Emerging Choreographers Invited to Apply for Residency at The Center for Contemporary Dance

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 18, 2012 

 

Media Contact:
Craig W. Johnson, Executive Director

The Center for Contemporary Dance, Inc.

(407) 695-8366

Craig@TheCenterForDance.org

 

Alumni of The Center for Contemporary Dance’s Residency Program include performance-art company DRIP (www.ilovedrip.com).

WINTER PARK, FL - May 18, 2012 - The Center for Contemporary Dance is inviting emerging contemporary/modern dance choreographers and artistic directors to apply for entry into the organization’s Residency Program, which has supported and cultivated eight contemporary dance companies over the past ten years. Artists accepted into the Residency Program receive rehearsal space, business mentoring and production resources that make it possible to publicly showcase new works and, ultimately, allow choreographers to launch their own independent dance companies. “The Residency Program is designed to incubate the next generation of contemporary dance professionals,” says CCD’s Artistic Director Dario J. Moore, “The primary purpose of the program is to allow each resident artist to fully develop his or her voice and vision, with an emphasis on exploration, experimentation and above all else, collaborative process.”

 

A nonprofit arts organization with awards from the National Endowment for the Arts and United Arts of Central Florida, The Center for Contemporary Dance is the first dance education center in Central Florida to implement an integrative platform for resident artists to develop new contemporary dance works while building their companies. “The Residency Program is a unique opportunity for a community of high-caliber dance artists to focus on professional and creative development during a one-year residency,” says CCD’s Executive Director Craig W. Johnson, “The program is a model of process and community building, that strives to have repercussions on a scale beyond that of art making.” Residents are encouraged to collaborate with each other, without the specific goal or pressure of a performance product, though this may be a natural outcome of the program. During their residency, artists are supported in developing work of their own design and sharing in each other’s process while defining short and long-term creative goals.

 

To apply for entry into The Center for Contemporary Dance’s Residency Program, please follow the Application Guidelines outlined below or click here now. To learn more about The Center for Contemporary Dance, please visit www.TheCenterForDance.org.

 

 

APPLICATION GUIDELINES

Residency Term: One year from the date of acceptance. All decisions announced Monday, August 20, 2012.  Non-local artists must arrange their own housing.

To apply, send the following materials:

1. One copy of the Application Form.

2. A two page (maximum) C.V., listing most recent accomplishments first, including a listing of choreographic works, performance experience, education, languages spoken and additional dance-related experience.

3. One letter of recommendation from an established professional in the dance field relative to your career progress and/or your collaborative experience.

4. A DVD clearly labeled with your name, showing AT LEAST 2 BUT NO MORE THAN 3, representative samples of your work as a performer, improviser, and/or choreographer – A COMBINED TOTAL LENGTH OF 10 MINUTES MAXIMUM. Additionally, the applicant MUST appear in at least one of the samples. DVDs in any regional format are accepted.

5. The Video Description Form, outlining the samples submitted in number 4 above.

Send application to:
The Center for Contemporary Dance
Residency Program
3580 Aloma Avenue #7
Winter Park, FL 32792

Postmark Deadline: Monday, July 23, 2012

 

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About The Center for Contemporary Dance 

A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Center for Contemporary Dance is a leading Florida dance education, incubation and production center with awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, United Arts of Central Florida and the Florida Alliance for Arts Education.  Over the past 10 years, the organization has supported emerging and seasoned artists in the creation and presentation of more than 220 new dance works, including those by Moore Dance Project, Tajma, Mary Love Dance Projects, DRIP, Yow Dance, Nao Dance, U-Turn Dance Company, Patelworks Dance Theater and Emotions Dance Company. In addition to producing professional productions, the organization delivers dance education programs that annually reach more than 3,000 students across 5 Central Florida counties. To learn more, please call (407) 695-8366 or visit www.TheCenterForDance.org.

 

 

Vote for The Center for Contemporary Dance at www.TheArtsMatter.com

Your vote can help The Center for Contemporary Dance win $5,000 from United Arts of Central Florida to support the next generation of dance. Vote by June 14, 2011 at http://wwww.theartsmatter.com/.

National Endowment for the Arts Announces Grant to The Center for Contemporary Dance

$1o,000 Grant Funds Student Presentations of Moore Dance Project’s ‘Sacred Slave Stories’

Moore Dance Project's February 2011 regional tour of Sacred Slave Stories includes special presentations for 1,000 students from Volusia County Title I public schools. Student presentations are supported by a $10,000 grant award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

WINTER PARK, FL- November 23, 2010 -Rocco Landesman, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, today announced that The Center for Contemporary Dance, Inc. has been approved for a grant of $10,000 to support special presentations of Moore Dance Project’s ‘Sacred Slave Stories’ to 1,000 students from Volusia County Title I public schools.  The Center for Contemporary Dance is one of 1,057 not-for-profit organizations recommended for a grant as part of the federal agency’s first round of fiscal year 2011 grants. In total, the Arts Endowment will distribute $26.68 million to support projects nationwide.

