Our MIssion

As Washington D.C.’s premiere contemporary ballet company, we bring together soloist-level professional ballet dancers during their lay-off periods from major professional companies with our string quartet and other D.C.-based guest musicians.

Our mission is to create extraordinary experiences in contemporary ballet with live music.

Award-winning choreographer Diane Coburn Bruning founded Chamber Dance Project upon her commitment to work by artists of our time, with her conviction that dance should be a collaboration between dancers and musicians, believing that performances in smaller venues heightens the experience, and that sharing the creative process with audiences deepens their experience in witnessing live performances. Founded in New York in 2000, we relocated to D.C. and presented our first season at the Kennedy Center in 2014 about which Sarah Kaufman of The Washington Post wrote:

There are many reasons to celebrate Chamber Dance Project not the least of which is the arrival of an imaginative and determined new dance force in our midst.

We focus on new and contemporary works and collaboration between dancers, musicians, designers and guest artists across a wide spectrum of the arts. We have worked with almost 20 guest choreographers. We bring in guest musical ensembles -most recently the Tony Award ® – winning bluegrass string band The Red Clay Ramblers as well as slam poets, jazz trios, a bluegrass band, Gregorian chant singers from the National Cathedral, a D.C. street brass band and puppeteers. Our dancers come from nationally-recognized companies such as Atlanta Ballet, Boston Ballet, BalletMet, Charlotte Ballet, Pittsburgh Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and The Washington Ballet. Our string quartet of distinguished DC-based musicians also perform with The National Symphony Orchestra, Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra, Wolf Trap Orchestra, Washington Concert Opera, and chamber ensembles.

Our interactive programming includes pre- performance artist chats, open rehearsals, onstage workshops, studio workshops with the artists, film screenings, and educational programming on the history of ballet and a new master class series.

Mission 

 

  • Chamber Dance Project creates extraordinary experiences  that fuse  contemporary ballet and live music.
  • We commission and perform new and contemporary works by outstanding choreographers and composers in collaboration with dancers and musicians.
  • We engage audiences from the creative process through the performance.
  • We always perform in collaboration with live musicians.
  • We provide access to these experiences to those in the community who would not otherwise be afforded the opportunity.

CONTACT US

202.499.2297 or info@chamberdance.org
700 12th Street NW Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20005

Join in the art making.
Interact with the artists.
Bring the music to life.

SUPPORT CHAMBER DANCE PROJECT

Header Photo: Fuki Takahashi and Patric Palkens in Weave the Wind

Page photo: Sophie Miklosovic and John-Paul Simoens in Alight

Photo: Rachel Malehorn 

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© 2025

Chamber Dance Project. All rights reserved.

Chamber Dance Project is a 501 (c) 3 not-for-profit organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law and most appreciated. Federal Tax ID 13-4109515. Chamber Dance Project is a Resident Company at BalletNova. Chamber Dance Project is supported by The D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.

Diane Coburn Bruning, Artistic Director  |  Sally McLain, Principal Musician

info@chamberdance.org  |  (202) 499-2297

700 12th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington D.C., 20005

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