Kaleid Dance Collective is seeking 1-2 queer identified dancers to perform in their upcoming work “Where the Violets Bloom.” 

BIPOC artists and trans artists are encouraged to apply

About the work: Where the Violets Bloom is a dance theatre piece that celebrates joys and freedom in queerness. So often the media portrays violence against queer people and hardships that the queer community has gone through, where this piece highlights the beauty and divinity in queerness. A love letter to the queer community, Where the Violets Bloom combines poetry, set choreography, scored improvisation, and music to encapsulate the radiance of the queer community. Following the dancers through their journeys of transitioning, coming out, and exploring their identities, this work strives to uplift their stories and find the joy within. 

 

More about the process: We will be excavating our queer coming of age stories and creating phrase work, scored improvisation, and text (prose and poetry). Rehearsals will begin with a residency in Harlem in August/September and continue in NYC until mid November. Rehearsals will be scheduled based on cast availability. 

 

Performances: Performances will occur on September 23rd (rain date of September 24th) and November 18th. Please indicate if you are available for one or both performances.

 

Compensation: Dancers performing in both performances will receive $300. Dancers performing in only one performance will receive $150.

 

More about the artistic director: 

Rush Johnston (they/them) is a Bronx-based multimedia choreographer, performer, filmmaker, and movement researcher. Rush creates at the intersection of visual and performing art, often exploring modes of artistic expression beyond the binary. As a trans, Native, neurodiverse artist, their work often plays with perception and identity, inviting viewers to question proposed truths of self and social misunderstanding. Social justice work is a key element of Rush’s creative vision, often encompassing themes of political turmoil, queerness, and mental health. 

Rush believes in the power of memory as a potent means of storytelling and works to create spaces where vulnerability is cherished and regarded with care. They create communities of compassion within their artistic process and work to create dance that heals. Rush holds a BFA in Dance from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University. Throughout their career they have worked with renowned artists such as Kyle Abraham, Danielle Agami, Yin Yue, and Katherine Helen Fisher, Cara Hagan, Jennifer Archibald, and Jacob Jonas. Rush is the founder and artistic director of Kaleid Dance Collective, an interdisciplinary artistic platform for creative experiments and exhibitions. 

How to apply: 

Fill out this Google form by 11:59 pm EST on August 17th: https://forms.gle/3XLnJSUPPgC8gPvU6

 

Thank you so much and we look forward to creating with you!