Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre


Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre has been creating site-specific productions since 1985. Originally incorporated as Collage Dance Theatre in 1988, the company has created and presented over 100 dance performances in Los Angeles, New York City, Miami, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, Atlanta, Montreal, Hong Kong, and Russia. In 2010, Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre celebrated its 25th anniversary; Duckler was recognized with two significant honors: an American Masterpieces Award from the National Endowment for the Arts to tour Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre’s signature work Laundromatinee; and a commission to be a part of the Night International Festival of Music & Dance on the Volga in Russia. Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre works exclusively outside of the traditional proscenium stage setting.
WWW heididuckler.org

Mission and artistic direction

The company's founder and artistic director is choreographer Heidi Duckler. Her work has been commissioned by companies including Miami Light, Grand Performances, REDCAT, Aben Dans in Denmark, Brookfield Properties, and the Hong Kong Youth Arts Foundation. She has participated in the Los Angeles County Arts Commission's Arts Leadership Initiative and served on the City of Los Angeles Mayor's Cultural Master Plan Advisory Committee. Heidi Duckler was named "the reigning queen of site-specific performance" by the Los Angeles Times.
Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre creates performance events in nontraditional spaces, commercial buildings, and diverse neighborhoods to redefine the relationship between audience and art.
Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre has codified the company’s community engagement into five sectors:
  • Cross-cultural and community dialogues, Q&As, & workshops
  • Open company rehearsal in public sites
  • Multi-day workshops crafted for high school/university dancers
  • Lectures at local schools, colleges, and organizations by Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre Administration and artists
  • Curriculum-based residencies constructed for the non-dancer that take place in schools and community centers
The Dance Theatre has a sister company based in Portland, Oregon, the Heidi Duckler Dance Theatre/Northwest. This company pursues a similar mission and initiates collaborations with artists and communities of the Pacific Northwest.

Selected performance history

The company's performances are often associated with particular locations:
;Laundromatinee
;Longing in Hong Kong
;Oh Cosmonaut, She Looks for Where She was Born
;Governing Bodies
;A Trace of Lipstick
;A Gallerina’s Guide
;Cleopatra, CEO.
;Expulsion – Koreatown & Little Ethiopia