NCI Announces the Selection of Choreographers for the 2018 Project

A leading laboratory for new dance in the U.S., the 15th annual National Choreographers Initiative will take place this summer from July 9 to July 28. Artistic Director, Molly Lynch, has invited four choreographers - Kevin Jenkins, David Justin, Ilya Kozadayev and Mariana Oliveira to leading this summer's project.

During the three weeks of intense creative effort at the dance studios of University of California, Irvine, four choreographers and sixteen professional dancers will produce new dance works culminating in a public performance at Irvine Barclay Theatre on Saturday, July 28 at 8pm. The evening will include a question and answer session, moderated by Artistic Director, Molly Lynch, giving the audience the opportunity to discuss the process with the four choreographers.

National Choreographers Initiative is a southern California project with national influence. Its sole purpose has been to give choreographers a safe space to experiment and challenge themselves in order to develop new works and sustain the future of dance. Each choreographer is given complete freedom to choose the style, music and theme of the work. This is a laboratory for the choreographers to develop their movement and ideas. The choreographers retain the rights to license and promote the works they have created to other companies.

Since its inceptions in 2004, NCI has hosted 52 choreographers, 114 dancers from 41 different companies, and has produced 56 new works − 27 of which have been produced by companies throughout the United States and abroad.

Participants in the project have become resident choreographers for major organizations throughout the country, and several have founded their own companies, or have become artistic directors of other companies. This year, Amy Seiwert ('08) became the artistic director of Sacramento Ballet and Ma Cong ('08) made his Broadway debut as the choreographer for M Butterfly.

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