New work: How To: Form

 

I have a new project that I am very excited about! Despite/in spite what's been going on, this notion of bodies keeps coming up for me. How we define it, value it, and share it. My new collaboration, How To: Form, with the uber talented visual artist Michelle Golden and the uber, uber talented Gregory Honigsberg as part of the Tiny Dance Festival premieres this week at The Brick Theater. We are Program B with a performance onFriday 12/5 @ 7pm & Saturday 12/6 at 9pm. Get yo' tickets here.

How To: Form investigates the many facets of our identity based on race, gender, and social pressures through a personal lens. Let's take a look at how we view ourselves when we think no one is looking. This collaboration came to fruition from an impromptu photo session at Michelle Golden's Art studio in Brooklyn, NY. To see more photos of me with a red wig on and other photos in this series click here.

"The Unattainable Economics of Dancing" by Andy Horwitz

Liz Santoro and Cecilia Eliceche in Heather Kravas "A Quartet"
photo by Jenny May Peterson

I read this piece a few months back and was reminded of it this past weekend. Note to self, if an article or idea leaves an impression on you, you should bookmark it and re-read it again later. It feels like an entirely different me that read the same piece not too long ago.

Anyway, this piece discusses the all to well known reality of how hard it is to make it as a professional dancer in New York City. The staggering cost of life in the city, crippling student loan debt, too few paying projects, dance companies with little funding, an over saturated scene, administrative jobs that are still paying $15/hr (if you're "lucky") and a closed minded/incestuous "downtown" scene are just some of the problems we face.

It had me thinking of not only the problems I face as an artist but what my contributions are doing to the community itself. Every time I take a low to non paying job, am I possibly advancing my career with a new opportunity or continuing this practice of non-paid labor the norm? Do I continue to support the same 5 individuals who are currently being funded, supported, uplifted, and produced by the same community that shuns others not raised by their hands? Do I continue to take their classes and watching their performances knowing that the same can't be said for them for others not in the clique?

Do I continue starve for the sake of dance?

Everyone should read this article as it asks us to think about the roles we play in the community; good and bad.

My heart breaks....

The Unattainable Economics of Dancing"

Decadance Theatre FREE Master Class 9/20 at Hunter College

Deca is teaching a FREE Master Class this Saturday, 9/20 at Hunter College as part of their CUNY Dance Initiative Residency.
Hunter College
Hunter Hall, 6th Floor
1-3pm
Lexington Avenue between 68th and 69th.
Go dance!

Dance Initiative – The City University of New York

The CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI) is a new residency program providing rehearsal and performance space to New York City choreographers and dance companies. With lead funding from the New York Community Trust, the CUNY Dance...

WWW1.CUNY.EDU

http://www.cuny.edu/danceinitiative

Banana Peel Dance: DanceNow, Steel Stacks and Joe's Pub!

I had the wonderful pleasure of attending Silo at Kirkland Farm for a dance residency this past summer with Banana Peel Dance. We had the opportunity to spend a week on the farm and we created a 25 minute performance to be presented at the Musik Fest festival at Steel Stacks. What an honor and complete joy it was to have the opportunity to just create with other artists. Each morning we had company class, rehearsal, family style meals and the beautiful outdoors to inspire us. This residency allowed us to collaborate in a supportive space and on a level most if us hadn't had in a long time. This is the kind of opportunity that every artist should be awarded and I am very humbled.

Here are a few pictures from the residency and also our performance (on my birthday!!!) at Joe's Pub on 9/6/14.

More pics to come..

20 Top Artist Grants and Fellowships You Might Actually Be Able to Get | BLOUIN ARTINFO

From Blouin ARTINFO

Making art is expensive business, and working artists look for any financial help they can get. To supplement the costs of fabrication, art materials, studio space, and travel, one of the most popular sources of funds is fellowships and grants. For our ongoing series on resources for artists in these tough times, ARTINFO has researched the many funding options available in the United States, and compiled a handy guides of the ones that are within reach of the average artist.

As with residencies, which we covered in two parts, we discovered that there are tiers to fellowships and grants, and not all are created equal. Some of the most prestigious and hefty prizes are the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant, the MacArthur Fellowship, and the Larry Aldrich Foundation Award. Each come with big money grants — but they are also available by nomination only. When it comes to grant money that is attainable by open application, the pool is wide but the eligibility requirements also vary greatly — from awards for making comic books to small grants to publish limited editions of artist books written by women. The list below is a diverse and eclectic sampling of what is out there, but there's likely something in there for everybody.

