{"id":3493,"date":"2019-10-06T02:08:30","date_gmt":"2019-10-06T02:08:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/?p=3493"},"modified":"2025-04-21T07:16:29","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T07:16:29","slug":"2006-eric-underwood-joins-royal-ballet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mobballet.org\/index.php\/2019\/10\/06\/2006-eric-underwood-joins-royal-ballet\/","title":{"rendered":"2006 – Collage Dance Collective is founded in New York City \/ Eric Underwood joins the Royal Ballet"},"content":{"rendered":"

2006<\/strong><\/h1>\n

Collage Dance Collective is founded in New York City<\/b><\/h2>\n

Collage Dance Collective was founded in 2006 by Kevin Thomas and Marcellus D. Harper.<\/i><\/p>\n

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Photo via Virginia Arts Festival.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

While principal dancer Kevin Thomas<\/a> was on a hiatus from the Dance Theatre of Harlem, he produced a series of pieces before co-founding Collage Dance Collective with Marcellus D. Harper. The company debuted at Kansas City\u2019s Lyric Opera House the following year.<\/p>\n

Collage came into existence and was able to perform due to a grant from the Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation, which is \u201ca private foundation established by Muriel Irene Kauffman in 1987 with a vision toward communities in which the arts flourish.\u201d<\/p>\n

In 2007, the company moved to Memphis, Tennessee to \u201ctake part in the city\u2019s exciting artistic renaissance and to fulfill its mission of extending the reach of outstanding classical ballet training.\u201d<\/p>\n

Collage performs pieces from choreographers such as John Alleyne<\/a>, Frederick Ashton, Camille A. Brown, Nicolo Fonte, Tiffany Glenn, Darrell Grand Moultrie, Shawn Hounsell, and Iega Jeff.\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Collage Dance Collective includes this mission statement on their website:<\/p>\n

\u201cCollage believes that participation in the arts enriches communities and is critical to economic and social development. The company works to increase access to outstanding ballet training, increase diversity on professional ballet stages and increase participation by people of color at ballet and other fine arts events.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sources:<\/b><\/p>\n

About Us, Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation<\/a>
\nKevin Thomas, Saugerties Ballet Center<\/a>
\nKevin Thomas, Collage Dance Collective<\/a>
\nAbout Us, Collage Dance Collective<\/a>
\nCollage Dance Collective Presents Diverse Works for New Audiences in Memphis, Pointe Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

See also:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

Collage Dance Collective Presents Diverse Works for New Audiences in Memphis, Pointe Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

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Eric Underwood joins the Royal Ballet\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Eric Underwood, formerly a member of Dance Theatre of Harlem and American Ballet Theatre, joined the Royal Ballet in 2006.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

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\u00a9 Photograph by Rick Guest, 2015<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

African American\u00a0Eric Underwood<\/a> was accepted into the Royal Ballet in 2006 and was promoted to soloist only two years later. While in his first season with the company, he created roles for Christopher Wheeldon\u2019s DGV: Danse a grande vitesse <\/em>and Wayne McGregor\u2019s Chroma<\/em><\/a>. In later years with the company, also created roles in Aeternum, Electric Counterpoint<\/em>, Alice\u2019s Adventures\u00a0in Wonderland<\/a>, Infra, Acis and Galatea, Live Fire Exercise, Raven Girl, Tetractys<\/a>, Woolf Works, Obsidian Tear<\/em>, and Multiverse<\/em>. Underwood danced with the Dance Theatre of Harlem in 2000 and American Ballet Theatre in 2003.<\/p>\n

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