CAMILLE A. BROWN & DANCERS (CABD)

LATEST WORK: i am

New York Times Critic’s Pick
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Photos By Christopher Duggan

“Camille A. Brown is a student of history and a raconteur. Her dances tell stories of historical moments and of ordinary lives in a particular place in time…the effect is both dynamic and eloquent”
— The Winsted Journal

"at once rigorous in research and execution, accessible, socially aware and deliciously appealing"
- Eva Yaa Asantewaa

“[Camille A. Brown] cultivates in her dancers truer versions of themselves so that even as they do her movement, they are set apart. Placed in an environment of socially conscious choreography that often allows performers freedom of theatricality, Brown’s combination of concept and execution is striking.”
— DancePulp

“Her style is a "jambalaya of sorts," she said, incorporating her love of theater, books, film and music -- from 1930s jazz to hip-hop -- as well as history, current events and close observations of daily life.”
—Times Union 

“Her only agenda is conveying joy”
—The New York Times

“A tour de force ”
— Jennifer Dunning, The New York Times

“Heart, mind, soul, passion, full-out dancing and introspective solos... Add high production values and a gifted cast, who gave it their all, and you have one heck of a show.”
— The Herald Sun

Photos By Steven Pisano

Camille A. Brown & Dancers (CABD) is a Bessie Award-winning, NYC-based dance company that soars through history and contemporary stories like a whirlwind. Recognized for blending modern, hip-hop, African, tap, and social dance to forge riveting works that ripple with energy, urgency, and powerful theatricality, CABD reclaims Black narratives through historically informed, thought-provoking repertory on race, culture, and identity.

Founded in 2006, the Company is a collective of dancers, musicians, and collaborators who perform highly theatrical works - bridging Camille A. Brown’s work in theater, concert dance, and opera. It is here where everything meets. CABD has toured its repertory with live music to cities in the US, including The Kennedy Center, Jacob’s Pillow, American Dance Festival, The Apollo Theater, The Joyce Theater, ASU/Gammage, The Ahmanson Center, Juniata College, The Yard, The Egg, Lincoln Center Out-of-Doors, among others. Internationally, The Company has performed for the Belfast Dance Festival and NYU/ Abu Dhabi. CABD performs for 20,000+ people, and serves 5,000+ engagement participants annually through free community programs that elevate African diaspora aesthetics. In May 2020, CABD launched its Social Dance for Social Change virtual school, which offered free online artist/scholar lectures by notable speakers and social dance classes, led by Company dancers, throughout the pandemic. The virtual school received a nomination from Broadway Black for Best Quarantine Content, serving 98,000 participants worldwide. The Company’s trilogy, which includes the Bessie-winning Mr. TOL E. RAncE (2012), Bessie-nominated BLACK GIRL: Linguistic Play (2015), and the highly acclaimed ink (2017), was performed at The Apollo and The Joyce Theater in New York City, in a historic two-week celebration, and at Duke University.

Most recently, the Company’s latest work, I AM, received its world premiere at Jacob’s Pillow in 2024 and New York premiere at The Joyce Theater in 2025. The show was a NY Times Critic’s pick and received Bessie nominations for Best Choreography and Best Sound Design.

“We are here, Brown and the performers seem to say — and we’ll keep being here, together, dancing into the future.”

—The New York Times 

Click here to see all past & present tour venues >

Photos by Bill Hebert

 

“It was a treat to see Camille A. Brown & Dancers inhabit (and elaborate on) a number of different African American dance traditions with such winning ease and grace.”
— the arts fuse

“Camille A. Brown & Dancers brought the house down at the Moore Theatre. Their mixed rep show communicated powerful themes of the Black American experience - both broadly cultural and intimately autobiographical. Subtle and effective use of multimedia imagery combined with live music that was seamlessly integrated into the work. The dancers posses the highest level of technique, athleticism, and expression, and exhibited an incredibly broad movement vocabulary - working through varied movement and gestural styles and referencing countless dance forms. All of this was expressed with exhaustive generosity, big personality, and genuine empathy for the audience. This is exactly the kind of work that Seattle Theatre Group is proud to bring to our communities”
— Seattle Theatre Group

“Incredibly inventive and energetic dancers”
— Belfast Telgraph

“Sent the audience out of the theater whooping with justifiable delight.”
— Danceview Times

“Fierce and feisty cast, the dance became alive with individual personalities…just like NYC!" 
— Deborah Wingert, Eye on the Arts, NY

“Camille A. Brown and Dancers were AMAZING in every way. Every work on the mixed repertoire program was artistically superb... I've already received a few notes from audience members who were really moved by the performance. I've also had community members rave about the social dance class the company members lead for the community. It was fun, educational and the dancers inspired us all. Thank you Camille A. Brown and Dancers!!"“The dancing is fierce, the performers’ stamina impressive, and their performance risky”
— World Dance Views