Uptown Dance Company (UDC) fosters an appreciation of dance within the Houston community by offering family-friendly dance performances and educational opportunities. UDC consists of both a professional contemporary dance group and pre-professional dance ensembles, producing performances known for featuring exciting choreography and versatile dancers with a strong classical aesthetic, while educating the next generation of dancers.  

In 1999, international choreographer, instructor, and dancer, Beth Gulledge-Brown, recognized the need to supplement her students’ training and performance skills.  She therefore formed a pre-professional dance company to provide a performing outlet for her advanced students. The company received its nonprofit status in 2004, and the skills and exposure of Gulledge-Brown’s students continued to grow with her vision. In 2008 Gulledge-Brown launched the professional Uptown Dance Company, a group made-up of talented dancers from all over the US and around the world. 

The ever-increasing caliber of her dancers attracted critically acclaimed guest choreographers, including Chet Walker, Jane Weiner, Andre Silva, Barry Kerollis, Caleb Mitchell, Priscilla Nathan-Murphy, Krissy Richmond, Dominic Walsh, and Paola Georgudis, Tina Kay Bohnstedt, among others. Uptown Dance Company has performed in various dance festivals locally and internationally, including: Dance Houston, Dance Month, East Meets West, Contemporary World Festival, Tanzommer Festival in Austria, Jazz World Congress in San Jose, Costa Rica, Chicago, and Monterrery, and a Chinese government funded artist exchange program in Shanghai. It has produced collaborative projects with numerous other Houston-area performing arts, such as Revolve Dance, Creative Minds Collaborative, Ad Deum Dance Company, Axiom String Quartet, Jose-Miguel Yamal Jazz Quartet, Sam Houston State University Orchestra, and can be seen regularly in its own annual Dance Infusion and Spring Fusion productions.

The professional group employs seven resident dancers, plus guest artists. UDC is the only professional contemporary dance company in Houston that trains intensively in classical ballet.