Arts Off 75 with Rodney Veal – March Edition

In the earliest days of my career, I immersed myself in every performance and event related to dance. During the early 90s, it was still possible to attend special sneak previews of concert events featuring professional dance companies. In fact, this kind of total engagement was expected — part of the unwritten code of the dance world. Sometimes, it even meant finding yourself seated next to legendary figures like Josephine Schwarz, founder of Dayton Ballet, or guest choreographers such as Donald McKayle or Eleo Pomare — towering, larger-than-life presences in the arts.

A particular event has always stood out in my memory: a joint rehearsal between the second companies of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company (DCDC) and Dayton Ballet. At the time, I was still a relative newcomer to this rarified world. That afternoon, I found myself seated next to none other than Jeraldyne Blunden — the grandest of them all — the visionary founder of DCDC.

The audience sat in quiet anticipation as dancers moved across the space with grace and precision, performing their pieces. But Jeraldyne wasn’t just watching — she was absorbing. She saw beyond the movement, dissecting form, technique and storytelling with an almost supernatural awareness. She processed everything with the keen eye of a genius, understanding every nuance as if she could see the trajectory of a dancer’s career in a single phrase of movement.

But after performing my piece, and as the rehearsal continued, I sensed a shift in energy in the room. Once the performances concluded, Jeraldyne turned to me and, with an air of certainty, uttered a statement that has remained with me ever since:

“Modern dance has plenty of Black boys. Stick with the ballet world.”

I have greatly reflected on the decisiveness of her words — considering how sharply she perceived the landscape of dance and the roles artists would play within it. Though she is no longer with us in the physical sense, the company she founded over 55 years ago continues to uphold her exacting standards, delivering performances with undiminished flair, passion and herculean physicality.

I stayed in my ballet lane, and it led me to journeys and adventures I could never have foreseen. If you are seeking inspiration, motivation or a return on the investment of your time and energy, I can think of no artistic entity in our region more worthy than Dayton Contemporary Dance Company—just as I learned from that chance encounter with its fearless and perceptive founder so many years ago.

The DCDC is on our March Arts Off 75 list of events, exhibits and performances in the Southwest Ohio region with their production of “Power and Presence.” This is a great way to immerse yourself in the arts and who knows what sort of chance encounter you may find for yourself. Learn more and check out the other local arts events this month on our list below:

Rodney Veal
CET and Think^TV Producer and Community Arts Liaison