Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance

 
 

"I was startled, the first time I saw the choreography of Shannon Hummel, by how completely the dancers in her company Cora Dance seemed to own the pieces that they performed. And what they performed was often like a vivid, true short story, a mix, perhaps, of Eudora Welty and Elizabeth Bowen. Her pieces, whether solos or group dances, evoke whole small universes of emotions and relationships, both simple and complex. Ms. Hummel's dances are like vividly detailed yet elliptical short stories, economical and eloquent."

–THE NEW YORK TIMES

Founded in 1998 in New York City, Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance (SH/CD) quickly established a reputation for creating choreography that is emotionally raw, richly detailed, and deeply human. From formal stages like BAM, Brooklyn Museum, and New York Live Arts, to unconventional spaces like backyards, living rooms, cars, public parks, and community centers, SH/CD has long prioritized making professional dance accessible—bringing art into people’s everyday lives in ways that feel both immediate and personal.

At the heart of SH/CD’s work is a signature blend of emotional clarity, choreographic precision, and narrative nuance. Hummel’s dances are known for their quiet power—evoking joy, loss, intimacy, humor, and discomfort with equal measure. Critics have called her work “poignant, funny, remarkably assured and perceptive” and “a rare gem,” praising its ability to move audiences with honesty and restraint rather than spectacle.

In 2023, the company established dual residency in New York and Virginia, expanding access to professional dance within both urban and rural communities while growing its national touring presence. Whether performed on stage or on a front porch, Hummel’s choreography resonates through its authenticity. Her work is fluent in the emotion, awkwardness, and quiet beauty that make us all human—and it invites audiences not only to witness, but to feel, reflect, and connect.

Current Work:
Because

 

Selected recent works:

 
 

For a more extensive list of past works and projects, please visit Cora Dance’s Vimeo Page.

 

Video Credits:

Selected excerpts from works by Shannon Hummel/Cora Dance. Music by Hans Bilger, Choreography by Shannon Hummel in collaboration with the performers. Performers in order of appearance:

  • Kelly Bartnik in "Prey", at BAX/Brooklyn Arts Exchange, Brooklyn, NY

  • Ammara Shafqat and Keon Washington in "Because" at The Clifton Forge Armory, Clifton Forge, VA

  • Katie Dean and Kelsey Kramer in "gifts" at Treasure Island Storage, Brooklyn, NY

  • Z'Yanah Gonzalez and Junie Marsh in "Grove" at The Underground of the Historic Masonic Theatre, Clifton Forge, VA

  • Anais Dallett and Evangelina Vargas in "Elsewhere" at Cora Dance Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY

  • Ross Honaker and Ammara Shafqat in "down here" (2024 cast) at The Hillert Auditorium of the Historic Masonic Theatre, Clifton Forge, VA

  • Dean and Kramer in "gifts" at Treasure Island Storage, Brooklyn, NY

  • Nikki Assanti, Honaker, Shafqat, and Washington in "Because" at The Clifton Forge Armory, Clifton Forge, VA

  • Solomon Goodwin and Nadia Tykulsker in "CAR from Common Dances" in Red Hook, Brooklyn, NY

  • Anais Dallett and Kramer in "Grove" at The Underground of the Historic Masonic Theatre, Clifton Forge, VA

  • Dean and Kramer in "gifts"

  • Tykulsker in "Cluck" at BAM/Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY

  • Assanti and Shafqat in "Because"

  • Dean and Calia Marshall in "down here" (2015 cast) at BAM/Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY

  • Washington in "Because"

  • Kelsey Kramer in "Grove"

  • Dean and Kramer in "gifts"

  • Dean in "Grove"

  • Assanti, Honaker, Shafqat, and Washington in "Because