Danielle Marie Steele
she/her/they/them
Artistic Director Danielle Steele to premiere new commission
The Young Professionals Choral Collective (YPCC) will premiere an innovative artistic and musical collaboration with fully Deaf ASL interpreter Arriana Bedgood. This new work is part of 25 for 25: A New Time for Music, supported by The May Festival. YPCC’s commission is called Untamed, and was commissioned for ASL interpreter and dancer, percussion, mezzo soprano soloist, pianist, and choir.
ASL Interpreter Arriana Bedgood is the feature of the piece. Artistic Director Danielle Cozart Steele tells us, “The Deaf community usually has an interpreter off to the side in choral performances. I wanted to commission a piece in which the Deaf and Hard of Hearing audience were the primary recipients of the artistic experience. Arriana will be front and center, interpreting and dancing.
Percussion vibrations are often cited by the Deaf and Hard of Hearing community as being visceral and enjoyable, as they can feel the instrument. The choir serves as a backdrop to the interpreter. Bedgood will use her body, hands, and face to tell the intimate story of what it means to be a Deaf person forced to assimilate to a hearing world. The poem she’s interpreting serves as an allegory for an unbreakable spirit.”
Since its inception in 2011, YPCC has earned a reputation for fostering a joyful community of young professionals and arts supporters in Cincinnati. Cozart Steele leads with passion through collaboration and inclusion, two qualities that resonate with YPCC’s mission and core values.
As the YPCC community plans for the future in a post-coronavirus world, Cozart Steele continues to bring a fresh collaborative and creative energy, as well as a passion for inclusion and community-building through the choral art form.
Upcoming Events
Join Danielle with WCPO’s Evan Millward and the Lady Phaedra for an evening of shenanigans at the YPCC Spies and Lies Gala.
Young Professionals Choral Collective
Saturday, June 3, 2023 – VIP tickets available
Steele to conduct at May Festival Choral Showcase. In celebration of Cincinnati as one of America’s choral epicenters, nineteen local choral ensembles will perform at Christ Church Cathedral, March 19 starting at 2 p.m. The showcase will be emceed by WGUC’s Elaine Diehl, Alecia Kintner from ArtsWave and local choral community leader Dr. William Henry Caldwell. Ensembles will put on 20-minute mini-concerts, which will also showcase 25 new choral works from composers with Luna Composition Lab as part of the festival’s 25 for 25: A New Time for Choral Music commissioning project. YPCC will serve as the finale ensemble of the show.
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