DanceGiving 2018 is Denman Theatre & Dance Co’s first fundraising effort for our new work in development, The Hoofer’s Project. 

Denman Theatre & Dance Co is a New York based company dedicated to developing hybrid theatrical works using movement/dance as a primary storytelling device. DTDC blends dance with other storytelling mediums such as straight drama, musical theatre, classical ballet, opera, circus and/or performance art - whatever genre or genres are best suited to tell a particular story - to create innovative works that defy categorization.

The Hoofer’s Project is exactly the type of hybrid theatrical work that is part of DTDC’s mission. It is not strictly a play and it is not strictly a dance event. It is both, melded together to tell the story in a way that neither medium could tell on their own. 

Constructed as a three-act play threaded with a capella tap dancing, The Hoofer’s Project honors the plays of the early 1930s in structure and approach while tap dancing serves as the pulse that drives the story forward. Hoofing is the truest sound of 1930’s Broadway, and it is used in The Hoofer’s Project in completely new and original ways: as the sound of New York, as underscoring to the scene-work and for the authentic feel of a 1930s Broadway rehearsal. 

The story of The Hoofer’s Project is epic and far reaching. Themes of the play include the nascent Feminist movement of Depression-era New York City, the cultural appropriation of African American Tap choreography by white artists and the desperate lengths people are willing to go to survive the Depression.  

Earlier this year we acquired the preliminary rights to the novel allowing us to proceed in further development of The Hoofer's Project. In an effort to get the concept on its feet and breathe life into the work, we presented a Proof of Concept Presentation on September 14th at Ripley Grier Studios. DTDC brought a formidable cast to the presentation including Burke Moses (Beauty and the Beast), Tessa Grady (Dames At Sea), Bill Nolte (Waitress), Laurie Wells (Mamma Mia), Robert Creighton (Frozen) and Joey Sorge (A Bronx Tale). 

It is now time to move forward with full creative development of The Hoofer’s Project, securing comprehensive rights to fully produce this hybrid theatrical work. 

From creative development in the studio, to securing talent and creative, to the necessary legal and financial fees, to DTDC’s overhead expenditures for production development and company growth - The Hoofer’s Project is coming to life and we want you to be a part of it! 

From the inception of DTDC, we have set our sights on creating new theatrical works that move. Your support will help us take the necessary steps forward, together. 

There are numerous ways for you to lend a helping hand and bring The Hoofer’s Project to life. 

Every effort to support DTDC and The Hoofer’s Project will help us:

** Whether donating $10 or $5,000 - every penny has a major ripple effect. Denman Theatre & Dance Co is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-­profit arts service organization. All donations are tax deductible. 

We believe it is possible, with the generous support of you and our DTDC community! While The Hoofer’s Project is the central focus of DanceGiving 2018, it is not the only project in development at DTDC. Financial support beyond our initial goal of $18,000 will go towards the continued creative development of “How Did We Get Here?”, (formerly The Donner Party Project). Recently a part of Theatre 167’s Wet Ink Festival of New Works in April 2018, we have also been selected for a development residency at the prestigious Ragdale Residency in 2019. 

For more information on our organization, team, community of donors and works in development, please visit www.denmantdc.com


Thank you for joining us for DanceGiving 2018!