RudduR Dance

RudduR Dance is a NYC-based company founded in 2015 by Christopher Rudd. Blending contemporary ballet, modern dance, and contemporary circus, the company creates socially relevant works that empower Black artists and explore the human condition.

The company has performed in Burkina Faso and Ecuador through U.S. State Department-supported initiatives and has received residencies at the BAM, Kaatsbaan, Works & Process, Chelsea Factory, New Victory Theater, and NYU’s Center for Ballet and the Arts. Through its own programming and in partnerships with community organizations, RudduR Dance is deeply committed to community-building through performances, creative engagement, exchange, and movement-based activities.

Christopher Rudd is a Jamaican-born dancemaker. He is a 2019 Guggenheim Fellow in Choreography, the inaugural New Victory LabWorks Launch Artist at the New Victory Theater. He is the creator of the groundbreaking works TOUCHÉ and LIFTED for American Ballet Theatre, a recent resident artist for both BAM and Chelsea Factory, and was one of American Theater Magazine 6 to watch in 2023.

Works Available to Tour

WITNESS

Premiere: August 2026, venue to be announced

Traveling cast & crew: 11 (8 performers, 3 crew)

WITNESS (premiering 2026) is an evening-length work of contemporary ballet & circus, with a narrative exploring the legacy of slavery on Black lives & imagination. The work previewed at the Apollo Theater in Fall 2024; premiering around 2026 Juneteenth celebrations.

WITNESS has received development support from Works & Process at the Guggenheim, The Apollo Theater, Danse Mirage, Chelsea Factory, Brooklyn Academy of Music, and STREB.

Runtime: Approximately 75 minutes

Photo by João Menegussi

TOUCHÉ

TOUCHÉ is a pas de deux that explores the male love. The first same-sex duet in American Ballet Theatre's history, TOUCHÉ was created and filmed while safely quarantined at the Silver Bay YMCA Conference and Family Retreat Center in Silver Bay, New York during the COVID-19 crisis.

Music by Woodkid (Que Te Mate el Desierto) and Ennio Morricone (Giuseppe Tornatore Suite, Malena)

Intimacy Direction by Sarah Lozoff

Cinematography by Matador Content

Costumes by Christopher Rudd and Tomoko Ueda-Dunbar

Premiere: November 23, 2020 at ABT Today: The Future Starts Now Virtual Gala, with Calvin Royal III (Adam) and João Menegussi (Steve)

Touring Cast: 2 dancers, 1 director, 1 crew

Runtime: 12 minutes

A Night in the Life of Us

Premiere: 2018

Touring Cast: 2 dancers, 1 director, 1 crew

Runtime:

The Place Between

The Place Between is a poignant aerial silk contemporary ballet that captures the emotional essence of a woman's final moments and her male partner's profound grief. Set against a backdrop of ethereal movements and captivating aerial acrobatics, the performance unfolds as a mesmerizing exploration of love, loss, and the delicate balance between life and death. With grace and vulnerability, the dancers traverse the delicate threads of the aerial silks, symbolizing the transition between earthly existence and the unknown realms beyond. Through powerful choreography and evocative storytelling, The Place Between delves into the depths of human emotions, inviting audiences to reflect on the fragility of life and the enduring power of love in the face of profound loss.

Premiere: June 2015

Touring Cast: 2 dancers, 2 crew

The Place Between is an aerial silk contemporary ballet depicting the final moments of a woman’s life. Premiered June 2015 at STREB Lab for Action Mechanics (Brooklyn, NY). This work was made possible by STREB Lab for Action Mechanics’ GO! Emerging Artist Commissioning Program.

Runtime: 14 minutes

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