Kalamazoo holds the unique distinction of being home to one of the nation’s longest-standing, small professional modern dance companies. Celebrating its 40th year in 2021, Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers, hails from a distinct lineage of pioneer modern dance companies. In the early years of her career, Wellspring’s founder, Cori Terry, studied and performed across the world with the Erick Hawkins Dance Company. This experience and the training she received firmly established her among an elite group of nationally acclaimed professional dancers. With the vision of one day starting her own company, Ms. Terry left the Hawkins company to serve as an artist in residence at Western Michigan University. A  year later, in 1981, Wellspring/Cori Terry & Dancers was established and has since introduced thousands to the art of dance, enriched the Kalamazoo Arts community through collaborations with other professional artists and has become a platform for advancing postmodern dance choreography. 

Today Wellspring continues this legacy as a modern dance producer, presenter, and educator.

• Its fall and spring concerts, featuring works choreographed by Ms. Terry, members of the company, and guest artists, see annual audiences of 300-500 individuals.

• Nationally acclaimed performers and master teachers travel to Kalamazoo to perform and participate in Wellspring’s annual Midwest Regional Alternative Dance Festival (RADFest), now celebrating its 13th year. 

• Adult and youth dance classes are taught throughout the year and offer area dance students one of the community’s only opportunities to study with working professional dancers. The Academy centers its programming around creating a safe, equitable, and inclusive dance which is enhanced by partnerships with KYDNet and the Dance Education Equity Association.

• Educational outreach programs such as ABCDance, a prior partnership with KRESA’s HeadStart and our new program Ready Movers, a partnership with KC Ready4s, offer unique programs that aid with early literacy development and stress management using movement, stories, and music. 

The company and its members’ highly respected reputations are evidenced by regular invitations to perform at dance festivals and events around the country. Some of the most recent highlights include critically acclaimed performances and collaborations with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, the Red Sea Pedestrians, Bill Ryan and the GVSU New Music Ensemble, the Last Gasp Collective, and Kalamazoo Institute of Arts.