Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance (SH/CD) is proud to announce that Founder and Choreographer Shannon Hummel has been named Choreographer-in-Residence at Richmond Movement Center (RMC) for the 2026–2028 Seasons. This two-year residency will serve as the creative home for the development of Hummel's new work, Vessel, while supporting the revival of landmark repertory in preparation for SH/CD's 30th Anniversary Season. Through the anniversary initiative, 30 Years of Cora Dance: Rewind, the residency will expand the company's presence in Richmond by offering sliding-scale open rehearsals, performances, master classes, choreographic labs, workshops, and community events that invite audiences and artists into SH/CD's creative process.
The residency will also mark the return of the SH/CD Apprentice Company, reestablished in Richmond after being paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally founded in New York City, the Apprentice Company serves as a bridge to the professional ensemble, bringing together a highly selective group of professional and pre-professional dancers for intensive training, mentorship, and performance opportunities. Apprentice Company members will perform revived repertory and selected roles alongside the professional company, preserving SH/CD's artistic legacy while cultivating the next generation of dance artists.
In 2026–2027, SH/CD Professional Company includes Nikki Assanti (New York City), Taylor Black (Richmond, VA), Ammara Shafqat (Charlottesville, VA), Cynthia Thompson (Staunton, VA), and Keon Washington (New York City). Together, the professional company and Apprentice Company will establish Richmond Movement Center as a vibrant hub for SH/CD's creative research, performance, education, and community engagement as the company looks ahead to three decades of dance-making.
Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance Choreographer-in-Residence Activites @ Richmond Movement Center, 14 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA.
Sunday, July 12: Master Classes w/ SH/CD Guest Artist, Cynthia Thompson, and Company Member, Keon Washington
10-11:15AM – Contemporary Ballet Class w/ Cynthia Thompson @ RMC
11:30AM-12:45PM – Hip Hop Class w/ Keon Washington @ RMC
Tuesday, July 14, 6:30-7:45PM: Modern Master Class w/ SH/CD Company Member, Ammara Shafqat @ RMC
Wednesday, July 15, 6:30-7:45PM: Modern/Composition Master Class w/ SH/CD Company Member, Nikki Assanti @ RMC
Thursday, July 16, 7PM: Vessel: Informal Showing of SH/CD’s new work-in-progress w/ talkback!
Choreography by Shannon Hummel in collaboration w/ performers Nikki Assanti, Taylor Black, Ammara Shafqat, Cynthia Thompson, and Keon Washington. Talkback follows showing.
Shannon Hummel kicks of a 2-year Choreographer-in-Residence at RMC by sharing and early work-in-progress showing of SH/CD’s latest work Vessel, featuring Nikki Assanti (NYC), Taylor Black (Richmond, VA), Ammara Shafqat (Charlottesville, VA), Cynthia Thompson (Staunton, VA), and Keon Washington (NYC). Vessel drifts through questions of impermanence, love, loss, memory, and the fleeting strangeness of being alive. At once intimate and expansive, the work lingers in the space between meaning and meaninglessness, asking what we carry, what carries us, and what remains as everything changes.
This informal showing invites audiences into the evolving creative process of the work. Following the performance, guests are invited to stay for conversation with the artists, in an evening of community and reflection with Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance.
Sunday, September 13: Master Classes, Workshops, and Open Rehearsals w/ Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance. Sliding Scale. Click here for details.
10-11:15AM – Modern Class w/ SH/CD Company Member, Taylor Black
11:30AM-12:45PM – Hip Hop Class w/ SH/CD Company Member, Keon Washington
1-3PM – Fellowship Project: Community Company Workshop Dance in Community Practices w/ Shannon Hummel. Cora Community Company Workshops invite people of all experience levels in dance to engage directly in creative process - from inspiration to performance - deepening connection with SH/CD’s community-based projects through direct participation. Participants take on active roles as movers, storytellers, and co-creators, while gaining valuable tools for expanding the role of dance in the broader community.
