DeAnna resided on dance faculty at CSW from 2005-2007. During that time she set two original pieces - EVEN THREE, a trio, and PASSING BY, a piece for six dancers - for their annual Dance Concert which showcases the work of both faculty and student choreographers. The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive, coeducational, day and boarding school for grades 9 through 12. The arts are a vital and integral part of CSW's academic program. Coursework in the arts, both visual and performing, carries as much weight, rigor, and discipline as traditional academic subjects.
DeAnna Pellecchia was invited as a guest artist to work with the company in 2012. A cast of ten dancers premiered her piece PRISENCOLINENSINAINCIUSOL, a lively dance made in homage to Adriano Celentano. The Dance Program at Cambridge Rindge & Latin High School offers an extensive program of studies for interested students. The program includes four levels of modern dance. CRLS Modern Dance Company is an after-school program where students learn and perform modern dance works created by advanced students, faculty, alums, and professional guest artists.
The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), in collaboration with Urbano Project, commissioned DeAnna Pellecchia to create a video/performance installation in conjunction with the ICA’s 75th Anniversary Exhibit DANCE/DRAW. Over 300 teenagers participated in the performance installation which spanned three hours and premiered at the ICA on Teen Night “Platinum”, an art event hosted by the ICA’s Teen Council.
dance workshop for children | kerala, india While on tour with ANIKAI Dance in 2011 DeAnna taught a dance workshop for 50 children ages 10-15 in Thalikulam, an impoverished fishing community in the state of Kerala, India.
celebrity series of boston | act 2 Onstage and off, the Celebrity Series Arts, Education and Community Program engages people of all ages and backgrounds with vital, inspiring programs that harness the creative energy of the performing arts to help build better communities and to cultivate the artists and audiences of the future. AileyCamp Boston is a free summer program for middle school students from Boston public schools that uses dance as a vehicle for developing self-esteem, creative expression and imagination. Created in partnership with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the camp curriculum is designed to develop students’ critical thinking skills and foster healthy respect for self and others through a rigorous and diverse program of dance instruction, creative expression and personal development. ACT 2 is an after-school program designed to provide follow-up activities in dance and creative expression for students who have participated in AileyCamp Boston. DeAnna taught jazz technique for the fall 2010 semester of ACT 2.
vine street community center | roxbury During the summer of 2007, DeAnna taught dance and creative movement at the Vine Street Community Center in connection with Bennett Dance Company. The work was funded by a Boston Community Grant from Mayor Menino’s office for BostonROCKS, a program focused on providing teens in-depth exposure to art. BDC members Nicole Dagesse and DeAnna Pellecchia traveled twice a week to Roxbury,MA to work with six teens in this summer-long program. The students created original movement while learning about the choreographic process. They developed two dances which were performed for younger students at the community center. One of the greatest rewards of this experience was watching the teens transform through their performance, putting aside their fear of judgment and completely engaging with the movement and the audience.
