ABOUT

Seeking four dancers for SOLACE, a dance work by Garnet Henderson celebrating the beauty, communal joy, and deep comfort found in Inwood Hill Park.

Ideal dancers for this project will have a familiarity with modern and postmodern styles, be comfortable with movement scores, and be adaptable and able to think on their feet. You can see Garnet’s past work here.

DETAILS AND PAY

Dancers will be provided with a contract and paid weekly, $25 per hour for rehearsal and $200 per performance, as employees (W2). Workers’ compensation provided. Dancers must be U.S. citizens or have a valid work visa.

Rehearsals are scheduled to begin April 15. They will typically last four hours (including a warmup period and at least two breaks) and take place on Fridays. Extra rehearsals may be scheduled as performances near. Performances are tentatively scheduled for June 18 and June 26 (pending permit approval from NYC Parks).

Please note that all rehearsals are planned to take place outdoors in Inwood Hill Park. In the event of severe weather, rehearsals may move to a backup studio location or be cancelled. Rehearsals will happen at a regular time, unless changes are needed due to cast availability. Dancers will be notified of changes two weeks in advance whenever possible. Dancers will be paid for rehearsals cancelled less than a week in advance. We will make every effort not to cancel a performance, even if the weather is not ideal. However, dancers will not be asked to perform in unsafe conditions and will be paid if a performance must be cancelled. Essentials such as water, snacks, sunscreen, and bathroom access will be provided.

Dancers for this project must be comfortable rehearsing and performing outside, and able to navigate a changing environment. This is a public park, and we will be sharing the space with others. The area we will be dancing in is mostly flat, with one small hill. We will be dancing in sneakers on paved pathways and on grass.

COVID SAFETY

Dancers must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination. Masks will not be required for outdoor rehearsals or performances. In the event that backup rehearsals are held indoors, masks will be provided and required. Dancers will be provided with sick pay for up to two missed rehearsals.

CASTING

Casting priority will be given to residents of Upper Manhattan. Dancers from other parts of the city are still welcome to apply; however, please keep the commute in mind and be sure you’ll be able to make it to rehearsals. Inwood Hill Park can be easily reached from the A train at 207th St., the 1 train at 215th St., and several bus lines.

The audition process will be entirely virtual. If interested, please provide the following information via this form by March 4th at 11:59pm:

- Your name and contact information

- A resume or detailed bio (no preference will be given to either)

- Information about your availability. Because this is such a short-term project (only about 11 weeks), availability will be an important factor in casting.

- Learn this short phrase and record yourself dancing it. Please introduce yourself at the start of the video. Feel free to adapt the phrase as needed to fit in your space. No one will be penalized for having a small space.

- Provide another video of you dancing. Performance documentation, rehearsal footage, or reels are all acceptable. If the video is longer than 2-3 minutes, please provide a cue point to the short section you’d most like me to see.

Selected dancers will be notified by March 21st at the latest.

For any questions or accessibility needs, please email garnet.henderson@gmail.com.

This project is funded, in part, through a Seed Fund for Dance grant from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation, thanks to the support of the Mertz Gilmore Foundation.