The Dance Gallery Festival Returns To NYC in November

The Dance Gallery Festival will return for their 12th annual New York performance showcase, Friday, November 2 at Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center, 29 Jay St in Brooklyn, and on November 3 and 4 at the Ailey Citigroup Theater, 405 W. 55th Street, NYC with more than 25 artists in a weekend of groundbreaking work performed in three distinct and separate programs.

The Dance Gallery Festival was established in 2007 to mentor upcoming national and international choreographic talent with performance opportunities and residencies. Under the guidance of Astrid von Ussar, Festival Artistic Director and co-founder, The Dance Gallery Festival has mentored hundreds of artists seeking to establish a foothold in a business with few resources and much competition.

Over 320 emerging and established choreographers have participated in The Dance Gallery Festival since its founding in 2007, with more than twenty-five works commissioned. Many Festival alumni have gone on to perform at Jacob's Pillow, The Joyce Theater, international venues and national television. Video. Eleven choreographers in this year's Festival are new to Dance Gallery, with fourteen participants showing in New York for the first time.

Having been met with praise and enthusiasm from artists, audiences and critics, The Dance Gallery Festival has quickly become an essential and anticipated addition to the dance world. According to Ms. von Ussar, "the production of modern concert dance is often challenged by the scarcity of suitable and affordable performance venues. The Dance Gallery Festival addresses this problem by providing a state-of-the-art theater, complete with production staff, marketing, and public relations support to showcase each choreographer's work.

"We are very pleased with our growth. 'Level Up' artists are now receiving fees in support of the creation of new work, and a residency program has been established with workshops and performances at the Catskills Arts Society in Livingston Manor NY. We have also expanded our university partnerships,"she said.

In 2009, The Dance Gallery partnered with Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, offering paid guest artist residencies to select participating companies. The one-week residencies, selected by a juried panel of Sam Houston University faculty and area artists, allow recipients to choreograph new work on Sam Houston's upper-level students, as well as teach classes in technique and choreography. Resident artists will present new work at theDance Gallery Festival performances October 26-27, at Sam Houston University Performing Arts Center.

In New York, opening night on Friday, November 2 (7pm) at Gelsey Kirkland Arts Center in Brooklyn will feature twelve national and International Artists, selected by the Festival committee from more than 250 applications. The program will include the AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD, in which audience members get to choose the ONE choreographer they would like to see in The Dance Gallery Festival Level UP program next year.

The Festival's Level UP program on Saturday, November 3 (7:30pm) at Ailey Citigroup Theater will showcase dance companies/choreographers ready to advance to the next level in development and promotion of their work. Each company will receive 25 minutes of performance time and a commission fee. Level UP artists are judged qualified by the selection committee to present at the national level. Featured Artists for the Dance GalleryLevel Up performances this year are Cameron McKinney and Victoria DeRenzo/Jared Doster. The Level UP evening will also include excerpt performances by Manuel Vignoulle - M/motions NYC and Joshua L. Peugh/Dark Circles Contemporary Dance (Tx), 2016 Level Up alumni.

The "Main Event" on Sunday, November 4 (3pm), also at Ailey, will feature eleven artists. The Sunday program will also include an AUDIENCE CHOICE vote for next year's Level Up artist.

THE DANCE GALLERY FESTIVAL - NOVEMBER 2 though NOVEMBER 4, 2018
Tickets from $20 http://www.dancegalleryfestival.com/tickets