Backhaus Dance

Education - Annual Summer Dance Intensive

Annually, Backhausdance hosts a 3-week, life-changing training program in July for teens, college-university levels and professional dancers through its annual Summer Intensive program held at Chapman University. Backhausdance is dedicated to making this powerful program accessible to the dance community and provides scholarships through the Benny Mor Summer Intensive Scholarship Fund for nearly half of more than 150 nationwide participants who travel to Southern California each year. Guest faculty and choreographers from renown dance companies teach a variety of sessions in composition, improvisation, ballet and contemporary ballet, safety/injury prevention, partnering, and more. Backhausdance company members teach repertory and contemporary dance vocabulary that is the signature of Backhausdance's artistry. The program culminates in performances for the community and with a wrap-up dance party. The 22nd Annual Summer Intensive, BDSI 2026 will be held in the spacious studios at the Sandi Simon Center for Dance, Chapman University, July 7-24, with the culminating performance of "Deconstructed: Hive," choreographed by Jennifer Backhaus, on July 24 at the Waltmar Theater, Chapman University.

Education and Community Engagement

Backhausdance develops and produces a wide range of educational programs including assemblies/performances, workshops, residencies, lecture-demonstrations, master classes and more for K-12, college/university, families, adults and seniors. Education programs combine original, energetic choreography with classical and/or modern music and are accessible to all students. Programs for K-12 public and private schools are designed to link to California Department of Education curriculum and common core standards for dance, English/Language arts Science, Math, History/Social Science, and Technology. Equally integral to curricula and content of programs is the alignment to Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL), Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Multiple Tier Support Systems (MTSS) which are priorities to educate the whole child and for achieving 21st century skills for readiness and career pathways. As a member of the ArtsTeach program at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, since 2004, specific assemblies performed at schools throughout the community include "Arrive," based on a poem by Maya Angelou, connecting students to literacy skills and the art form of contemporary dance featuring excerpts from Jennifer Backhaus' piece, "Hive," "Communicate through Dance," introduces different methods to convey stories, ideas and emotions through movement, using excerpts from the work "Sitting on January," and "Physical Science through Movement," an interactive science experience based on the innovative and acclaimed work, "The Elasticity of the Almost," focusing on space, time, and movement, set to modern music. Backhausdance has also been a partner for 15 years with the education department of The McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, presenting performances that are part of the annual summer Aesthetic Education Institute, programs in public schools in Rancho Mirage, an annual residency for high school students called the East Valley Dance Project and bus-in programs for grades 2 - 12 at the McCallum Theatre. New programs include "The Dance for Kindness Project", launched in February 2022 live and in-person with two elementary schools in Newport Beach USD, with assemblies, a series of six creative movement workshops for each class, and Family Nights, designed to promote healthy and creative expression for students as we emerge from the trauma and loss of the pandemic, focusing on socio-emotional learning and positive communication through dance. ballet and creative dance classes for Santa Ana children and youth, through the City of Santa Ana, Parks, Recreation and Community Services agency since 2012. Additional programs include "Dance Expressions: Creativity and Choreography," "Dance Connect Orange County: CommUNITY Through Dance," "Let's Dance" after school programming, "Dance for Joy and Well-Being" for seniors, caregivers and veterans, master classes and more. Backhausdance offers workshops and artist-in-residence series for adults and seniors at community organizations and senior facilities focusing on the art form of contemporary dance, dance phrases, mobility, and creative movement for overall health and well-being.

Performances

Backhausdance creates and performs original, contemporary dance works for diverse audiences across a wide spectrum of ages and demographics. The company's repertory offers an eclectic and dynamic movement vocabulary with a wonderful sense of fluidity and strength, featuring a multifaceted body of work that is innovative and artistic. Backhausdance has performed extensively nationwide as well as internationally. The company also presents concert pieces with a focus on younger audiences that incorporate pre-concert introductions, opportunities for interaction and audience participation, post-concert question and answer time, and/or a lecture-demonstration or master class component. In addition to performing in a traditional theater, Backhausdance creates work that is performed and experienced 'out-of-the-studio. Through a community partnership with the Orange County Museum of Art (OCMAExpand), innovative, site-specific pieces have been choreographed to exhibitions and works of art that are intended to involve the audience and reach new levels of understanding about experiencing a work of art through movement. Commissions from Sherman Library and Gardens in fall 2021 and spring 2023 with "Garden Flow) and also "In Bloom" commissioned by Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens (spring 2025) are innovative and interactive choreographic residency projects that involves audience participation. Each season the company works with renowned guest choreographers to create new works that will have their world premieres at various venues including the Irvine Barclay Theater, Old Town Temecula Community Theater, Martha B. Knoebel Dance Theater in Long Beach, Los Angeles Dance Project, Musco Center for the Arts, and more throughout Southern California.