Annex Dance Company has announced its 20th season, a milestone year celebrating nearly two decades of performances, collaborations, education and the artists and audiences who have shaped the company since its founding in 2007.
The company will begin the season with its annual Season Opener from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11, at High Wire Distilling Co. Tickets are $20 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Two student tickets may be purchased for $20.
Founded in northeastern Pennsylvania by Artistic Director Kristin Alexander, Annex Dance Company grew out of Alexander’s desire to develop her artistic voice while creating a space where dancers could perform and grow. Alexander relocated the company to Charleston in 2010, hoping the city’s arts community would provide an environment where it could evolve and deepen its mission.
Twenty seasons later, the company will celebrate its history, artistic community and future with programming that reflects on its journey while bringing together generations of artists.
“Moving the company to Charleston in 2010 was an important step in creating the environment I hoped would give the company a chance to grow in ways I was only beginning to imagine,” Alexander said. “Twenty seasons later, we are celebrating not only where we have been, but the artists, collaborators, students, audiences and supporters who have helped shape this company and its work.”
The Season Opener will give patrons an opportunity to meet company artists and get an inside look at the upcoming season. Cocktails and farm-driven fare will be available for purchase before and after an informal performance featuring a new work created from movement drawn from 20 pieces in the company’s repertory.
“One of the things I love most about our Season Opener is that it gives us the chance to spend time with our audience in a much more casual setting,” Associate Artistic Director Julie Clark said. “This year, as we celebrate 20 seasons, we’re also looking back through the company’s history in a really tangible way. Currently, we are in rehearsal weaving together choreography from 20 different works, reaching into almost every season.”
Alexander and Clark said it has been rewarding to watch current dancers learn and embody movement created 15 or 20 years ago, a process they view as a meaningful history lesson for the company.
“The company continues to evolve, and that is essential to who we are,” Alexander said. “But asking today’s dancers to capture the details, nuance and spirit of the work from our past is also an extension of who we have always been and of what makes an Annex dancer an Annex dancer.”
Information about sponsorship opportunities and directed giving to support the season will also be shared during the event. With sponsorship from High Wire Distilling Co., all proceeds from the Season Opener will benefit rehearsal and performance costs.
Tickets are available here.
A return to Pennsylvania
In November, Annex Dance Company will return to northeastern Pennsylvania for a special concert with Drye/Marinaro Dance Company.
Titled “Where We Meet,” the concert will bring together the two companies for a performance exploring how movement, memory and artistic relationships remain long after the original moment has passed.
The performance is particularly meaningful to Alexander and Drye/Marinaro Artistic Director Francesca Marinaro, one of Annex Dance Company’s founding members.
Marinaro played an important role in the company’s transition from Pennsylvania to Charleston. During the 2010-11 season, she was one of two company members who traveled between the two states for rehearsals and performances as Alexander began working with a new group of dancers in Charleston.
The November concert will celebrate that history while recognizing the lasting effect Annex has had on its artists. Over its 20 seasons, the company has provided a place where dancers could develop as artists and collaborators, often carrying those experiences into new companies, careers and creative practices.
“Where We Meet” will also include other former Annex company members and dancers from Marinaro’s youth company, Fusia Dance Company.
“For me, returning to Pennsylvania is about coming home to where Annex began and celebrating the artists and audiences who were part of those early years,” Alexander said. “There is something really special about bringing those early connections back together 20 years later.”
“Where We Meet” is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 15, at the Sherman Theatre in Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. Additional details and ticket information will be announced in September.
20th Anniversary Concert
Annex Dance Company’s anniversary celebration will culminate with its 20th Anniversary Concert on April 24 and 25, 2027, at the Emmett Robinson Theatre on the College of Charleston campus.
The performance will bring together current and former company members and guest performers from the College of Charleston. It will celebrate the company’s history while highlighting its continued commitment to education and opportunities for dancers at every stage of their artistic development.
The choice to hold the concert at the College of Charleston represents the company’s past, present and future. Alexander is a faculty member at the college, while Clark is an alumna. Many current and former Annex dancers are graduates of the college’s Department of Theatre and Dance.
“Bringing former company members onto the stage alongside current College dancers is a beautiful way to celebrate this part of our story,” Alexander said.
By bringing together multiple generations of dancers, the concert will create opportunities for established and emerging artists to collaborate while honoring the relationships that have sustained Annex for two decades.
“We’re taking our time with this concert and being very intentional about how we curate it,” Clark said. “We want to honor the company’s 20-year history while also looking toward where we are going next. We’ll be presenting a new piece that captures how we see the company moving into its next chapter.”
“For me, that balance of honoring where we’ve been while creating something that pushes us forward is what makes this anniversary so exciting,” she added.
The concert will begin at 7 p.m. April 24 and 3 p.m. April 25 at the Emmett Robinson Theatre, 54 St. Philip St. Tickets will be available through the George Street Box Office in spring 2027.
Annex also plans to conclude the season with performances and collaborations during the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. Details will be announced in spring 2027.
Classes
End of Summer Class Series
- Aug. 26 through Sept. 23
- Wednesdays from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m.
- Dance Moves of Charleston, 439 Folly Road
- $15 per class or $65 for five classes
- Register online
Fall Class Series
- Oct. 14 through Nov. 11
- Wednesdays from 9:15 to 10:30 a.m.
- Dance Moves of Charleston, 439 Folly Road
- $15 per class or $65 for five classes
- Register online
For more information, visit annexdancecompany.org or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.