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McKoy Dance Project

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MDP is a dynamic contemporary dance company and arts service organization led by Founding Artistic Director & CEO, Derick McKoy, Jr.

10/09/2026

Season 8 Commissioned Choreographers

New works are coming. Meet the artists creating them.

For Season 8: ECHO, McKoy Dance Project is investing in new work and the choreographic voices behind it.

We’re excited to introduce this season’s commissioned choreographers, each creating a new work with MDP to premiere during our 2026–2027 season.

Across different movement languages, perspectives, and creative practices, these artists will enter the studio with MDP to develop new ideas and expand the company’s repertory.

Swipe to meet our Season 8 commissioned choreographers, learn more about their work, and get a first look at what they’ll be creating with us.

New voices. New works. The next chapter of MDP’s repertory.

Meet Austin Warren Coats | Season 8 Commissioned Choreographer

Austin Warren Coats is a multi-hyphenate artist whose practice brings movement, illustration, and fashion together to uplift q***r identities of color. A graduate of Kent State University and NYU, he is entering his sixth season with Ronald K. Brown/EVIDENCE and has developed work through residencies with Gallim, the NYU Production Lab, McKoy Dance Project, and others.

Coming this season: An Iris After the Rain

An abstract, interdisciplinary movement montage, An Iris After the Rain brings attention to the beauty of processing grief and triumphing over the weight of change. In Coats’ words, the work emerges from the feeling of being “an iris after the rain”—saturated in solitude and tears while searching for stillness, beauty, and renewal.

Meet Lailah Duke | Season 8 Commissioned Choreographer

Lailah Duke is a San Francisco native and Howard University BFA graduate whose career has taken her across the U.S. and internationally. A former member of DBDT: Encore! and Dallas Black Dance Theatre, she has spent a decade teaching and choreographing Modern, West African, and Jazz dance and currently brings her artistry into her work in college ministry in Dallas.

Coming this season: For the Love Of the Lost

Created and first performed at the funeral of Lailah’s cousin Brandon, For the Love Of the Lost is an intimate

10/07/2026

The MDP family extends beyond the company.

Meet the Guest Artists joining McKoy Dance Project for Season 8: ECHO.

Throughout the season, these artists will step into the studio and onto the stage with MDP for select works, performances, and projects—bringing their individual artistry and experiences into conversation with our company.

We’re thrilled to welcome them into the work and share the stage together this season.

Swipe to meet our 2026–2027 Guest Artists. 🌟

Photos by Nir Arieli and Michelle Reid.

Meet Layla Barber | Guest Artist

LAYLA BARBER (She/Her), is a New York City based artist. She received her BFA from The Ailey School and Fordham University as a Denise Jefferson memorial scholar. She has worked closely with esteemed industry professionals including: Hope Boykin, Ronald K. Brown, Christopher Huggins, Adrienne Hurd, Ronni Favors, Fredrick Earl Mosley, Tamisha Guy, Harrison Guy, Ehizoje Azeke, Kate Skarpetowska and Alonzo King. Layla has danced at venues including Jacob’s Pillow, Carnegie Hall, New York City Center, Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall and Cowell Theater. She has done TV and commercial work for The Walt Disney Company, Paramount Pictures, Bloch Dancewear and CAVA. Her educational background also includes training at Alonzo King LINES Ballet, The Washington Ballet School, Dance Theater of Harlem and Visceral Dance. Along with her dedication to dance and movement practice, she is an avid environmental advocate. Layla is also bilingual in German and English. This is Layla’s first season as a guest artist with MDP.

Meet Ami-Maxine Hill | Guest Artist

AMI-MAXINE HILL (She/Her) is a dancer from Inglewood, California. She began dancing under the guidance of her mother, Marian Tell-Coffield, a former professional dancer, and trained at Lula Washington Dance Theatre and Debbie Allen Dance Academy on a full scholarship. She earned a B.A. in Dance, cm laude, from the University of California, Riverside, before continuing her training at The Ailey School, where she graduated from the Certificate Program in May 2026. During her time at Ailey, Hill performed in Januar

10/05/2026

New Company Artists

The secret’s out. 👀 Meet the newest members of MDP.

We’re excited to officially welcome the new Company Artists joining McKoy Dance Project for Season 8: ECHO.

Each artist brings their own voice, perspective, and movement quality to the company, joining our returning artists as we step into a season of new works, new collaborations, and plenty of movement ahead.

You may have already spotted one new face around here… 👀 but now it’s time to meet them all.

Swipe through to meet the newest members of the MDP family and learn more about each of them.

Welcome to MDP. Welcome to ECHO. 💛

Photos by Nir Arieli

Meet Daniele Casuccio | Company Artist

DANIELE CASUCCIO (He/Him) is an Italian contemporary dancer, choreographer, and teacher based in New York City. He began his training in Italy at institutions such as New Style Dance under Lino Villa and Mattia Cuda, building a versatile foundation spanning modern, contemporary, urban, and musical theatre styles. As a performer in Italy, Daniele danced in works by Lino Villa, appeared in productions with Opéra Populaire, and performed at high-profile events including Hugo Boss x Milano Fashion Week and the Olympic Stadium Show. In 2024, he earned the title of National Contemporary Dance Champion. He relocated to New York to train at The Ailey School on Scholarship (2024-2026), performing in works by Brice Mousset, Vivake Khamsingsavath, Maleek Washington, and Darshan Bhullar, while also serving as a Teaching Assistant for the Professional Division and the Ailey Extension Kids and Teens program. Daniele works as a freelance artist between the US and Europe, exploring how these creative cultures intersect. This is Daniele’s first season with McKoy Dance Project.

