passionate - Mindful - eclectic - versatile
honest - relevant - professional
Nomadic Artist was born out of the concept of coming together to promote great dance, genuine human connection and collaboration, a passion for the arts and love and acceptance of all artists, art forms and its audiences. In 2013, artistic director, Ashley Cuppett-Richardson, felt like a Nomadic Artist. She was in search for a place to create, learn, and grow as a dance artist without having to uproot to New York City, Chicago, or Los Angeles. She traveled from dance group to dance group searching for a place to call home, but most opportunities were centralized in the Washington, D.C. region. She was a rural girl, born and raised in Haymarket, Va and enjoyed the country life. While taking on teaching jobs in the Northern Virginia area, her need to dance for herself was still yearning for a home. During this time she also saw a need for dance training to be available to children whose families could not afford to send their children to dance schools, which are fairly expensive if you’re looking for the best training. If her Grandmother, Alzine Cuppett (former student of Gene Kelley and Radio City Rockette), hadn’t owned a dance studio, she would have never been afforded the chance to dance. Out of this need and exploration of the Northern Virginia dance community came the birth of Nomadic Artist Productions. We are a Fairfax-based, non-profit professional dance company in residence at Virginia Ballet Company that trains during weekday mornings and performs throughout the year in our local communities. We also offer 50+ hours of summer outreach dance and theater instruction to under-served youth of Prince William County, free of charge. Our mission is, “Appreciate. Cultivate. Expose.”
We are a dance company of mindful artists. Nomadic provides a platform for the current and future members to have their dance talent appreciated, cultivated and exposed through performance and outreach instruction opportunities. We have been successfully admitted and showcased in many choreographer’s showcases throughout DC and Virginia since our inception in 2014. We are happy to be a resident dance company for Virginia Ballet Company in Fairfax (virginiaballetcompany.org). We have performed at the Howard Theater, Jack Guidone Theater, Workhouse Theater, James Lee Theater, Ernst Community Cultural Center, Dance Loft on 14th, Anacostia Arts Center, & Fredgren Studio Theater at Ballet Nova. Furthermore, every summer we provide free dance instruction to a group of under-served children at a local daycare, Caterpillar Clubhouse in Manassas, Va. We are a professional dance company that exposes its adult members to personal artistic growth and public recognition for their art, while engaging with the youth to cultivate artistic understanding in under-served children and families in our area, providing an opportunity where it may not be afforded or accessed.
We are a dance company of mindful artists. Nomadic provides a platform for the current and future members to have their dance talent appreciated, cultivated and exposed through performance and outreach instruction opportunities. We have been successfully admitted and showcased in many choreographer’s showcases throughout DC and Virginia since our inception in 2014. We are happy to be a resident dance company for Virginia Ballet Company in Fairfax (virginiaballetcompany.org). We have performed at the Howard Theater, Jack Guidone Theater, Workhouse Theater, James Lee Theater, Ernst Community Cultural Center, Dance Loft on 14th, Anacostia Arts Center, & Fredgren Studio Theater at Ballet Nova. Furthermore, every summer we provide free dance instruction to a group of under-served children at a local daycare, Caterpillar Clubhouse in Manassas, Va. We are a professional dance company that exposes its adult members to personal artistic growth and public recognition for their art, while engaging with the youth to cultivate artistic understanding in under-served children and families in our area, providing an opportunity where it may not be afforded or accessed.
the company
Photography Credit: KWH Photographs