Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre’s mission is to enhance the quality of life of minorities and all people by celebrating, teaching and promoting diversity through performances, outreach activities, and other dance-related experiences. The Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre has been hailed for its outstanding achievements in its field by various local media. "The fastest rising dance company in Northeast Ohio." states The Plain Dealer (April 2001). "The most exciting dance company to have emerged in the past couple of years." wrote Northern Ohio Live Magazine (October 2000). And "Northeast Ohio's most respected regional multicultural company." includes The Free Times (February 2000). Most recently, the plain dealer describes CCDT as a “hot minority-based ensemble that dares to tackle controversial issues” (2006).

In 1998, Michael Medcalf returned to Cleveland, his native home, with an ambitious dream to give back to his community. He founded Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre (CCDT) and took up residence in the old Hodge School at 1075 East 74th Street in Cleveland, Ohio. He built a studio to conduct rehearsals and established a dance company. In addition, he founded a school now known as The School of Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre (SCCDT), which focuses on serving socio-economically challenged youth and the community at large. Cleveland Contemporary Dance Theatre is the first professionally established contemporary dance company in Northeast Ohio that brings to the forefront the contributions African-Americans and others from diverse communities have made to the art form of dance. Within five years, CCDT had assembled a multi-cultural company of professionally trained dancers and has quickly gained recognition in the region as "a first-rate company rooted in the tradition of black dance in America." (The Plain Dealer, February 2002). CCDT is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life of minorities and all people by celebrating, teaching and promoting diversity through performance outreach activities, its school and dance-related experiences.

Today, CCDT performances take place in the fall, winter and spring annually. In the 2001-2002 season each of the CCDT concerts was performed to a sold out audience. In the first four months of the 2002-2003 season, over 1,000 people attended CCDT performances. By the end of its 2002-2003 season, through live performances and special events CCDT reached over 12,000 people across Northeast Ohio. At the conclusion of the 2005-2006 season, CCDT reached audiences of over 2600 students in education and outreach performances and over 12,000 people during mainstage performances.

CCDT continues to be presented at Playhouse Square as apart of Cuyahoga Community College's highly acclaimed cultural arts series "Showtime at High Noon." In 2003 the company appeared on the college's evocative "Contemporary Visions" series with the internationally acclaimed Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble of Denver, Colorado. Additionally, the company has performed in a variety of other venues including community centers, in park settings with the Ohio Ballet and has been featured often on Fox 8's Live Morning Show, "Kickin' it with Kenny Crumpton". Since 1999, CCDT has served on the roster of Young Audiences of Northeast Ohio conducting assembly programs, residencies and workshops for students throughout Northeast Ohio.

At present, the company boasts an impressive cast of professional and apprentice members who rehearse repertory and train in contemporary modern techniques (Horton and Graham) as well as ballet from 9am until 2:30pm every day for 24-32 weeks of the year. This growth is the realization of Michael Medcalf’s vision -- to become a full-time company. Overall, the company undertakes main stage performance dates in addition to its rigorous schedule of assembly programs, residencies, touring and maintenance of its in-house school for dancers during the season.