Overview:

Established in May 2003 in honor of Raleigh Dance Theatre’s Founder, the Ann Vorus  Choreography Fund has been instrumental in allowing us to bring guest choreographers to  set new works on RDT dancers. This includes: 

• Lisa Collins Vidnovic and Denise D’Angelo, Cinderella  
• Leslie Jane Pessemier, nationally recognized choreographer, Where Memories Echo, Bows  and Beginnings, Nine at a Glance, Voxhumana 
• Laura Dean, Choreography pioneer of international acclaim, Tao 
• Tyler Walters, Choo-San Goh Choreography Award recipient, String Theory, Adagio and  Fugue  
• Jennifer Sommers, former RDT Associate Director, an assortment of beloved story ballets  including this season’s Alice in Wonderland 
• Zalman Raffael, Carolina Ballet’s Artistic Director, Lesson in Percussion
• Pablo Perez, Carolina Ballet Artist, Tarde Otonal, Impromptu 
• Tracy Durbin, Where Do We Start 

The Choreography Fund has also supported RDT’s Emerging Choreographer Initiative.  This program allows RDT dancers to create ballets for their peers with the support and  guidance of the RDT artistic staff. These pieces are often selected to be adjudicated for the  Regional Dance America/Southeast Festival. Some of these pieces have been included in  RDT or RSB performances, giving many choreographers their first performance venue  which sparks a desire to continue choreographing long after they leave Raleigh Dance  Theatre! 

Our emerging choreographers who have been selected to show their work on RDA/SE  emerging choreographer performances include the following RDT alum:

• Jennifer Palmer created her first piece on RDT dancers when she was 14.
  She received  the Monticello award for outstanding emerging choreography for her ballet Concerto in  Colors in 2016 and her piece, Strung Together, was selected for the 2019 gala performance. She created two pieces for Carolina Ballet and choreographed Unexpected Returns for RDT’s 40th Anniversary.
• Amy Greene whose work, Through the Noise won the Monticello award in 2014  and Barrett Winters won the Habich-Corey award for his work Jonquilles et Muguets
• Megan Andrews, Camille Carroll, Holly Donnelly, Layla El-Khoury, and Emily Horowitz also had pieces  selected to perform.