CUNY Sets First Round of Dance Initiative Residencies

The City University of New York has awarded 20 dance companies/choreographers residencies as part of the 2014 CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI).

The CUNY Dance Initiative is a new residency program providing rehearsal and performance space to New York City choreographers and dance companies. CDI was developed in response to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation's 2010 report "We Make Do," which cited the critical need for affordable dance rehearsal space in New York City, and mentioned available performing arts centers and other spaces on CUNY campuses. A successful pilot project in 2013 supporting choreographic residencies and performances on four CUNY campuses prompted CDI to expand its scope.

In CDI's 2014 season, 11 CUNY colleges in all five boroughs will host a total of 20 residencies. The residency projects, which represent a diversity of ideas, approaches, and styles, will take place between July and December 2014. In addition to providing space for artists to create work and rehearse, all of the CDI projects include programs for students ? master classes, open rehearsals, etc.? and in most cases, public events such as lecture-demonstrations and performances. Complete information about the 2014 residency projects is attached.

The choreographers/companies selected for 2014 residencies are Kathryn Alter & Dancers, Ephrat Asherie Dance, BalletNext, Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, BARE Dance Company, Maria Bauman/MBDance, Robin Becker Dance, Dance To The People, Decadancetheatre, ELSCO Dance, Full Circle Productions, Kawamura the 3rd/Mana Kawamura, Keigwin + Company, Loni Landon Dance Projects, Nia Love, Malcolm Low/Formal Structure, Tiffany Mills Company, Elisa Monte Dance, Renegade Performance Group/André M. Zachery, and Chloe Arnold's Syncopated Ladies.

"The CUNY Dance Initiative is an important new partnership that will enrich campus and community life and expand opportunities for local artists. We are pleased to welcome so many talented dancers and choreographers to CUNY campuses and very much appreciate the support of the New York Community Trust and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation," said Chancellor James B. Milliken.

CUNY colleges and performance centers participating in 2014 include: Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts at Brooklyn College; City College Center for the Arts at The City College of New York; College of Staten Island Department of Creative and Performing Arts; Hostos Center for the Arts and Culture at Hostos Community College; Hunter College Dance Department; Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College; On Stage at Kingsborough Community College; LaGuardia Performing Arts Center at LaGuardia Community College; Lehman College Department of Dance and Theatre; Queensborough Community College Department of Health, Physical Education and Dance; and Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College.

Artists were selected through an open application process. In this first round, CDI received 178 applications. Each campus selected its residency companies. CDI is providing subsidies to the participating colleges to assist with artist fees, rehearsal expenses, marketing efforts, and other costs.

CDI is supported by a lead two-year grant from the New York Community Trust, with additional two-year funding from the Mertz Gilmore Foundation.

The Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College is serving as the administrator of CDI, and has appointed Alyssa Alpine, who brings over thirteen years of experience as an arts administrator, dancer, and writer in New York's non-profit world, to manage the project.

For more information about the CUNY Dance Initiative, visit www.cuny.edu/danceinitiative.

To post a comment, you must register and login.