicality and exacting discipline, while never forgetting the entertainment value.” MADCO suggests pairing education & outreach programming with any performance to create a lasting impact on your community. You can find more information at www.madcodance.com.

Mareck Dance, a professional dance company based in Columbia, is dedicated to making dance accessible and exciting for all. Under the visionary direction of Karen Mareck Grundy, Mareck Dance delivers performances that captivate audiences with their boldness, athleticism, and technical precision. With a repertoire of over 60 original works, the company offers a diverse range of performances that are both fun and thought-provoking.

The company consists of a talented group of nine dancers from across the country, making touring both dynamic and cost-effective. Mareck Dance is committed to enriching communities not just through high-quality productions, but also through educational and outreach programs. They bring the joy of dance to schools, retirement homes, and various organizations across Missouri.

For more information on their current touring repertoire or to tailor a program to the specific needs of your community, please contact Mareck Dance directly. Experience the edge, creativity, and world-class artistry of Mareck Dance.

Kansas City Ballet offers exceptional quality and a wide variety of repertory from renowned classics to exciting contemporary ballets. The company has a strong tradition of excellence, and celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2007-08 with prestigious invitations to perform at New York’s Joyce Theater and Kennedy Center’s Ballet Across America festival. The Village Voice calls Kansas City Ballet, “… a sleek little company with a strong repertory and 26 excellent dancers,” and the New York Post writes “… it’s a lively, stylish company, and we would welcome a return visit.” Kansas City Ballet’s home, the Todd Bolender Center for Dance & Creativity, in conjunction with their stage at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, is poised to make Kansas City AND Kansas City Ballet a true destination for dance. Devon Carney became Kansas City Ballet’s artistic director in July 2013. Please contact the company for current touring repertoire. Each booking includes community outreach, education activities, master classes, and lecture/demos that may be tailored for presenter needs.

KC Contemporary Dance has been voraciously creating and presenting fresh, exciting, contemporary dance since 2005. A professional non-profit dance company based in Kansas City, MO, KCCD presents high-quality dance performances in Kansas City and across the Midwest region. The company creates new work through the Artistic Director’s innovation and collaboration, and is committed to the continued experimentation of movement. In the 2020 season, KC Contemporary Dance strives to make the performing arts accessible to all through outreach and educational programs. KC Contemporary Dance is led by Artistic Director Leigh Murray and Associate Director Katie Metzger, and features 12-14 dancers from across the country. KCCD is available for workshops/lecture-demonstrations, master classes, informal and/or improvisational performances in non-traditional performance settings, formal theatre concerts, and residencies.

Grupo Atlántico is an ensemble of folk dancers whose purpose is to share the rich tri-ethnic heritage (African, Indian and Spanish roots) of the Caribbean and coastal regions of Colombia, South America. Select from solo presentations, group performances or educational workshops. All these programs include examples of different music, rhythms and percussive instruments. The symbolism of costumes, dance steps and body movements are explained in cultural and ceremonial contexts, with the use of live music, posters, slides, and videotapes. These joyous, earthy dance traditions of Latin America offer exciting glimpses of authentic Colombian Carnival, Native American customs, African and Spanish artistic influences in the New World.

Beyond the Circle dancers is a cultural exchange through Native American song and dance based out of Springfield MO. They represent the Navajo, Ottawa, Ojibwe, Zuni and Apache tribes. They have performed and powwowed all over the United States sharing their heritage and culture through traditional song and dance.