Cecilia Marta

Cecilia Marta Dance Co.

DANCE COMPANY
Electronic Press Kit
 Photo Credit: Carole Elliano Meringola

Cecilia M. Marta
Choreographer / Artistic Director / Dance Educator / Designer

T
he most compelling tes-
timony to Cecilia Marta’s
success is her originality of
style and longevity. A native Pan-
amanian, Marta has performed,
choreographed, and instructed
her original style of World Jazz
throughout North America to as
far as Central and South Ameri-
ca, Europe, Asia, and Africa. This
style is a distinctive breath of con-
temporary and ballet techniques,
native Latin roots infused with
world attitude, and nuances of
earthy funk and soul. Ms. Marta
is the Founder and Artistic Direc-
tor/Choreographer of the Cecilia
Marta Dance Company, a Casting
Partner to Cirque du Soleil, and an
esteemed dance educator.
A
fter traveling the globe, Ce-
cilia returned to NYC wi t h
a vision to bring together a
diverse and extraordinary group of
dancers that would create CMDC.
The objective: to speak through the
language of dance, about the ritualis-
tic rhythms and magical experiences
she encountered throughout her life,
and as a child growing up in Panama.

CMDC is a multicultural dance

company, committed to celebrating
diversity and unity by creating works Photo Credit: Tim Grant

that inspire collaborations with oth-

er artists and art forms. Possessing a
distinct breadth, CMDC’s repertoire

Cecilia Marta
incorporates elements that are reflec-
tive of Ms. Marta’s life and heritage,
as well as her intimate acquaintance

Dance Company
with many forms and styles of dance.

Click here for a short video sample.

“A magnificent stage presence, and a truly innovative choreographer; she is a
compelling dancer, choreographer and instructor. I believe that Cecilia Marta is
one of this city’s best kept secrets.”
Judith Jamison (Artistic Director Emerita, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center)

“Cecilia Marta is an idea whose time has come. She

is an artist of great power, strength and fortitude.”
Otis Sallid (Director Choreographer)

“Cecilia Marta is an artist who represents the heartbeat

and pulse of choreographers in America today….”
ROBERTA FLACK
(Grammy Award-winning Singer-Songwriter)

“Phenomenal!! Her dancing makes you redefine

the word ‘special’….”
Cissy Houston (Grammy Award-winning Singer)

“The most original and sensitive interpretation of

the music I’ve ever witnessed. I could read the song
through her movements.”
The late Phyllis Hyman (Singer-Songwriter, Actress)
Photo Credit: David France
The program also includes new works by Cecilia Marta and Michael Smuin. Some stellar per-
formers are involved. In other words, don’t just come for the novelty. Come for the artistry.
Sima Belmar, San Francisco Bay Guardian

Photo Credit: Tim Grant

Photo Credit: Maria Panini

The real highlight of the evening, belonged to Cecilia

Marta from Panama. Her choreography was electrifying.
Conrad Silver
San Francisco Chronicle
 NY World Jazz dancer and choreographer
Cecilia Marta …things started to sizzle
during her sultry solo.
Karen Sherlock
The Edmonton Journal

Photo Credit: Carole Elliano Meringola

 T h e p ro g re s s i o n o f A Tr i l o g y ref l e c t s t h e a c t o f i n i t i at i o n , t h e
j o u r n ey a n d t h e ret u r n ; r i t u a l s t h at re s o n ate a c ro s s c u l t u re s .

kush
Photo Credit: LPAC
Bamboo rituals
Photo Credit: L.A.W. Productions Photo Credit: L.A.W. Productions
kush
I
2006, 2009
Part 1 - 5:06 minutes / Part 2 - 3:40 minutes
Parts 1 & 2 - 8:46 minutes
Recorded Music (Part 1) by: Talvin Singh
Part 2 Arranged by: Edward Ego Martin

magine a collective experience of déjà vu. The experience of becoming one with nature, or receiv-
ing ancestral guidance conjures a deep sense of belonging and empowers connection with an essen-
tial presence beyond our own. Kush is a powerful dance dedicated to the awareness of divine pres-
ence in human relationships. The first of a trilogy, Kush draws inspiration from The Indies, exploring
familial themes such as the synchronization of bodies in close vicinity and the ebb and flow of emo-
tional ties. Costume design by Marta utilizes bright hues suggesting sensuality, divinity and the vibrant
sun. The story reflects the weaving of individual pathways and shared states of consciousness.
Photo Credit: Tim Grant
 Photo Credit: David France

I
nspired by a dream, Bamboo awakens a mystical,
intuitive memory. The dream recalls the selfless-
ness Marta experienced during her childhood in
Panama. Scents, colors and sounds are drawn from
Kuna Indians of the Island of San Blas, Panama. Cos-
tume design by Marta features the dancers’ skin, rep-
resenting human strength and vulnerability. Tall stalks
of bamboo are molded into temporal forms of human
life, depicting the passage of time: the womb of the
teepee, the columns of adulthood, and the river of
wisdom that must be crossed. The injured are carried
across the river in honor of the elders’ teaching. In
this dream, self is dissolved in the love of community.

