9th Annual Choreographers' Canvas Set for 92nd Street Y

" I walk into a large white room. It's a dance studio in midtown Manhattan. To some people, this empty room symbolizes something profound, mysterious, and terrifying: the task of starting with nothing and working your way toward creating something whole and beautiful and satisfying." This passionate verse from Twyla Tharp's book "The Creative Habit" initially spawned the idea for the concept of Manhattan's annual event, The Choreographers Canvas. Now itn its ninth year, The Canvas is a platform for emerging and established choreographers to showcase their work Off-Broadway to industry professionals and the general public. This year Canvas will perform in one of New York's most prestigious venues for dance, the 92nd Street Y.

The Canvas creates an opportunity and environment where choreographers feel encouraged, supported and excited about presenting new work. Through annual submissions a panel of dance professionals select fifteen to twenty choreographers from around the world in various styles of dance. The 2016 Canvas, curated by Group Theatre Too's Executive Producer, Justin Boccitto, will showcase dance styles including tap, ballet, street jazz, contemporary, and theatre dance at Buttenweiser Hall at the 92nd Street Y in association with Harkness Dance Center. The choreographers include: Mark Albrecht, Avital Asuleen, Steven Blandino, Michael Blevins, Justin Boccitto, Amy Connerley, Megan Doyle, Jordan Marie Hayes, Shelby Kaufman, Yuka Kawazu, Svetlana Khoruzhina, Madisyn Maniff, Katharine Pettit, Devin Richey, Germaine Salsberg and Kendra Slack.

"We are excited to create a new relationship with Megan Doyle and the 92nd Street Y Harkness Dance Center," says Boccitto. "The Y has so much history in the dance community and we hope the Canvas can become a new part of that heritage." Since 1935, 92Y's Harkenss Dance Center has been a historic home of modern dance, nurturing the talents of such pioneers as Martha Graham, Alvin Ailey and Merce Cunningham. In the tradition of these trailblazers, the center prides itself on carrying forward the art of dance instruction as envisioned 20 years ago by innovative educator Jody Arnhold's Dance Education Laboratory. The 2016 Choreographer's Canvas performs on Saturday, July 16th 8pm and Sunday, July 17th 3pm at Buttenweiser Hall, The 92nd Street Y, 1395 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at www.choreographerscanvas.com or by calling 212-415-5500