NEW from Dance Project: Professional Practice Program

#dancelocal with the Dance Project this summer!

photo by Sarah Vincent.

Dance Project, the non-profit that coordinates the NC Dance Festival, is pleased to announce our Professional Practice Program through our School at City Arts in downtown Greensboro.

This special summer program is for dance professionals who would like to take regular technique classes, but are struggling to fit it into their financial picture. We are granting up to five scholarships to qualified applicants who will pay reduced tuition for unlimited classes with a minimum of 24 classes to be taken over the course of the summer (average of 3 classes/week).

Qualified applicants are serious dance professionals (recent graduates of dance programs or those actively working in the field of dance) who are able to take at least 24 classes over the summer. The reduced tuition cost is $100 (payable in full by June 6th or in two installments of $50 payable by June 6th and July 12th). Scholarship recipients are expected to abide by our procedures and policies (available on our website). Applicants should submit a letter of interest and resume/curriculum vitae to school@danceproject.org. The deadline for applications is May 28th.

Check out our schedule of weekly classes here (scroll down to the bottom for adult classes), and special workshops here.

Interested in weekday morning technique classes?  Take our survey to let us know when you could attend, and what kinds of classes you would want!

Hope to see you in class.

Dance Local.

Do you #dancelocal?

Home-grown.  Community-supported.  Collaborative.  Local.

The NC Dance Festival, produced by the Dance Project, celebrates North Carolina dance and dancers.  Each year, we present the work of some of the best modern dance choreographers in the state, take professional artists into local schools and community centers to teach and perform, and educate and inspire local audiences.

We foster audience engagement through programs such as the Audience Choice Show, and pursue collaborations with other organizations.  This summer we will co-present a celebration of NC choreographers with the American Dance Festival.

We do this because we believe there’s a lot to be excited about in the NC dance scene!

Be a part of it: Help us share and celebrate local NC dance and get connected to the dance happening in your area!

Here’s how:

1. Tag it: Use #dancelocal on your Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram posts

2. Follow us: Follow the Festival Social Media for all things #dancelocal.  We’re on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram!

3. Dance it: Take a dance class at your local studio, go see a performance in the area, audition for local companies–

How do YOU #dancelocal?

What is Dance Project?

Take determined choreographers with a vision for a statewide dance community and mix with a healthy dose of entrepreneurial spirit and a lot of eager dancers, and you get…

Based in Greensboro, NC, Dance Project is three entities in one:

A Festival: The NC Dance Festival features a different group of choreographers each year, selected from the best in North Carolina.  Founded in 1991, we have been touring statewide from September-February since 1996, fostering artistic collaboration, reaching out to students and dancers in each community, and inspiring audiences with the variety of dance happening right here in North Carolina!   Join us.

  

A Company: The Van Dyke Dance Group is a professional dance company fueled by a community spirit.  Created to present the work of Jan Van Dyke, the company is known for dynamic energy and rhythmic precision as well as compelling expressivity in its formal and informal concerts in Greensboro and other regional venues.

 

A School: The School at City Arts, located in the heart of downtown Greensboro, provides quality dance training in a welcoming atmosphere.  We are the only school in the area that provides drop in classes for adults–great for busy parents and professionals!  Check out our classes for you and your kids.

 

Dance Project has a mission to build the North Carolina dance community and expand the field of dance through artistic and educational programs. We train dancers, build audiences, and set the standard for professionalism in dance.

 

Help North Carolina be a great place for dance!

Dance Local.

 

Join our community: Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and join our mailing list.

Announcing the 2013-14 Touring Artists!

Bridget Morris by Steve Clarke

The NC Dance Festival (NCDF) is pleased to announce its roster of 2013-2014 Touring Artists!  Each season, 8 NC-based choreographers are chosen in a blind adjudication process to participate in the annual NCDF statewide tour.  The following artists/companies have been chosen for the upcoming season, which begins September 2013:

Renay Aumiller/Renay Aumiller Dances (Durham)

ShaLeigh Comerford/ShaLeigh Dance Works (Durham)

Emily Daughtridge (Boone)

Karola Luttringhaus/Alban Elved Dance Company (Wilmington)

Jen Guy Metcalf/TERRANOVA Dance Theatre (Greensboro)

Bridget Morris/Echo Contemporary Dance Company (Charlotte)

Eleanor Smith (Raleigh)

Ronald West/BLACK IRISH (Raleigh)

These artists will perform at each of the five NCDF sites: Raleigh (September 13-14), Boone (October 25-26), Greensboro (November 1-2), Charlotte (January 24-25), and Wilmington (TBA).  Local artists from each city will perform alongside the touring choreographers. Outreach activities will bring these choreographers into local schools and community centers to teach and perform in association with each Festival weekend.

Each site selects their own local artists to perform during their Festival weekend.  For the Greensboro performance, the dances on tour will be joined by choreography by Christina Tsoules Soriano and our Audience Choice Show winner, Marcus White!

We are thrilled to have some familiar faces and some new choreographers on the tour this year!  As we approach the Festival season, meet the choreographers and go behind the scenes of the NCDF, here on the blog.  Look for all-new interviews, video previews, and sneak peeks of the season!

Intern at the Dance Project this summer!

Summer Internship Opportunities

Work in beautiful downtown Greensboro with the Dance Project, Inc.!!