An independent agency of the federal government, the National Endowment for the Arts advances artistic excellence, creativity, and innovation for the benefit of individuals and communities. NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman said, “I continue to be impressed with the creative, innovative, and excellent projects brought forward by arts organizations across the country. Our grantees are not only furthering their art forms but also enhancing their neighborhoods by making them more vibrant, livable, and fun.”

Touring throughout Central Florida in February 2011 and developed under the artistic leadership of Dario J. Moore, Moore Dance Project’s ‘Sacred Slave Stories’ is a series of contemporary dance vignettes inspired by historic interviews with formerly-enslaved African Americans, as documented by the Federal Writers’ Project (1936-1938).  Each vignette is accompanied by a pre-recorded excerpt from its corresponding slave narrative, performed by veteran film actor Harry Burney.

Activities supported by the National Endowment for the Arts include ten matinee performances for 1,000 Volusia County students from Title I public schools.  Presented in partnership with the Museum of Florida Art, student presentations of ‘Sacred Slave Stories’ take place in the Museum’s 200-seat theatre; grant funds will primarily be used to transport students.  Prior to attending performances, students will tour the Museum’s Legendary Florida Collection, an exhibit of realistic oil works by native born Florida artist Jackson Walker that bring to life incidents and personalities from over four hundred years of Florida history.   Tours led by the Museum’s docents will draw attention to selected works related to African-American history.  Participating schools will also be provided with pre- and post-event lesson plans, developed collaboratively with attending educators.

“Support from the National Endowment for the Arts allows us to assist Central Florida schools in giving students access to enriching arts programs that foster a well-rounded education in culture, history and sociology,” says Craig W. Johnson, Executive Director of The Center for Contemporary Dance.  “Through this project,” explains Johnson, “we achieve three primary goals:  encourage the use of art as a meaningful and productive tool for expressing and documenting one’s history, beliefs and experiences; provide access to and encourage future attendance at cultural events that validate the experiences of minority populations; and assist underserved schools in obtaining new and creative tools that educate and inspire students beyond what current limited school resources allow.”

To learn more about ‘Sacred Slave Stories,’ including details about project sponsorship and public presentations throughout Black History Month 2011, please visit www.TheCenterForDance.org or call (407) 695-8366.

Dance, Art and Mythology Collide in Moore Dance Project’s ICARUS

Dario J. Moore in ICARUS. Performances take place December 11-12 at the Museum of Florida Art in DeLand.

WINTER PARK, FL - November 1, 2010 - Moore Dance Project will present ICARUS, featuring Artistic Director Dario J. Moore in a contemporary solo performance based on the classical myth and inspired by the work of visual artist Pam Coffman.

   

When:
Saturday, December 11 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 12 at 2:00 p.m.

Where:
The Museum of Florida Art
600 N. Woodland Boulevard
DeLand, FL  32720

Admission: $20-General; $15-Students & Museum members. 
Visit www.TheCenterForDance.org or call (407) 695-8366.

Presented in partnership with the Museum of Florida Art, ICARUS is the result of a year-long collaborative project between the dance company’s artistic director Dario J. Moore and visual artist Pam Coffman, whose mixed-media “Icarus Series” compelled Moore to create the one-hour solo work.  A retelling of the classical myth about an impetuous man’s winged escape from captivity, performances explore a modern man’s psychological and spiritual journey to move beyond fear into a world of ultimate possibilities.  Featuring an original score by international composer Arturo Mayorga and local composer Kevin Gast, performances are followed by a dialogue with Moore and Coffman, who will discuss the creative process behind the work.  Coffman’s artwork is displayed in the lobby.

ICARUS unfolds in three acts, successively moving through themes of fear, confrontation and, finally, flight.  Moore is careful to point out that audiences shouldn’t expect a literal interpretation of the original myth. “The show is much more a contemporary exploration of the symbolism behind the story,” he explains. In the original myth, an imprisoned Icarus escapes from Crete using wings of wax fashioned by his craftsman father; once airborne, Icarus becomes so enthralled by the experience that he forgets his father’s warning to keep the sun at bay.  Soaring too close to the blazing star, his waxen wings melt and Icarus falls to a watery death, swallowed by the sea.  “It is the moment when Icarus is overtaken by the joy of flight that is most compelling,” says Coffman, an accomplished visual artist and the Museum’s Curator of Education, “In that moment, there is no fear–just Icarus and the bliss of being.”  Moore sees this as the show’s driving concept, and a reminder that “if we are to achieve greatness in this lifetime–to fly like Icarus–there is no time to be afraid.” 

To learn more, please visit www.TheCenterForDance.org or call (407) 695-8366.

 

This event is part of the AMP Series at the Museum of Florida Art, where Art, Music and Performance intersect.  Learn more about the AMP Series at www.museumoffloridaart.org. 

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Moore Dance Project and Gallery Works Intersect in ‘Images & Identity’

Dario J. Moore in "Images & Identity." Performances take place November 6-7 at the Museum of Florida Art in DeLand, FL.

