Cora’s Mission & History

Through shannon hummel/cora dance’s professional company and expansive education programs, Cora Dance creates transformative dance experiences while addressing inequities that limit people from bonding deeply with the art form.

“A Place to Begin: The History of Cora”

History: Founded in 1998, the acclaimed professional dance company Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance performs the work of choreographer and arts educator, Shannon Hummel, while investing deeply in dance education offerings that mirror SH/CD’s collaborative, inclusive, and emotionally resonant work and process of dance-making.

SH/CD is a dynamic cohort of professional dance artists who work collaboratively to create and perform Hummel’s detailed and emotionally powerful choreography in Cora’s two dedicated education hubs: Cora Dance Alleghany in the Alleghany Highlands of VA and Cora Dance Brooklyn in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NYC; in partner schools in Richmond and Petersburg, VA (most notably Appomattox Regional Governor’s School (ARGS)); and on tour across the US. Professional dancers within the company anchor the faculty of the CDA and CDB programs, alongside celebrated artists and arts educators in the field.

Under the direction of SH/CD Company Member, Nikki Assanti, CDA and CDB education programs offer year-round free and pay-what-you-can dance education rooted in SH/CD’s collaborative process of dance-making. At the center of the education methodology, young artists receive a strong technical foundation while using dance as a tool to grow as performers who value the importance of collaboration, inclusion, and community.

Hummel’s choreography resonates with a spirit of shared humanity, an essence that is infused in Cora’s education programs. All Cora programs and performances are free and pay-what-you-can, turning no one away based on ability to pay. The company’s history of presenting dance in non-traditional spaces further maximizes access, reinventing “everyday” locations in surprising ways that cultivate an appreciation for dance as a vital community asset. Within all Cora Dance events and programs, COMMUNITY IS OUR STAGE, make exceptional dance experiences accessible to the widest possible audience.

Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance: Professional Company

“Ms. Hummel's dances are like vividly detailed yet elliptical short stories, economical and eloquent…evok(ing) whole small universes of emotions and relationships, both simple and complex." 

The New York Times

Founded in 1998, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance (SH/CD) began as the New York City-based professional company of choreographer Shannon Hummel. For nearly three decades, Hummel’s work has been recognized for its humble sophistication, emotional depth, inclusive casting, and radical accessibility—bringing dance beyond traditional stages into backyards, living rooms, cars, parks, and public spaces, meeting people where they live.

In 2020, SH/CD expanded its reach by establishing dual residency in New York City and Virginia, anchoring ongoing choreographic development in CDA and CDB spaces while deepening longstanding roots in the professional dance community of Richmond, VA. This shift created new opportunities for Hummel, SH/CD company members, and guest artists to live, create, and perform in more deeply invested ways in both urban and rural settings.

Today, SH/CD includes a collaborative artistic team of professional dancers, choreographer, composer, and designers spanning six states and two countries. With its work grounded in Hummel’s elegantly intimate and deeply human voice combined with a sense of intentionally low-tech mobility that maximizes access, SH/CD tours and develops site- and community-responsive performances and programs throughout the U.S. year-round.

Cora Dance Alleghany & Cora Dance Brooklyn: Education Centers

education centers:

In 2009, Shannon Hummel opened a sliding-scale dance studio in Red Hook, Brooklyn—her home neighborhood for nearly 30 years. Red Hook is home to Brooklyn’s largest NYCHA public housing community, surrounded by growing affluence. Cora’s space served as both the home for her professional company, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance (SH/CD), and a beloved new education initiative aimed at providing equal access to high-quality dance training.

Built on the inclusive nature of SH/CD practices as a company, from the start, Cora has been committed to dialogue, inclusion, and accessibility. All classes are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis, anchored by members of the SH/CD professional company and other distinguised faculty, and no student is turned away based on ability to pay. The Brooklyn-based studio prioritizes enrollment for NYCHA residents, Section-8 recipients, and families experiencing housing insecurity, helping ensure every student has a full and equitable experience.

In 2020, after 27 years of episodic work in VA, Cora expanded its education programs to the Alleghany Highlands of Virginia, establishing a second education hub in Clifton Forge while continuing operations in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Now operating as Cora Dance Brooklyn (CDB) and Cora Dance Alleghany (CDA), both locations offer strong dance training through studio-based classes and partnerships with local organizations and venues. Students at both hubs also participate in artistic exchanges and shared projects, creating connections across communities. The CDA and CDB programs are overseen by SH/CD Company Member and Education Director, Nikki Assanti, who works closely with Professional Company Director and Founder, Shannon Hummel, to give a deep and lasting experience rooted in strong training, collaboration, and community engagement.

CYC/Cora Youth Company

CYC (Cora Youth Company)—an audition-based repertory company for dedicated, advanced students ages 11–18—was founded in 2011 as part of Cora Dance Brooklyn and in 2023 as part of Cora Dance Alleghany. CYC provides focused young artists with opportunities to learn and perform works by multiple professional choreographers, engage in creative cultural projects with the professional company, and chart a course toward professional careers. In addition to training and performance, CYC offers mentorship services, parent workshops, internships, and for select members, paid professional opportunities as SH/CD Apprentices and faculty assistants. In NYC, CYC families receive significant support with auditions and applications to NYC’s competitive performing arts middle school and high school dance programs and all students receive similar support and guidance in the college audition and application process. Over 90% percent of NYC CYC students have gained acceptance into their top two choices of performing arts high school. 98% of CYC graduates have gained entry into their top choice of colleges, many with scholarships.

CYC students serve as ambassadors for the CDA and CDB education programs, performing locally 4-10 times per year. With CYC ensembles engaged year-round at both CDA and CDB, the program provides opportunities for cross-cultural exchange projects between urban and rural youth through Fellowship Initiatives. Engage in virtual and in-person exchanges, CYC artists have an opportunity for touring and collaboration between youth in NY and VA regions and beyond.

In 2026, the CYC program expanded to include an SH/CD Apprentice Program at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School (ARGS) in Petersburg, VA. The new ensemble brings yet another opportunity for pre-professional engagement with youth and expands the connectivity and possibility for collaboration and understanding across urban and rural regions.