The Dance Project is now accepting applications for internships during the Summer of 2013!  Assistance is needed between May 13-August 9.  These internships will provide opportunities to work for a non-profit organization and gain insight into the administration of a community-based arts organization.  An ideal intern candidate would be reliable and prompt, with strong verbal and written communication skills, and an interest in working within an active arts environment.  Dance Project, Inc. is an organization with three activities: a school, a festival, and a dance company.  Working in this atmosphere provides invaluable experience with the multiple facets of an arts career.  For more information: http://www.danceproject.org.

Positions available in the following areas:

Community Outreach

Assist in the implementation and documentation of Dance Project’s 4 week summer outreach program at Peeler Recreation Center.  During the month of July, summer campers participate in West African dancing and drumming classes for 2 hours each day (likely 3-5pm).  The last week of the program, the students perform in a series of community concerts around Greensboro.  Intern will assist with the planning of the program, including performances, will attend the daily classes, and will document the program through photos and videos.  Intern must: have reliable transportation, have experience and/or interest in working with youth ages 5-13, have experience with basic photo/video equipment, and be responsible, friendly, professional and reliable.  Video editing experience is preferred.  Timeframe: Approximately 8-10 hours/week from June 26-August 9. 

Marketing and Communications

Assist the program director with preparations for the 2013-14 annual NC Dance Festival tour.  Communicate with participating artists, maintain blog and social media presence, draft press releases, update events calendars, solicit program ads, and other projects as assigned.  Must have excellent writing and editing skills, be creative, detail-oriented, and work well independently.  Previous experience with Adobe Photoshop or InDesign, and social media highly preferred. Knowledge of Microsoft Word and Excel required.  Timeframe: Approximately 6-8 hours/week from May 13-August 9.

School Operations

Assist the school director with summer camp management and school administration.  Learn the behind-the-scenes work of running a community dance program. Skills: Computer-proficient (Microsoft Word and Excel), detail-oriented, independent, good interpersonal communication.  Video editing and Photoshop experience preferred.  Timeframe: 6-8 hours/week during May and early June (optional), but intern MUST be available from 8:45am-12:30pm M-F June 12- June 28 and July 15-August 2.  

In addition to gaining experience, interns may take free dance classes at our School, and, with faculty approval, may apply for academic credit (45 hours of work = 1 credit, 90 hours = 2 credits, and 135 hours = 3 credits).

To apply, submit a letter of interest and resume to the address or email below.  Please indicate the position(s) you are interested in being considered for.

Dance Project

attn: Anne Morris

200 N. Davie St. #7

Greensboro, NC 27401

ncdancefest@gmail.com

NCDF at the American Dance Festival!

We are excited to announce that the NC Dance Festival and the American Dance Festival will join forces to promote statewide dance during the ADF Summer season!  Selected by a panel of nationally recognized choreographers including Camille A. Brown, David Dorfman, and Faye Driscoll, four works were chosen from among the top performances on the NCDF tour in the last 10 years.  John Gamble, Natalie Marrone, Cara Hagan, and Lindsey Kelley and Mindy Upin will make their ADF main stage debuts as we celebrate the work being created here at home.

Please join us on June 19 in Reynolds Industries Theater on the Duke University campus in Durham to celebrate statewide dance!

More details here.

NCDF: Year-in-Review

In its 22nd season, the NC Dance Festival continued to provide audiences with engaging works from local choreographers and connect with future performers and arts-supporters through community classes. Our panel is currently in the process of selecting the roster of artists for the 2013-14 season, which we hope to announce in the next few weeks.  In the meantime, let’s look back at some of the highlights from this past season.

In September, the festival tour opened in Raleigh then continued to Boone, Greensboro, and Wilmington before finishing in Charlotte at the end of January. We profiled the 8 Touring choreographers on this blog throughout the season. Click on the pictures below to read more about them:

      

      

  

We also sent Festival artists into local schools and community centers to teach and perform.  We had a great time with these local students!

 Carol Finley taught these 4th and 5th graders at Peeler Open Elementary School some strategies for improvisation.

 Students at Eastern Guilford High School experienced Jason Aryeh’s blend of African and contemporary dance.

 Former Pilobolus dancer Gaspard Louis taught an open community class in Partnering and Weight Sharing techniques at the Greensboro Cultural Arts Center.

Students at Penn-Griffin School of the Arts, Weaver Academy, Northern Guilford High School, and UNCG also worked with NCDF touring artists this season, as did students around the state!  Want to bring an NCDF artist to your school for a master class, lecture demonstration, or mini-concert?  Send us an email.

Greensboro’s second annual Bonus Day on January 19 was a success. Jen Guy Metcalf started the day with digital dance photos and headshots.

Photo by Jen Guy Metcalf

Photo by Jen Guy Metcalf

Master classes taught by Gary Taylor of the Winston-Salem Festival Ballet and E.E. Balcos of EEMotion followed.

E.E. Balcos class. Photo by Sarah Vincent.

The Audience Choice Show marked the end of Bonus Day with an informal show of three works by local emerging choreographers. 90 audience members voted on the works and selected Marcus White’s “Com4tzone” to be performed in Greensboro’s 2013 NC Dance Festival concert.

photo by Anke Michaelson

All of our Festival activities this season were made possible through grants from the UAC, the NC Arts Council, the Lincoln Financial Foundation,  the Capezio/Ballet Makers Dance Foundation and the Cemala Foundation.  We also received donations from many individuals.  Thanks very much to all of these supporters, as well as all who participated in our programs this year.

Stay tuned over the next few weeks to find out about next season’s roster of performing artists, other exciting collaborations, and learn more about how the Dance Project is working to build the NC dance community.

Thanks for reading!