Rep and Video
WV Dance Company’s repertoire features an evolving collection of original works that blend modern dance, storytelling, and collaboration across artistic disciplines. Each piece reflects the company’s dedication to creativity, connection, and cultural relevance. Explore the videos below to experience highlights from WVDC’s performances—capturing the energy, artistry, and vision that define the company’s work on stage and in the community.
REMEMBERING WHEN I WAS ASHES
Drawing from an Ethiopian proverb, this solo work uses contemporary movement to embody the balance between speaking and listening. It explores the quiet wisdom that emerges when one learns to be still.
Choreography: Danah Bella
PRAKASA
Rooted in the phrase “The light in me honors the light in you,” this piece blends yoga-inspired gestures with flowing spatial patterns. It evokes a universal message of respect while inviting personal reflection.
Choreography: Heather Taylor-Martin
SOUVENIR: DIARY 2020
Created during the pandemic, this piece reflects the shared global experience of isolation and transformation. What began as a virtual collaboration now lives onstage as a moving meditation on memory, resilience, and human connection.
Choreography: Toneta Akers-Toler | Music: Cordis
METAMORPHOSIS
A vibrant fusion of dance and environmental awareness, this piece brings the Monarch Butterfly to life. Its playful imagery reminds us to cherish nature’s fleeting beauty before it disappears.
Choreography & Props: Carli Mareneck
KATABATIC GUSTS
Using movement as metaphor, this educational work transforms scientific ideas into a visual story. It celebrates collaboration between people and the natural world, emphasizing interdependence and balance.
Choreography: Donald Laney
EFFERVESCENCE 60M
Inspired by the Great Barrier Reef, this dance immerses viewers in an underwater world of color, texture, and emotion. Fluid gestures echo coral movement while calling attention to environmental fragility.
Choreography: Dane Toney
LOVE OF POWER VS. POWER OF LOVE
A bold reflection on humanity’s struggle between domination and compassion. This work exposes the damage caused by power used to divide and celebrates love’s capacity to restore unity and healing. Through contrasting movement and emotional depth, the piece examines themes of inequality, privilege, and resilience, offering a powerful call for empathy and connection.
Choreography: Toneta Akers-Toler, Donald Laney | Music: Richard Grimes, Lady D
CATCHING LIGHT
Catching Light is inspired by the long history of glassmaking in Appalachia and the colorful work of well-known glass artist Ron Hinkle. Elements of energy, rhythm, color and shape will be explored including the physical, sometimes improvisational movements of the makers during the glassmaking process.
Choreography | Toneta Akers-Toler
Music: Richard Grimes
QUEEN OF BONES
A dramatic portrait of Marie Antoinette, exploring her evolution from young girl to doomed queen. This solo blends elegance, rebellion, and fragility into a haunting character study.
Choreography: Angela Dennis |
EVANESCENT
A contemplative reflection on human connection and the ripple effects of our choices. Through delicate partnering and ensemble work, it questions how personal ambition aligns with collective good.
Choreography: Donald Laney
SARPASHANA
Translating to “poison eater,” this visceral work examines addiction and recovery. Through intense, physical storytelling, it reveals fear’s power—and the strength required to overcome it.
Choreography: Heather Taylor-Martin, Donald Laney, Toneta Akers-Toler
SCHUBERT VARIATIONS
Set to Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14, this lyrical piece explores connection and individuality. Each variation unfolds as a conversation between dancers and music.
Choreography: Gerri Houlihan | Music: Franz Schubert
FROM THE DEPTHS
This piece invites audiences to look inward, reflecting on the energy we share with others. Its Latin jazz score parallels the improvisational rhythms of life itself.
Choreography: Toneta Akers-Toler
AHAVA AND THE RESIDUAL HOLOCAUSTS
A haunting solo inspired by the United Nations’ Holocaust Remembrance Day. It asks whether freedom truly exists when any person remains oppressed.
Choreography: Toneta Akers-Toler
SKETCHES OF FALL
Inspired by the writing of Pearl S. Buck, this dance captures the vivid transitions of autumn in West Virginia. It moves like falling leaves—vibrant, fleeting, and alive with energy.
Choreography: Toneta Akers-Toler
SPIRIT CHASER
An African folktale comes to life through rhythm, masks, and movement. This cross-cultural work explores balance between predator and prey, tradition and transformation.
Choreography: Carli Mareneck | Music: Mark Davis
THE MOUNTAINS SPEAK
Athletic and passionate, this dance tells a story of struggle and resilience drawn from West Virginia’s labor history. Haunting vocals and driving rhythm amplify its message of justice and endurance.
Choreography: Toneta Akers-Toler, Donald Laney | Music: Jake Krack, Bare Bones
DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM
A rhythmic, physical portrayal of balance and motion inspired by Chinese culture. The work’s fluid formations evoke harmony within contrast.
Choreography: Heather Taylor-Martin
PARAGUAS
A playful duet born from an unexpected encounter. Its humor and charm remind us of the joy in spontaneous human connection.
Choreography: Carli Mareneck
FIVE CHAPTERS FROM A BROKEN NOVEL
A series of 20 short dances reveals fragments of human stories—comic, tragic, and profound. Each chapter unfolds like a page in an unfinished book, exposing our shared vulnerabilities.
Choreography: Doug Varone