3-7:30PM – SH/CD Company Open Rehearsal of Vessel w/ performers Nikki Assanti, Taylor Black, Ammara Shafqat, Cynthia Thompson, and Keon Washington. Witness live rehearsal as Shannon Hummel develops the company’s latest work-in-progress Vessel, featuring performers Nikki Assanti (NYC), Taylor Black (Richmond, VA), Ammara Shafqat (Charlottesville, VA), Cynthia Thompson (Staunton, VA), and Keon Washington (NYC). Vessel drifts through questions of impermanence, love, loss, memory, and the fleeting strangeness of being alive. At once intimate and expansive, the work lingers in the space between meaning and meaninglessness, asking what we carry, what carries us, and what remains as everything changes. Developed throughout the 2026–2027 season at Richmond Movement Center, this open rehearsal offers audiences an inside look into the creative process of SH/CD.
Sunday, September 27, 10AM-8PM: Can I Show You Something?: Choreo-Labs w/ Shannon Hummel @ RMC. Sliding scale. Click here for details.
Choreographer, arts educator, and community engagement specialist Shannon Hummel loves being in the room where dance is happening—watching artists work, talking through ideas, witnessing new dances take shape, and staying inspired by the many ways people keep creating and showing up for the wild, beautiful, challenging work of making dance.
One September 27, Shannon will spend the day at Richmond Movement Center offering one-on-one and small group sessions for choreographers, dancers, and movement-makers. Bring a work-in-progress, a creative question, a sticky problem, a half-formed idea—or simply come to talk shop and share space. These informal 20–45 minute lab sessions are designed to be useful, generous, thoughtful, and welcoming, with time to watch, listen, reflect, brainstorm, and connect.
There will be snacks, conversation, and plenty of room for curiosity and community. Registration details and sign-up information will be available here through Richmond Movement Center beginning in September.
2026–2027 Choreographer-in-Residence @ RMC
January 2-16: Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance Choreographer-in-Residence and 30 Years of Cora Dance Benefit Party! @ Richmond Movement Center, 14 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA and other activities:
@ Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, 512 W. Washington Street, Petersburg VA
@ Center for the Arts at Henrico High School, 302 Azalea Avenue, Richmond, VA, and
@ Richmond Movement Center, 14 East Broad Street, Richmond, VA:
Sunday, January 3, 2027, 10-11:30AM – Community Modern/Improvisation Class w/ Shannon Hummel at Richmond Movement Center
Sunday, January 3 - Thursday, January 7, 2027 - SH/CD in residence at Appomattox Regional Governor’s School. SH/CD brings classes, performances, open rehearsals, and lectures to ARGS students.
Friday, January 8, 7-10PM – 30 Years of Cora: New Year’s Benefit Showcase: In Support of Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance Programs at RMC! Shannon Hummel, RMC’s First Choreographer-in-Residence, celebrates the launch of her company Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance’s 30 Years of Cora “Rewind” and inaugurates SH/CD’s expanded presencein the Richmond dance community. This intimate, elegant, let-your-hair-down mingle features food, drinks, dancing, and surprise pop-up performances of repertory works spanning from 1999 to today alongside new creations by the company, including the revival premiere of Hummel’s first evening-length work, Down a Small Road. Originally performed by Hummel and founding SH/CD company dancers Vanessa Adato and Donna Costello in NYC in 1999, the work will be reimagined and performed by Cora’s newly formed Richmond-based Apprentice Company.
Featuring choreography by Shannon Hummel in collaboration with performers from the SH/CD professional company and Henrico High School Dance Ensemble, Appomattox Regional Governor’s School, and SH/CD’s new Richmond-based Apprentice Company. The showcase invites audiences to reconnect with past works, new artmaking, and one another as Cora celebrates 30 years of choreography and community. Proceeds support the development of 30 Years of Cora Rewind events and the establishment of ongoing residency for the company in the Richmond area.
30 Years of Cora: New Year’s Benefit Showcase: In Support of Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance Programs at RMC events: Mingling in RMC’s beautiful space with food, drinks, dancing and good company, come experience a taste of Cora’s artmaking for 30 years and a commitment to rooting the next 30 within the Richmond dance community!
7pm: DOORS OPEN! New Year First Friday Benefit Showcase Begins!
7:30pm: 30 Years of Cora Rewind performances: COMMON DANCES (2015) with SH/CD Company Dancers Nikki Assanti, Ammara Shafqat, and Keon Washington, and Are We There Yet? (2026) performed by the Henrico High School Performing Arts Center Dance Ensemble
8pm: Vessel (New work-in-progress).
8:30pm: 30 Years of Cora Dance “Rewind” performance: Down a Small Road (1999) with SH/CD Apprentice Company Brynn, Natalia, and Tallulah
9:15pm: Dance party!