Philadanco!

“Philadanco's dancers are a miracle of skill and energy. They work in a range of idioms most companies don't even try to possess.” — Dance Magazine

We wrap up our two-part look at the best in dance from the City of Brotherly Love with Philadanco!, a company celebrated for its innovation, creativity, and preservation of predominantly Black traditions in dance. Since its founding in 1970, Philadanco! has built a legacy of breaking barriers and building bridges across cultural divides. The company is known for its artistic integrity, superbly trained dancers, and electrifying performances, as well as its commitment to empowering youth with essential leadership skills that support success on and off the stage.

Philadanco! will perform a brand new work by Rennie Harris that celebrates the shared roots of company and choreographer. Harris’s new work is part of the program For the Love of Philly, which was developed during a summer residency at New York’s Joyce Theater in preparation for a formal premiere in December 2026 at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. Set to music from the classic Philadelphia International Records soul catalog, the work is a celebration of both place and culture, rooted in rhythm, resilience, sensuality, social consciousness, and communal joy.