Upcoming Deadlines | click here to see if you are eligible for any of these opportunities

March 26th: New & Experimental Works (NEW) Program, March 31st: SIA Foundation Grants, April 1st: Palm Desert Choreography Festival, April 1st: New England States Touring (NEST 1 and 2), April 17th: World Arts West (WAW) Cultural Dance Catalyst Fund, September 14th: New England Dance Fund, October 13th: Community Arts Grant - Zellerbach Family Foundation, December 1st: Culture Forward Grant - The Svane Family Foundation, December 31st: National Dance Project Presentation Grants - New England Foundation for the Arts, December 31st: National Dance Project Travel Fund, December 31st: New England Presenter Travel Fund

×

DDP Talks To

"The Devil Ties My Tongue" by Amy Seiwert performed for the SKETCH Series, 2013. Photo by David DeSilva. Courtesy of Amy Seiwert's Imagery

Smuin Contemporary Ballet / Photo by Chris Hardy

Smuin Ballet Artistic Director Celia Fushille and Amy Seiwert Team Up + Video

/0 Comments/in /by

Great things and amazing art happen when women collaborate. Smuin Ballet’s latest tour, which includes a world premiere by Sacramento Ballet artistic director Amy Seiwert, highlights Smuin’s dancers and Seiwert’s lyricism.

Amy Seiwert choreographing for Smuin Ballet. Smuin Contemporary Ballet / Photo by Chris Hardy

Dance Series 02, the touring production, will also include works of Michael Smuin, the late founder of the company, alongside Renaissance, Seiwert’s premiere set to music from Kitka, a woman’s chorus.

The piece is inspired by the Indian “women’s wall” protests, during which women have formed a 620 km human chain and given new hope to women’s rights in India.

Watch the company’s promotional video for Renaissance here:

Charlotte Ballet/Jeff Cravotta

Helen Pickett’s The Crucible Premiere Announced in the UK – DDP Founder to Meet Pickett in Charlotte, NC

/0 Comments/in /by

Broadway World: Scottish Ballet And Ballet Black To Collaborate On The World Premiere Of THE CRUCIBLE

25 April 2019

Scottish Ballet has announced that the company will be joined by Senior Guest Artist Cira Robinson for the world premiere of Helen Pickett‘s The Crucible. The first major commission of Scottish Ballet’s 50th anniversary year, the production will open the dance programme at the Edinburgh International Festival, 3-5 August 2019.

As part of a longstanding collaboration between the two companies, Ballet Black’s Senior Artist Cira Robinson will join Scottish Ballet to dance the role of Tituba. Bringing a breadth of experience, Cira will play a vital role in developing this rich and complex character in Arthur Miller‘s drama of power and persecution. A story as relevant today as when it was first written, Miller’s 1953 masterpiece explores the impact of the 17th-century Salem Witch Trials in Massachusetts.

Ballet Black is the UK’s professional ballet company for international dancers of black and Asian descent. Their goal is to see a fundamental change in the number of black and Asian dancers in UK ballet companies. By creating a central black female character, rarely seen in the UK outside of Ballet Black repertoire, the two companies aim to openly address the challenges of diverse representation in UK ballet (on and off stage), and particularly the lack of black British female ballet dancers.

Read the full article on Broadway World.

Photo by Liza Voll. Courtesy of Boston Ballet.

Broadway World: Boston Ballet School Presents 10th Annual Next Generation Performance

/0 Comments/in /by

17 April 2019

Boston Ballet School (BBS) presents the 10th annual Next Generation performance showcasing elite young dancers of Boston Ballet II and Boston Ballet School with the Boston Philharmonic Youth Orchestra. The program includes a new work by Principal Dancer Lia Cirio, Symphonic Dances from West Side Story, Konservatoriet and William Tell pas de deux by August Bournonville. Les Passages opens the program, choreographed by BBS Faculty, showcasing the Pre-Professional Program. The one-night-only performance takes place May 22 at the Citizens Bank Opera House.

“The 10th anniversary of Next Generation is a huge milestone for Boston Ballet School,” said Boston Ballet Artistic Director Mikko Nissinen. “These students truly are the next generation of ballet and it puts a spotlight on the quality training the students receive at Boston Ballet School.”

