Motion Mania Dance Theatre
When Motion Mania Dance Theatre (MMDT) formally incorporated as a non-profit performing arts organization in 1994, it represented the next step in the evolution of one of Maryland's premier dance companies, MMDT was formed in 1987 when Artistic Director Bonnie Slawson recognized the need for a professional repertory company in the DC area that offered an opportunity for dancers from diverse backgrounds to work together on a wide variety of repertoire.
Today MMDT boasts a distinctive repertoire of 40 dances, including works by Lisa Deyo of Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Robert Nunez from New York's Broadway Dance Center and Derrick Evans from New York's Steps, Broadway Dance Center and Gus Giordano. Using high-energy jazz dance as the base, MMDT mixes Broadway, ballet, contemporary street dance, hip-hop and modern dance to create a distinct high-energy choreographic style.
The dancers come from a wide range of backgrounds including musical theater, film, and a variety of modern, ballet and jazz companies throughout the U.S. The company is diverse not only in its background but in its look as well – this is no homogeneous line of Ballanchine babies, this is a company that celebrates the diversity of our world in both its dancers and its dances.
MMDT's performance experience is extensive. From Atlanta's Jazz and Tap Festival to The Kennedy Center Open House the company is always well received. The one thread that runs through all of the company's works is a sense of power and energy that infuses the dances. MMDT is not about finding hidden meanings in movement; it's about the true joy that music and movement bring to everyone's soul.
In 1990, MMDT opened Motion Mania Dance Center and established the Apprentice Program, an essential part of a system to maintain a uniform ensemble of trained dancers. Dancers who have trained at the Center have gone on to work with many other regional and national companies and have won scholarships to a host of prestigious universities around the country.
From its inception MMDT has been committed to community outreach, with programs designed to educate as well as entertain. Senior citizens at the Jewish Community Center and students throughout the DC area have shared in the creative process through discussions and lecture/demonstrations. Whether in live performance, dance classes or on television, MMDT is committed to bringing accessible, enjoyable dance to everyone.