Photo by Sorcha Augustine | 2023 CDCFest
CDCFest Mission
The CDCFest is a professional Contemporary Dance Choreography Festival bringing together emerging and established choreographers to present their work in Orlando, FL. Opportunities include an audition to be placed in the opening number of the showcase, master classes, and performance, all open to the Orlando dance community as well as festival participants.
The city of Orlando has a dynamic art scene and state of the art theaters in which dance continues to impact. This festival's mission is to provide dancemakers a space to present their work and continue to build a strong network among the dance community in Orlando. Our goal is to showcase the power that contemporary dance can have in a community with work from global dance makers who are commenting on current issues or concepts in the world.
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McClaine Timmerman
CDCFest Founder/Artistic Director
Anna Lee Normann
Social Researcher
Anna Lee is a social researcher and dance maker. She is a founding member of Kate Corby and Dancers and has performed regularly in Chicago, New York City and Madison, Wisconsin. She holds her BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago and has had the privilege to create, collaborate and perform with The Humans, Mordine and Company, Draves/Kalpana Dance, The Fly Honeys, Paige Cunningham and Christopher Knowlton, to name a few. She was chosen as a SummerSpace residency recipient in 2016 to choreograph work reflecting on her two years living in West Java as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Anna currently resides in Western Australia where she has completed her Masters and works with Perth Festival, the oldest international arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere.
Jess Franco
International Performer | Choreographer | Instructor
Jessica Franco received her training in New York City while earning her Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Marymount Manhattan College. She has traveled around the world performing and choreographing for World Tours for Ariana Grande. She has performed and assisted with choreography for awards shows, music videos, television, and live stages around the world. She loves dance, connection, and storytelling, and she is so excited to continue working, creating, and performing all over the world!
Donate
Are you an arts advocate? Please make a donation or become a sponsor to help support this annual festival. Any donation can be used to help the choreographers and dancers coming from out of state to participate in this diverse and eclectic festival!
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Selection Panel Members
McClaine is the Founder and Artistic Director of the Contemporary Dance Choreography Festival (CDCFest). She is an awarded choreographer, Nationally Certified Pilates instructor, business owner, and dance educator.
McClaine received her MFA in Dance from the University of California, Irvine and her BA in Dance from Columbia College Chicago. Prior to receiving her degrees, she trained with Orlando Ballet School/Company and North Carolina School of the Arts. Post graduate school she held the position of Assistant Director of Dance and Adjunct Faculty at Sacred Heart University for 3 years.
Her choreography has been awarded “Best Choreography” in regional and national competitions, presented in the "New Grounds" Choreography Festival at University South Florida, the "EAST meets WEST" International Dance Festival at University California Irvine, the ‘Dance-Forms’ 72nd International Choreographer’s Showcase in Scotland, and the WHITE WAVE Solo/Duo International Choreography Festival in NYC, adjudicated in the ACDA Baja Regional Conference in Torrence CA, and competed in the 19th Annual McCullum Theater Education Choreography Festival as a finalist in Palm Desert CA. She was also a guest choreographer for the US International Ballet Company.
Sidney Choothesa
Professional Dancer | Choreographer | Instructor
Sidney Choothesa is a dance instructor, choreographer, and performer originally from Bridgeport, CT. She grew up training at CT Dance Conservatory where she studied ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern,and hip hop. Sidney continued her dance training in Sacred Heart University’s Dance Company’s Professional Track. Sidney gained the opportunity to be a featured dancer in two musicals put on by Sacred Heart University’s Theater Arts Program which are, “In the Heights” and “Hair”. After college, she taught at Sacred Heart University for the dance program and choreographed numerous pieces. Sidney also worked as the Sacred Heart University's Dance Company Coordinator. Sidney is currently a dance instructor and choreographer for CT Dance Conservatory, Rivertown Dance Academy and Broadway Dance Center CTP. Sidney is a company member of “Matthew Westerby Company” and "Metanoia Dance" Company where she continues to perform in numerous shows based in New York City.