Meet Jean-Baptiste Petros | Company Artist

JEAN-BAPTISTE PETROS (He/Him), from Nice, France, began his dance training at the Conservatoire de Nice and continued his studies at the Rosella Hightower National Higher Dance Center in Cannes, France. He trained as a scholarship student at National Ballet School’s summer intensive in Canada and at The Ailey School. Petros

10/01/2026

SEASON 8: ECHO 🌧️

The echo falls like rain.

McKoy Dance Project enters its eighth season with 12 Company Artists, 3 Guest Artists, new commissions, world premieres, expanded community programming, and more opportunities to experience MDP than ever before.

This season, we’re listening to what carries forward—the voices, histories, ideas, and movements that leave their imprint long after the moment has passed.

From the studio to the stage, Season 8: ECHO creates space for artists to develop, experiment, create, and be heard—while continuing to bring our audiences closer to the work and the people behind it.

And apparently… we may have a few more things up our sleeve. 👀🌴

Swipe to discover what’s ahead. →

The echo falls like rain.
This is ECHO.

Breaking Barriers. Elevating Voices. Reimagining Dance.

Photo by Steven Pisano. Steven Pisano

08/07/2026

WE’RE HIRING! 💜

McKoy Dance Project is seeking a Wardrobe & Costume Coordinator to join our artistic and production team!

We’re looking for a skilled, organized, and collaborative wardrobe professional to support the care, maintenance, preparation, and organization of MDP’s growing costume collection throughout our season.

Independent Contractor | NYC�$22.50–$30/hour, commensurate with experience
�Project-based, freelance, & variable schedule

Experience with wardrobe, costume management, theater, dance, fashion, or a related field is encouraged. Applicants should be comfortable with basic sewing, alterations, garment care, and costume repair.

Visit the Staff Opportunities page at the link in our bio for the full position description and application details.

📩 Applications are accepted on a rolling basis at [email protected].

Know someone who would be a great fit? Share this with them!

Company Artist Aanyse Pettiford-Chandler in “Love, Nina” by Derick McKoy, Jr. Costume by Erica Johnston and photo by Nir Arieli.

06/07/2026

The rain couldn’t stop our parade. 🌧✨

We’re so grateful to have performed at the Jamaica Dance Festival yesterday alongside an incredible lineup of artists and community members. Though the performance lineup was unfortunately stopped midway through due to the thunderstorm rolling in, MDP showed up, danced fully, and shared our work with heart.

What a beautiful way to close out the season.

As we prepare for Season 8, we invite our community to help fuel what’s next through our fiscal year-end campaign before June 30th. Every contribution helps us continue supporting artists, creating new work, and expanding access to dance.

Choreography by Derick McKoy, Jr.
Costumes by Erica Johnston

Thank you to everyone who supported, attended, and weathered the storm with us. 💛

Now… onward to Season 8.ECHO is coming very soon.

06/03/2026

Queens, we’re excited to be joining the Jamaica Dance Festival 2026 this summer! ✨

Join McKoy Dance Project alongside Te Ao Mana and White Wave Young Soon Kim Dance Company for an evening of free outdoor performances celebrating movement, culture, and community.

MDP will be presenting ‘Overcurrent’ and ‘Alegría’ choreographed by as part of the festival.

🗓 Saturday, June 6, 2026
🕖 7:00 PM
📍 Rufus King Park — Jamaica Ave at 150th Street
🎟 FREE + open to the public

We’re honored to share our work as part of this incredible festival bringing dance directly into the heart of Queens.

Presented by and

05/29/2026

We’re building the foundation for Season 8: ECHO! 🔥

Goal: 15 new Circle of Leaders members
Current: 2 / 15

$25/month supports our artists.
A one-time gift supports the moment.

And every gift right now also contributes to The Mama Glow Foundation.

Join monthly—or give what you can today.
www.donorbox.org/thecircle

05/11/2026

A week of process. Exploration. Possibility. ✨

Choreographer’s Institute 2026 brought artists into the studio to question, build, and discover—culminating in an intimate sharing of new work.

Grateful to our choreographers, dancers, and community for making space for creativity in motion.

This is how new work begins.
Support the process. Support the artists. Support the future of new dance.

05/05/2026

We’re building the future of McKoy Dance Project—right now.

As we close out our fiscal year, our goal is to bring in 15 new Circle of Leaders members to help sustain our artists, our work, and what comes next.

Monthly giving creates stability. It allows us to plan, grow, and continue creating bold, meaningful dance—not just project to project, but with intention.

And through MDP | Gives Back, every gift right now also supports , extending care and impact beyond our stage. The Mama Glow Foundation was nominated by Company Member Shaina McGregor.

Not ready for monthly? You can still make a one-time gift. It all counts in this moment.

We’re currently at 2 of 15.

Join monthly at $25—or give what you can today.

Costume by
Photo by

Address

539 Atlantic Avenue, #170/377
Brooklyn, NY
11217

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 6pm
Tuesday	10am - 6pm
Wednesday	10am - 6pm
Thursday	10am - 6pm
Friday	10am - 6pm

Telephone

+16464509105

Website

http://www.mckoydanceproject.org/

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