HISTORY
CMDC has served Chicago’s communities for over 20 years under the leadership of Founder and Artistic Director Homer Hans Bryant. He founded the Bryant Ballet School and Company in 1990 to create a neoclassical ballet technique which integrates a diversity of dance styles and honors the richness of our varied multicultural heritage. The name of the school was officially changed to Chicago Multi-Cultural Dance Center in 1997. In 2008 he merged ballet and street dance to create Hiplet™, a new technique featuring hip hop dance in pointe shoes.Many students have had their academic and professional careers launched from the lessons and skills learned through the discipline and focus of Mr. Bryant’s rigorous training.
CMDC Alumni include:
| Tovah Collins | Cirque Du Soleil’s “Viva Elvis” |
| Ivorie Jenkins | Cirque Du Soleil’s “Viva Elvis” |
| Reginald Harris | Interim Chair of the Dance Department, ChiArts |
| Erin Barnett | “Lion King” – Las Vegas |
| Erica Edwards | Joffery Ballet of Chicago |
| Ghrai DeVore | Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater |
| Gaynor Hall | News Anchor, WGN TV and CLTV |
| Dr. Erwin Bennett MD | University of Chicago |
We are proud of our distinguished alumni, and we are equally proud of the thousands of young people who have passed through these doors over the years and whose lives we have positively touched through dance.
Our Goal
Mr. Bryant seeks to mentor children and help them achieve their dreams through dance as a positive alternative to a young life without focus and direction. CMDC has strived to keep the cost of training affordable, and has often provided classes at little or no charge so that young people of all races and socio-economic backgrounds have a “chance to dance”.However, ballet based dance training is very intensive, requiring with long hours, weeks, and years of instruction to produce the quality results we all admire. CMDC often faces financial constraints that limit its ability to reach the much underserved students and continue our outreach programs.
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Homer Bryant: A Short Bio
Homer Hans Bryant is a former principal dancer with the world renowned Dance Theater of Harlem. His professional credits span from a command performance for the Royal Families of Norway and England to Timbuktu, with the Legendary Eartha Kitt.click to read more...
Featured in Dance Teacher Magazine!
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