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DORCAS ROMÁN

DANCE THEATRE

Provoking your senses through dance

ABOUT DORCAS ROMÁN DANCE THEATRE

In movement for over 20 years

Dorcas Román Dance Theatre, DRDT, uses a blend of styles to present innovative and energetic work in a story telling format.
DRDT is strongly devoted to the creation and presentation of performing arts in an innovative and dynamic way. DRDT explores social, racial, and gender issues through dance and theatre. The company is committed to make arts accessible to all communities as a necessity to create social awareness.

MISSION

Founded by native Puerto Rican artistic director Dorcas Román, The Dorcas Román Dance Theatre is a multidisciplinary organization created to explore social, economical, racial and gender issues through dance and theater.  DRDT is committed to make dance accessible to all communities.

The company’s multicultural diversity provides an atypical perspective advantageous in its exploration of social issues presented in the work.  This diversity is important to our commitment to foster communication in different communities around the world. With a blend of perspective and styles, DRDT incorporates Contact Improvisation, Release, Horton, Latin, Flamenco, West African dance as well as theater techniques in their work.

The company is strongly devoted to the creation and presentation of performing arts in an innovative and dynamic way. DRDT believes that art needs to be perceived not just as a privilege but also as a necessity  which creates social awareness as well as a vehicle from which to construct a better society.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR

Dorcas Roman is a dancer and choreographer native to Puerto Rico, Román has been active in dance and theatre for more than 23 years. She currently serves as artistic director of Dorcas Román Dance Theatre (DRDT), a company which has received high praise from national and international press sources. DRDT explores social, racial and gender issues through dance and theatre, and is committed to making the arts accessible to all communities to raise social awareness.

Roman has been touring nationally and internationally bringing her work and her teachings to places such as, New York, Texas, Vermont, Utah, Boston, and Chicago, while also participating in residencies and dance festivals around the world to places such as, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Spain, Germany, Greece and most recently China. The company has participated in festivals such as CoolNY, Going Dutch, New Wave Rising, Dance Gallery Festival, MixMatch Dance Festival, White Wave, Southern Vermont Dance Festival and The Chicago Harvest Contemporary Festival and formed part of  The American Delegation for the Internationale Tanzmesse Festival of Contemporary Dance in Düsseldorf, Germany in 2014. Her international experiences and cultural heritage infuse not only her performances and choreography, but her approaches to teaching as well.

Román has taught in higher education for more than fifteen years in numerous institutions including California State University, Long Beach; Cypress College; Cerritos College; Marymount College; and El Camino College. During 2016-2017 Roman joined the Shenandoah University Conservatory family as a Full time Visiting Professor of Dance. She has served served as faculty, dancer and choreographer at the Southern Vermont Dance Festival during the summers 2014-2018.

With an MFA in choreography from UCLA and a BA in Theatre from UPR she continues to teach and perform throughout the United States, especially in Southern California. She is also certified in Naam, Hatha, Shakti Naam Yoga. 

REVIEWS

"Dorcas Roman, an exciting purveyor of contact improvisation, led eight dancers in "Subtle Fragmentations," highlighted by body balancing and intense partnering."

LOS ANGELES TIMES

"Roman's work was breathtaking because of its strength and precision. Roman and dancer Juan Carlos Claudio created a chemistry that was both tender and disturbing. They leaned, lifted and shoved each other."

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DESERT NEWS

"Román’s choreography was extremely musical and she brought fresh eyes to old visions vis-à-vis partnering by her use of gravity and counter-balance to lift and support her male partner...As a dancer, Román appeared fearless...Trust gave me hope for the future of romantic love duets."

DESERT NEWS

"Román’s choreography was extremely musical and she brought fresh eyes to old visions vis-à-vis partnering by her use of gravity and counter-balance to lift and support her male partner...As a dancer, Román appeared fearless...Trust gave me hope for the future of romantic love duets."

LA DANCE CHRONICLES Y JEFF SLAYTON

"In an arresting piece, the innovative dancer from Puerto Rico, Dorcas Roman, danced a perfect narrative of the birth of creation."

THE INDIAN JOURNAL

"Dorcas Román, returning to the Southern Vermont Dance Festival has become a festival favorite as teacher, choreographer, and student. Romans' work is an exploration of modern dance unique to her own movement and choreographic style." 

THE INDIAN JOURNAL

"In her clever and interesting choreography, Roman creates the look of Chinese, Indian, African, and Caribbean dance without any clichéd or even typical movement." 

BACKSTAGE WEST

“I-Solations,” choreographed by Dorcas Roman, vibrant displayed a fusion of ballet and jazz dance techniques that portrayed a woman’s confrontation with personal demons.

D49er LONG BEACH

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