Our Story

IGCD, is a professional modern dance company and 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in Monmouth County, New Jersey, in May 2021 by Gabriella Bonocore and Meredith Koloski-Stack. The women-led, intergenerational organization grew from their shared belief in the healing and connecting power of movement and in the arts' ability to give voice to experiences not always easily expressed in words.

From the beginning, IGCD's vision has extended beyond presenting dance for the sake of performance alone. The organization was created to bring professional artists together to create meaningful work while using movement, music, visual art and storytelling to foster connection, personal growth and community.

IGCD's professional company is composed of accomplished dance artists who hold college degrees in dance and bring professional performance, teaching and choreographic experience from across the United States and internationally. The company provides these artists with an opportunity to continue their professional creative practice within their own community—creating original work, collaborating with other artists, rehearsing and performing, and sharing their experience with others. Community connection is woven directly into IGCD's artistic process. Each season, the organization partners with local nonprofit organizations, families, and community members to bring greater awareness to important human experiences and the resources available to those navigating them. Through dance, music, visual art and storytelling, IGCD has explored topics including domestic violence, grief and loss, suicide prevention, brain injury, different abilities, addiction and mental health.

These collaborations make performance a meeting place between art and lived experience. Rather than simply presenting a topic onstage, IGCD creates work that encourages conversation, helps people recognize themselves or others in the stories being shared, and reminds audience members navigating difficult experiences that they are not alone.

IGCD's collaborative model also extends across artistic disciplines. The organization works with local musicians, visual artists and professional artists from a variety of genres, creating opportunities for artists to share their craft, reach new audiences and develop work in conversation with one another.

Their Motto: We are all the Choreographers Directing the Dance of our Lives