A Quarter Century of Creative Adventures

When Donna L. Jacobs founded Full Circle Dance Company in 2000, she was hoping to create professional performance and choreography opportunities for the creative young teachers at her Baltimore studio, the Morton Street Dance Center. The company's first concert included two works by choreographer Travis Gatling, who would become an essential collaborator. 

Twenty-five years later, Full Circle has created and performed more than 120 works, been a dance home to more than 60 dancers, and traveled to at least 10 states. We have given free workshops for public and private school students, teen mothers, nursing home residents, and breast cancer survivors.  Below are just a few of our most memorable creative adventures.

The Dancers and Writers Project

Baltimore is a city of writers! In 2004, Full Circle created a dynamic engagement between writers and dance artists with the goal of nurturing the next generation of dance critics. A workshop for middle school students explored writing about movement as well as movement inspired by words. The students joined professional writers in reviewing our work, and every member of the audience had an opportunity to write about the performance.  

Motherhood, Memory, and Movement

In 2005, dancer Margaret Sykes's performance in her eighth month of pregnancy marked the first--but definitely not the last--time a Full Circle mom-to-be graced the stage in her final trimester. 

Southwest Sojourn

In December 2010, Full Circle dancers traveled to Tempe, Arizona, to perform Travis D. Gatling's "Angels Unawares," now one of our signature works. The gorgeous Tempe Center for the Arts, delightful weather, a cactus tour of a botanical garden, and a warm audience reception made this a trip to remember.  

Fight or Flight 

A choreography workshop held at the Baltimore City Cancer Program's breast cancer support group yielded personal and profound stories that inspired "328-HOPE" by Artistic Director Donna L. Jacobs, herself a breast cancer survivor. This work formed the centerpiece of a Full Circle concert and reception that drew a huge audience in support of the BCCP. 

An Eye for Beauty in Motion

Our collaboration with Baltimore photographer Brion McCarthy, spanning more than 15 years, has yielded so many stunning, evocative images. Much of the way we see ourselves, and the way we are seen by the world, reflects his vision, knowledge, and creativity. 

Cage and Cunningham

In early 2019, Full Circle was commissioned by the Maryland Institute College of Art to perform "Steps, A Composition for a Painting" by John Cage. Walking in the metaphorical footsteps of Merce Cunningham, whose company performed the piece in 2008, Full Circle dancers inked their feet and left marks according to instructions in Cage's score. They manipulated a giant brush, created by artist and Cage collaborator Ray Kass, across the surface. An audience observed from upper levels in the sun-filled atrium of MICA's Brown Center. The resulting work was exhibited at MICA, along with the version created by the Cunningham company, as part of the exhibition "Rural Avant-Garde: The Mountain Lake Experience." 

Pandemic Films

In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, choreographer/physician Misty Yackshaw created the dance film Dissonance, which highlighted the extreme challenges faced by medical workers during that devastating time. The film, which drew on stories contributed by real health care workers, was accepted to several film festivals. In the spring of 2021, Full Circle Artistic Director Donna L. Jacobs and choreographer Shaela Davis created The Healing Project. Filmed in Baltimore, this work engaged with grief over pandemic losses and police brutality, as well as with hope for healing. It was presented in several free virtual performances.

Diving Deep in the Midwest 

In summer 2024, Full Circle was the professional company in residence at Ohio University's Summer Dance Institute. A week of teaching, coaching, creating, and performing with young dancers from around the country filled us with hope for the future of the art form. 

Crossing Genres and Forging Ties

Beginning in 2023, Full Circle has collaborated with Ballet Theatre of Maryland, bringing dance artists trained in both ballet and modern styles together to explore. The resulting performances have delighted audiences, encouraged artistic invention, and created friendships founded on mutual respect. 

As we celebrate 25 years of creative adventures, we’re not just reflecting on where we’ve been—we’re building toward what’s next. Full Circle Dance Company has always been a space where movement meets meaning, where stories unfold through the strength, resilience, and artistry of our dancers.

If our journey has moved you—if you believe in the power of dance to spark connection, healing, and change—we invite you to support what comes next.Your donation helps us continue creating bold, thoughtful work and sharing it with the communities that need it most.

This milestone isn't just about our past. It’s about the future we can shape—together. Join us. Help us keep the circle going.

Donate Today

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