National Center for Choreography-Akron and University of Akron School of Dance Reveals 2023-24 Community Commissioning Residency Artists

The National Center for Choreography - Akron (NCCAkron) and The University of Akron School of Dance, Theatre, and Arts Administration (DTAA) has revealed the 2023-24 Community Commissioning Residencies, as a part of the Ideas in Motion program. Dance Heginbotham (New York, NY) is in residence October 9-21, 2023 and BRKFST Dance Company (Saint Paul, MN) will come to Akron in February 2024.

As part of the co-funded Ideas in Motion initiative, Dance Heginbotham and BRKFST Dance Company were selected for the opportunities they can share with The University of Akron arts community. During their time on campus, the artists of Dance Heginbotham will stage an excerpt of a recent work, Dance Sonata, on two casts of UA dance students. Dance Sonata will be performed as part of DTAA's Spring 2024 dance concert. Dance Heginbotham will also expand its ongoing 24 Caprices film project. Using Niccolò Paganini's "24 Caprices for Solo Violin" as a launching point, DH joined forces with violinist Colin Jacobsen to create a series of delightful, dark, and melancholic short dance films. During the residency, they will create and film Caprice #10, highlighting the unique attributes of the Akron area.

Paige Barnett, Dance Heginbotham performer and répétiteur of Dance Sonata, will teach a modern/contemporary dance class open to professional and pre-professional dancers on Saturday, October 14, from 10-11:50 am. Registration is available here: nccakron.org/event-details/community-class-with-paige-barnett-kulbeth

"I am eager to return to NCCAkron, which has been a vital incubator of my creative endeavors for many years," commented John Heginbotham, founder and Artistic Director of Dance Heginbotham. "It's a gift to return to a familiar space to create - it invokes a feeling where you can jump right in where you left off, building upon our previously shared collaborations."

After participating as part of 21st Century Dance Practices (another part of the Ideas in Motion initiative) in early 2023, BRKFST Dance Company was invited to return this year. BRKFST will create an evening-length production consisting of two parts: a remounting or reimagining of Dancers, Dreamers, and Presidents by composer Daniel Bernard Roumain for the proscenium stage and a new work titled From the Bridge, with an original score by BRKFST member Renée Copeland (Pittsburgh, PA), exploring the process of transitional periods in life. While in residence, BRKFST will once again host and facilitate a jam/improv session among UA School of Dance, Theatre & Arts Administration and School of Music students.

Both dance companies have existing relationships with NCCAkron, an independent non-profit organization with offices based at the University of Akron.

NCCAkron Executive/Artistic Director Christy Bolingbroke remarks, "NCCAkron aims to be a good dance neighbor. Operating as a discrete non-profit in donated space from the University, we can move faster and in a more adaptive way than large institutions as a whole. By working to augment the UA dance program during its time of rebuilding since the COVID pandemic, we are thrilled to continue offering wonderful interactions like these between local students and professional dance artists while simultaneously supporting the production of new work out in the national field."

"The University of Akron is so fortunate to have a collaborator and partner in the National Center for Choreography-Akron," commented Ann Usher, Senior Associate Dean, Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences and NCCAkron Board Member. "They are a national hub for innovation, research, and development within the dance and arts administration fields. Through programs like Community Commissioning Residencies, UA students have the chance to engage with and learn from esteemed artists who are creating work in today's field and climate. This kind of real-world experience is invaluable for our students and their futures."

About NCCAkron

The National Center for Choreography-Akron supports the research and development of new work in dance by exploring the full potential of the creative process. In addition to offering studio and technical residencies to make new work, activities focus on catalyzing dialogue and experimentation; creating proximity among artists and dance thinkers; and aggregating resources around dance making. For more information, visit nccakron.org.

 

Photo Credit: BRKFST Dance Company; photo by Adam Adolphus.

 

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