WINTER PARK, FL - October 18, 2010 - Moore Dance Project will present Images & Identity, a series of intimate contemporary dance vignettes inspired by the symbolism and subjects found in the work of exhibiting artists Jeff Whipple and Trent Tomengo.

When:
Saturday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 7 at 2:00 p.m.

Where:
The Museum of Florida Art
600 N. Woodland Boulevard
DeLand, FL  32720

Admission: $20-General; $15-Students and Museum members. 
Visit www.TheCenterForDance.org or call (407) 695-8366.

Presented in partnership with the Museum of Florida Art, Images & Identity captures themes, concepts and inspiration from Whipple’s Seizing the Day exhibit and Tomengo’s Experience Portraits.  Works are exhibited in the Museum gallery and available for viewing before and after performances. 

 
Tomengo’s portraits explore the psychological and emotional features of his subjects, with human figures surrounded by metaphysically-themed compositions, implying a universality that permeates humanity.  Whipple’s artwork is meant to lead the viewer to a contemplation of the relationships between the images, colors and designs; his work centers on finding value in a terminal existence.

“The dance is a creative response to the subtext in the artists’ work,” says Dario J. Moore, Artistic Director for Moore Dance Project. ”Unfolding as its own series of living portraits, Images & Identity awakens the subtle, complex and defining moments that unify the human experience,” says Moore. 

To learn more, please visit www.TheCenterForDance.org or call (407) 695-8366.

 

This event is part of the AMP Series at the Museum of Florida Art, where Art, Music and Performance intersect.  Learn more about the AMP Series at www.museumoffloridaart.org. 

 

The project is made possible by generous support from:

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About The Center for Contemporary Dance A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, The Center for Contemporary Dance is a leading Florida production center for dance performance and community dance education programs. Over the past 9 years, the organization has supported emerging and seasoned artists in the creation and presentation of more than 200 new dance works, including those by Moore Dance Project, U-Turn Dance Company, Nao Dance Collective, DRIP, Patelworks Dance Theater, Yow Dance and Emotions Dance Company. In addition to producing professional stage productions, the organization develops arts-education programs that reach underserved populations and public schools across 5 Central Florida counties. To learn more, please call (407) 695-8366 or visit www.TheCenterForDance.org. About Moore Dance Project Under the artistic leadership of award-winning choreographer Dario J. Moore, Moore Dance Project is the area’s first and only African-American professional dance ensemble.  The company produces socially-relevant, artistically-engaging dance works that celebrate and examine new perspectives in the African-American experience.  Founded in Washington, DC in 2001, the Project has been operating out of The Center for Contemporary Dance in Winter Park, FL since 2006.  Since arriving in Central Florida, Moore Dance Project has presented more than 30 new dance works, including those commissioned by the National Conference on Race and Ethnicity, Rollins College, the Onyx Awards, Black Enterprise Magazine and the Negro Spiritual Scholarship Foundation.  To learn more, visit www.TheCenterForDance.org.

Yow Dance Performs at Trinity Prep Oct 8-10

Yow Dance performs at Trinity Prep Oct 8-10

Yow Dance kicks off its third season with newfound energy, fresh faces and dynamic choreography.

When:
Friday, October 8 at 8pm
Saturday, October 9 at 8pm
Sunday, October 10 at 2pm

Where:
Trinity Preparatory School
5700 Trinity Prep Lane
Winter Park, FL 32702

Tickets: $10 ($8 for seniors, students and hospitality)
Call 407-421-3564 or visit www.redchairproject.com

Learn more:  www.yowdance.org

3rd Yow Dance Gala This Saturday, September 18

Yow Dance: 3rd Annual Gala is September 18

The third annual Yow Dance Gala is just around the corner. The event raises money for the dance company while entertaining patrons with food, drink, a silent auction — and, of course, a dance performance.

The gala takes place Saturday, Sept. 18, at Tim’s Wine Market, 1223 N. Orange Ave., Orlando.  Guests may eat, drink and socialize the entire evening for  $20. For tickets, go to redchairproject.com; more information at yowdance.org.

The nibbles will be provided by Orlando’s The Social Chameleon, exotic wines by host Tim’s Wine Market, and beer (including seasonal Pumpkinhead Ale!) by Shipyard Brewing Co.

Here are just some of the interesting items up for auction:

•Skincare basket by Prana SpaCeuticals
•Aerial Class at Metropolis Productions
•Autographed CDs by Gabbie McGee
•Tickets to the Enzian Theater, the Salvador Dali Museum and the Albin Polasek Sculpture Gardens
•Artwork by Brice Stephens and Rick Jones
•Cut and color from Nube Nove Hair Salon
•Red wine from Duplin Winery in North Carolina
•One night at the Mount Dora Historic Inn
•Gift certificates for Park Avenue CDs, Ethos Vegan Kitchen and Michael Cairns Photography
•Teeth whitening by Dr. Donald McGee, DMD
(Contact Tyler Reed by e-mail or phone, 407-744-2147, if you have something you’d like to add or to request a proxy bidder.)