Under the artistic leadership of co-founder Deborah Vaughan, Dimensions Dance Theater at 53 is one of the oldest contemporary dance companies in the US. The diversity and inclusiveness of DDT’s repertoire is unique to the company. The company currently employs 14 performing artists, 6 teaching artists, and 5 stipended apprentice teachers.

DDT is actively engaged in the ongoing creation of new works that center the voices and needs of the community we serve. We present these collaborative works during our annual home season in October at the Malonga Casquelourd Center for the Arts. Our current performance project Healing to Joy is a multiyear (2024-2026) series of dance-theater works deepening our Sankofa-informed practice while honoring Black dance traditions and advancing community-centered healing through movement, music, and story.

Current weekly dance classes include Rumba, Guinea West African, Afro-Cuban, and Senegalese West African.

DDT is a leading member of the MAC, a collective of African American artists and artists of color based at the Malonga Casquelourd Center. This dynamic ecosystem fosters collaboration and creativity, enriching the cultural landscape of Oakland.

Our Rites of Passage (ROP) youth program offers a year-round curriculum that includes an array of after-school activities that include: dance classes, life skills workshops, mentoring, career guidance, cultural presentations, internships and apprenticeships, field trips, and art exposure study trips. As one of Oakland’s foremost providers of high-quality arts education for children, youth, and young adults, DDT serves as a vital resource for schools, parents, and community organizations, fostering a rich cultural environment. Through ROP, youth have opportunities to discover and learn the art forms of the African Diaspora, and to develop their voice through the arts. ROP students gain opportunities to perform across Oakland and engage the wider community.