Who: Artists working in photography and photo-based art

When: Deadline is May 18, 2012

How Much: Up to $10,000
Eligibility requirements for this grant state that applicants are judged “on the basis of artistic excellence, accomplishment to date, and the promise of future achievement in the medium in its widest sense.” In other words, for those who are working professionals, and have both an extensive resume and portfolio, this award geared towards you. Just keep in mind you’ll be up against an esteemed panel of judges that have ranged from David Levi Strauss, Chair of the MFA Art Criticism & Writing program at SVA to Elizabeth Biondi, critic for the New Yorker.
Who: Asian artists
When: Deadline is November 1
How Much: Not typically exceeding $10,000
Who: Contemporary lesbian visual artists working in sculpture, painting, prints, mixed media, and works on paper
When: Date not available for 2013 yet
How Much: $2,500
Each year three grants are given, two of which are supported by an endowed gift from Joan Watts, a founding member and artist. Glittery portraitist Mickalene Thomas was a panelist for 2008/2009.
Who: The awesome amongst us
When: Awarded monthly. Applications are rolling.
How Much: $1,000

Notable Grantees: Penelope Umbrico, Gregory Crewdson

[Fine Print]: Not available for students or recent IPF recipients, and you must apply online.

***

Asian Cultural Council Individual Grants

The Asian Cultural Council is by far one of the most dedicated organizations giving to Asian artists who are looking for funding to conduct research, study, receive special training, and pursue art in non-commercial settings, either in the United States or countries in Asia. The council gives money for anyone in the fields of Archaeology, Art History, Crafts, Dance, New Media, Painting/Sculpture/Installation, and more.

[Fine Print]: Grants vary in duration, from one month to one year, and the amounts can vary as well. Some fields not funded include publications, individual artist exhibitions, or performance tours, as well as undergraduate or secondary school study.

***

The Astraea Visual Arts Fund

[Fine Print]: Candidates must show a commitment to social-justice feminism.

***

The Awesome Foundation For the Arts and Sciences

The Awesome Foundation is a loose network of small-time philanthropists who award $1,000 micro-grants to people with certifiably awesome ideas every month. Chapters consist of 10 trustees who each donate $100. The project can be artistic, scientific, and/or social in nature. Previous “awesome” projects have included a giant hammock in Boston, a mushroom farm made out of phone books in Ottawa, and a portable pipe organ.

[Fine Print]: None — this grant is that awesome.

For more information and a complete list of grant, click the link below.

20 Top Artist Grants and Fellowships You Might Actually Be Able to Get | BLOUIN ARTINFO

Leimay Fellowship

LEIMAY is accepting applications for our 1 Year LEIMAY Fellowship. We are seeking bodyworkers, dancers, small dance groups, and choreographers. The Fellowship includes monthly professional workshops led by LEIMAY's artistic directors, the opportunity to present their work as a part of LEIMAY's annual spring-summer festival SOAK, online promotion of the artists' activities, discounted rates on White Studio usage, 10 hours per week of access to the White Studio, and access to artistic supplies at Materials for the Arts. This fellowship started as a studio-share six years ago and has become an important resource for local artists in our community and one of the key programs at LEIMAY. Applications will open on May 1st, the deadline for submissions is August 15th and the LEIMAY Fellowship period spans from October 1st, 2014 to September 30th, 2015. For more information and for the application, please visit www.leimay.org. 

Opportunities: Fresh Tracks Performance & Residency Program (NY Live Arts)

Fresh Tracks Performance and Residency Program

The Fresh Tracks Program was created in 1965 by Dance Theater Workshop, and this year celebrates 50 years of providing a platform for new artistic voices to gain professional experience and recognition in the field. Each year, six early career choreographers are selected by a panel through a live audition process. Artists receive research, development and performance support.

Fresh Tracks provides opportunities for participating artists to engage directly with New York Live Arts staff, artists and arts professionals about their work within the context of the professional contemporary dance and performance field.

Audition for Fresh Tracks 2014-2015
In September 2014, New York Live Arts will hold auditions to select six choreographers for the Fresh Tracks program. Artists selected for the program will receive a series of professional development workshops and be presented by New York Live Arts in a three-night showcase in the theater January 29-31, 2015. In the spring, these artists will receive a commission, 50-hours of studio space for research and development, and two one-on-one sessions with an Artistic Advisor.

Criteria for Selection
New York Live Arts values experimentation, collaboration and a genuine commitment to new ideas and new aesthetics. We place a premium on the originality of ideas and the quality of their execution. A panel of artists and other professionals from the field will select artists based on their demonstration of the above qualities and must possess a keen desire to develop and explore their work with their peers in the context of a residency program.

How to Apply for an Audition
Of the 48 audition slots, 32 will be assigned randomly to artists who submit an online application. The remaining 16 slots will be assigned based on recommendations from individuals invited by New York Live Arts.

To request an audition based on the random selection, read the downloadable program Guidelines & FAQ and complete the Fresh Tracks Audition Form via the online link below. You may not save applications in process. Once applications are submitted they cannot be edited.

Fresh Tracks Audition Form
Fresh Tracks Guidelines & FAQ

All forms must be SUBMITTED BY FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2014 10AM EST to be considered. No exceptions. New York Live Arts can only accept one form for each interested choreographer. New York Live Arts will randomly select 32 choreographers from the forms received. Selected choreographers will be contacted by email with their assigned audition slot. We regret that we can only contact those artists selected for auditions, and a list of the auditioners will be posted on our website once it is available. There is no fee to audition.

Please download and read the Guidelines & FAQ in its entirety for important information about the Fresh Tracks Program and eligibility.