Who We Are
Texture Contemporary Ballet is a Pittsburgh-based dance company that fuses the power and precision of classical ballet with the freedom and creativity of contemporary dance to surprise and delight audiences and empower the next generation of dancers and choreographers.
We were founded in 2011 by Alan Obuzor, and since then we have been creating and presenting predominantly new and original dance works for people who love to be inspired through dance. In our work we enable our artists to take creative risks and we help our audiences to experience their thoughts and emotions by forming connections through live movement and dance. We welcome diversity in ballet, celebrate self expression, embrace the joy of movement, and champion the power of dance to explore important stories and emotions.
We were founded in 2011 by Alan Obuzor, and since then we have been creating and presenting predominantly new and original dance works for people who love to be inspired through dance. In our work we enable our artists to take creative risks and we help our audiences to experience their thoughts and emotions by forming connections through live movement and dance. We welcome diversity in ballet, celebrate self expression, embrace the joy of movement, and champion the power of dance to explore important stories and emotions.
Mission StatementTo inspire an appreciation of dance through dynamic and captivating performances, creative choreography, shared passion, and exceptional dance training.
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Our Work
Through precision and creativity we create and present new, exciting, and current dance. In both our school and company we welcome and celebrate dancers as individuals, our work, our community and our connection to each other becomes stronger as we embrace each other’s differences.
Our dancers and choreographers are passionate about what they do, they love to move, love to explore, love to create. To create a piece we start in the studio, one step at a time, we build and build to create layers, depth, and meaning. Our work is made on our dancers and for our dancers, each artist is appreciated, involved, and connected to each piece that we create.
Our school has classes for all ages, we truly believe dance is and can be for everyone and every-body. We create an environment where eachstudent is welcomed and is also encouraged to find and explore their love of dance. From person to person we share dance knowledge from one generation to the next, each student is encouraged to learn not only form the teacher leading the class but also form every other person who is in the room.
Our dancers and choreographers are passionate about what they do, they love to move, love to explore, love to create. To create a piece we start in the studio, one step at a time, we build and build to create layers, depth, and meaning. Our work is made on our dancers and for our dancers, each artist is appreciated, involved, and connected to each piece that we create.
Our school has classes for all ages, we truly believe dance is and can be for everyone and every-body. We create an environment where eachstudent is welcomed and is also encouraged to find and explore their love of dance. From person to person we share dance knowledge from one generation to the next, each student is encouraged to learn not only form the teacher leading the class but also form every other person who is in the room.
Our Values
- Equality: We believe that all human beings are inherently equal in worth and entitled to respect.
- Following Passions: We believe all human beings should have the opportunity to follow their passion. At Texture Contemporary Ballet, we want to create opportunities for children and adults to follow their passion for dance.
- Growth: We believe that all human beings should have the opportunity to grow to their full potential. We support each of our dancers, students, administrators, and volunteers on their path to reaching their full potential and growing both personally and professionally.
- Honesty: We believe that honesty is the first building block to trust and growth. We strive to be honest in a loving and supportive way in order to foster growth, change, and success.
- Joy: We prioritize joy as an experience for anyone involved with our organization.
- Nurture: We believe in nurturing dancers’ artistic and human potential by seeing them as individuals with various pathways to personal success and fulfillment. We believe a nurtured dancer nurtures others.
- Respect: We believe that every human being deserves respect. When we respect one another’s personhood we honor their strengths, weaknesses, and differences, allowing them to bring their best self to the relationship and their work.
- Welcoming: We strive to foster a welcoming culture where all can thrive and experience the positive impact of dance in their lives.
History
Alan Obuzor, who is a dynamic force in the Pittsburgh dance scene, and also homegrown talent, founded Texture in the summer of 2011. Texture was founded on the principles of creativity, passion, and talent being driving factors for creating and presenting new work. To support these principles Texture has prioritized making a place where artists can feel at home, they can be pushed, challenged, take risks, feel comfortable, given responsibility and grow as artists and as people. This environment has proved to be conducive to creation and has led Texture creating a body of over 195 original individual works.
Texture has helped attract artists to the city. Having resident dancers has led to professional dancers either staying in Pittsburgh, or relocating to Pittsburgh to dance year round with Texture. Having dancers year round has enabled us to collaborate with many different dance groups, music groups, arts groups, youth groups, and community groups throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. Beyond Pittsburgh Texture has toured original works to NYC on several occasions, twice presented work at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Dance Festival, and toured to cities in the states of Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.
Texture has helped attract artists to the city. Having resident dancers has led to professional dancers either staying in Pittsburgh, or relocating to Pittsburgh to dance year round with Texture. Having dancers year round has enabled us to collaborate with many different dance groups, music groups, arts groups, youth groups, and community groups throughout the greater Pittsburgh area. Beyond Pittsburgh Texture has toured original works to NYC on several occasions, twice presented work at the prestigious Jacob’s Pillow Inside/Out Dance Festival, and toured to cities in the states of Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia.