Urbanity's new choreography intensive is designed for emerging and even more established choreographers, ages 17 & up, who want to dig into their craft and explore their artistic voice. Join a tight knit group of seven emerging choreographers for a week-long intensive with established Boston choreographers. Learn different approaches and perspectives in choreography, gain feedback on your own work, undergo creative challenges, and grow as an artist and dance creator. 

Students will explore questions such as:

What is your unique artistic voice? How do you define your current aesthetic? 
What types of creative influences would you like to add to your tool kit? 
What does it mean to choreograph for the community? 
What role does sound or music have in your work? 
What dream collaborators would you like on your team? How do you bring your dream team to fruition?
Your work can be your weapon. What does art and activism mean for your work?
What opportunities are available for you to continue developing your work? What are your next steps, next goals?
How will you continue to nurture your creative spirit after this program?

Students take daily choreographic composition classes and dive into their own work, using dancers from the Urbanity community, and create a piece to be showcased at the end of the program. Students are offered personalized mentorship and feedback throughout this process. In addition to developing their choreography, students gain insight into administrative skills necessary for any choreographer, including applying for funding, advocating for their work, marketing, and gathering their creative dream team. 

Another benefit for students is access of up to 15 hours of free studio space before, during, and/or after the program to workshop their ideas ($225-750 value, per studio size)

Dates

August 13-18, 2017

Location

Urbanity Balance Studio
111 West Concord Street, Boston, MA 02118

Eligibility

Choreographers ages 17+ who want to define their aesthetic and take their craft to the next level. Ideal for college graduates, college students, dance educators, artists of diverse mediums, or anyone who wants to step outside their comfort zone and dive into dancemaking.

Program Tuition

$650 (may be broken into installments, need-based financial assistance available)

Faculty

Betsi Graves, founder and director of Urbanity Dance, is originally from Kansas and Orlando, Florida, and moved to Boston in 2000.  Her dance training includes studies in ballet, jazz, and modern dance under the direction of Gaymarie Tomlinson and later, performing with Southern Ballet Theatre, now Orlando Ballet.  At the age of 17, she was selected by Mia Michaels to tour across the U.S. on full scholarship with LA Undergound.  She taught ballet, modern, and jazz at Harvard University, Boston College, Regis College, and Boston Ballet (2002-2012).  Graves is an alumna of Jacob’s Pillow Choreographer’s Lab (2006), Green Street Studios Emerging Artists Program (2008), and holds a BA in English from Boston College.  She performed professionally as a modern dancer for Karen Murphy's Limón-based Falling Flight Project (2008-2010) and as a street performer for Theatre Mama and Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza (2008).  As a choreographer, Ms. Graves has garnered grant support from Massachusetts Cultural Council, the City of Boston and Boston Dance Alliance. Recent commissions include works for A Far Cry, UMass, Regis College, Plymouth State, Boston Ballet School, Touch Performance Art, and a diverse array of corporate/commercial clients.  In the last three years, Graves' choreography for Urbanity has been presented at Jacob's Pillow Dance Festival Inside/Out, Alvin Ailey Citigroup Theater, Mass MOCA, Boston's Institute of Contemporary Art, and venues across New England, New York, Virginia, Texas, and Florida. She believes in the power of dance to engage and inspire individuals and community. She currently leads Dance With Parkinson's classes, training under David Leventhal (Mark Morris Dance Group). In 2012, Graves founded the Boston Contemporary Dance Festival, which hosts 35 contemporary dance companies from around the world. She is honored to be a leader within Boston's rising cultural landscape, thrilled to be a part of the global community elevating this art form, and grateful to all supporters who have touched Urbanity over the years.

Alexander Davis Alexander Davis is a graduate of Keene State College where he received a BA in English: Writing, and a BA in Theatre and Dance: Choreography and Performance under the mentorship of William Seigh. Alex has had the honor of performing at the Boston Opera House, in the basement of a CVS, at the Ramrod Center for the Performing Arts, and most memorably on a street corner in the South End. Alex has worked and performed with organizations across Boston including Ryan Landry’s Gold Dust Orphans (Best of Boston 2016), Boston Lyric Opera, Boston Children’s Chorus and Improv Asylum/Laugh Boston. Alex has worked with a variety of artists including Betsi Graves, Jessica Muise, Cynthia McLaughlin, Rebecca Stenn, Marcia Murdock, Jennifer Pollins, Dre Rawlings, Candice Salyers, Carl Flink, Marcus Schulkind, Andy Noble, Ryan Landry, and Monica Bill Barnes. Alex is also a passionate arts administrator, a published memoirist, an exhibited fiber artist, a sexual consent educator, and an okay comedian. For more information and upcoming performances please visit www.alexanderdavis.dance  

Guest faculty may include Boston choreographic veterans Marcus Schulkind and Lorraine Chapman, as well as improvisation and composition explorer, Jacob Regan.

Application Process

There is no live audition for the choreographer's lab, only a written application with links to your choreographic work online to determine acceptance. Applications may be filled out online here and submitted with a $25 application fee.

Applications are due March 30, 2017 and applicants will be notified by April 15, 2017.

The $25 application fee may either be submitted via PayPal by clicking on the button below, or by mailing a $25 check (payable to Urbanity Dance) and mailed to: Urbanity Dance, Attn: Choreographer's Lab 2017, 1180 Washington Street #100, Boston MA 02118.

Apply at: http://www.urbanitydance.org/archive-1-1/