Bamboo
1992
20 to 25 minutes
Live Percussion
*Bamboo & Rituals can be performed as one piece - 35 minutes
Photo Credit: David France
 2009 - 8 minutes
Recorded Music by: Jean Francois Cote
Arranged by: Edward Ego Martin
rituals
I
n the Bohemian-themed Rituals, wisdom seekers embark on an adventure as elders empower the
achievements of youth, honoring inner strength and the attainment of knowledge as emblems of ex-
cellence. Rituals is a rite of Passage, an opportunity for the seekers to spread their wings and pursue
their calling. Costume design by Marta features collars of brightly colored feathers, symbolizing the
spiritual wings on which the wisdom seekers will soar. Dancers conduct the space with an exquisite el-
egance and graceful stride, striking the ground -and the air- with walking sticks to punctuate the rhythm.

Photo Credit: Olivia Arcuri

“
In Rituals choreographer Cecilia Marta transported us to a lush rainforest inhabited by regal
and exotic loincloth clad, feather adorned beings........... Marta did not mimic any particular
culture; instead we were in a distinct land, which she created. This was clearly reflected in
her uniquely stylized vocabulary and compositional structure.......The stellar eleven-member
cast performed primarily as a well-rehearsed and precise ensemble.......
Out & About NYC Magazine, August 2014
Click here for the full article.

Photo Credit: Maria Panini

 2013 - 10 minutes
Recorded Music by: Maxwell - Arranged by: Edward Ego Martin

I
nspired by duality, Gravity is a study in contrast - push and pull, black and white, darkness and light.
The choreography draws inspiration from evidence of dark matter, appearing in the motion of stars,
and in the orbit of galaxies. The acceleration of time and expansion of space imply that the uni-
verse could be 70% dark energy, creating an immense gravitational pull. Marta’s costume design reflects
this expansive dark energy. Most dancers wear black while one dancer, representing a distant galaxy
or cluster of stars - she is a light shining into the darkness. Her movement echoes an inexplicable grav-
itational pull towards certain individuals or places, and the painful duality of attraction and repulsion.

Photo Credit: LPAC Photo Credit: LPAC

rivers 2004
6 minutes
Recorded Music by: Bugge Wesseltoft

T
his duet featuring Ceci-
lia Marta was inspired by
bodies of water that merge
into one as they flow toward an
ultimate source - the ocean. In a
dynamic display of subtle power
and gentle fluidity, the dancers
synchronize their movement in a
playful call and response - echo-
ing the origin of human life and
culture on the African continent.
The interaction of two bodies
creates a mirror image that sym-
bolizes the spiritual dimension
of human experience. Rivers
explores the infinite possibility
of the crossroads; that sacred
place where rivers intersect.

Photo Credit: LPAC

S.O.L.
2011 - 12 minutes
(Soldiers of Love)

Original Music - ‘Women Soul March Anthem’

Arranged by: Edward Ego Martin and Cecilia M.
Marta

O
riginally performed with 32 danc-
ers, Soldiers of Love projects a vision
Photo Credit (Both): Ankit Rauniyar
of Revolution/Evolution. Marta’s
sharp choreography and militant costume de-
sign reflect a community that gathers strength
from the sun and exercises power in numbers.
S.O.L. celebrates the resurgence of feminine
leadership and the birth of a new conscious-
ness - one that can empower the masses to be
fearless and diligent in striving for social jus-
tice. This dance represents a movement of
spiritual warriors who are leading the way to-
ward cultural evolution and expansion.
Additional Choreography
2013 Darkshine
2013 Saathi (Friends)
2012 Vida (Life)
2008 Luna
2004 Breath
2000 Story Telling
1996 Badu Suite
1995 Rhythms
1995 Saltimbango
1995 When Rivers Meet
1994 Central Park Blues
1983 Black and Tan Fantasy
1983 Journey Home
Click here for a video of Side A & B....Darkshine at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center
Cecilia M. Marta
Teaching her Original WorldJazz Technique and LatinFusion.
Dance
Educator
DANCE STUDIOS
Broadway Dance Center (NYC)
Alonzo King Lines Ballet (San Francisco, CA)
Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (NYC)
Edge Performing Art Center (Los Angeles, CA)
Manhattan Movement/Art Centre (NYC)
Peridance Capezio Center (NYC)
Steps on Broadway (NYC)

WORKSHOPS
Dozens of workshops in 5 continents.
MASTER CLASSES
CONVENTIONS Cirque du Soleil “Kooza” and “Corteo” (NYC)
Joe Tremain (NYC) Celine Dion’s “A New Day” Dancers (Las Vegas)
Dance Masters (Syracuse, NY) Stanford University (San Jose, CA)

Photo Credit: Brian Thomas of Spinkick Pictures

Photo Credit: Brian Thomas of Spinkick Pictures

Contact
EPK Design by Kenny Hirschmann//Moonflower Graphix
Logo Design by Craig Anthony Miller - CAM

Sheffield Global Arts Management

Francine Sheffield, Founder/Director
917.409.6851
sheffieldfrancine@gmail.com
www.ceciliamarta.com