Boston Ballet School’s Pre-Professional program trains top talent to prepare them for professional careers with Boston Ballet and other major companies. Currently, more than 20 percent of Boston Ballet’s dancers are graduates of the Pre-Professional program, and 95 percent of Trainee graduates secure jobs with professional ballet companies.

Read the full article on Broadway World.

A Note from DDP:

Liza Yntema, Founder and President of DDP, is Lead Individual Sponsor of Boston Ballet’s ChoreograpHER initiative, which gave Principal Dancer Lia Cirio time and space to choreograph her new work featured in the Next Generation performance.

Dance Magazine – Op-Ed: What AGMA Got Wrong in Advocating for the NYCB Principals Trading Nude Photos of Ballerinas

/0 Comments/in /by

By Kosta Karakashyan

24 April 2019

Last Friday, through an appeal to an independent arbitrator, the American Guild of Musical Artists successfully reinstated NYCB principals Amar Ramasar and Zachary Catazaro, previously fired for allegedly circulating sexually explicit texts containing nude photos.

AGMA opposed Ramasar and Catazaro’s terminations in order to prevent the setting of a dangerous precedent that would allow dancers to be fired under less understandable consequences. But we cannot allow future cases to dictate the way we handle this situation—particularly a union committed to “doing everything in [its] power to ensure you have a respectful environment in which to work.”

In deciding to advocate for these two dancers, AGMA has not only sided with alleged offenders in multiple serious cases of degradation and sexual harassment, but has also sent a clear message to the whole dance community that the redemptive narrative of these male dancers is more important than the trust and safety of their female colleagues. The union has given these male dancers a seemingly free pass to privately demean and harass women.

Allegations of Ramasar and Catazaro’s behavior first came to light last year when former SAB student Alexandra Waterbury came forward with the story that her then-boyfriend and NYCB principal Chase Finlay had been circulating sexually explicit photos and videos to the other two men without consent. Waterbury filed a suit against NYCB and the three men.

Ramasar and Catazaro were initially suspended, but the company proceeded to fire them, citing “the concerns of dancers, staff members and others in the City Ballet community.” The arbitration ruled that while NYCB was within its rights to suspend the dancers, termination was too severe.

Forty three states—including New York—now have laws against nonconsensual disclosure of sexually explicit images and video, yet AGMA maintains that the two men were fired based on “non-criminal activity in [their] private life.“

It’s astounding that anyone would believe that any one of these dancers could be successfully reintegrated into the company. (Although Catazaro has announced that he will not return, Ramasar will rejoin, on the condition that he undergo counseling.)

Read the full article in Dance Magazine’s Blog.

Just Released: GLOBAL LISTING OF CHOREOGRAPHIC FELLOWSHIPS, SCHOLARSHIPS & COMPETITIONS

/0 Comments/in /by

Encouraging Women to Apply for Choreographic Opportunities is Key

The Dance Data Project™ (DDP) www.dancedataproject.com released its second report today, aimed at addressing gender inequities in the ballet world. DDP published a comprehensive listing of ballet choreographic scholarships, fellowships and competitions to simplify the application process for female artists seeking support for their work. The report provides critical information such as application deadlines, eligibility requirements, and compensation, which can include a stipend or other financial support, dancer provision, studio space, costuming, and other key resources. DDP launched a report in February to address gender inequities in leadership positions and pay in the country’s 50 largest ballet companies. Although women are the economic drivers of ballet at every level, few career avenues exist for them in ballet beyond dancing or teaching. 

“We want women artists to be aware of these opportunities. We heard from ballet company artistic directors and senior staff that women just don’t apply in the same numbers as men, often because they are unaware of what is out there. They do not have the network that men enjoy,” said DDP Founder & President Liza Yntema. “We hope by providing a global, easy to use resource on our website with a month-by-month calendar of deadlines to facilitate applications, more women will apply for these programs.”

Most of these fellowships, scholarships, or competition prizes, which are training pipelines for artistic director and lucrative choreographer positions, go to men. DDP staff members recently conducted a Listening Tour, visiting ballet companies around the United States. They found that women are less likely than men to advocate for their own work by applying for large grants, competitions or resident fellowships.

The second DDP report also includes discussion of Tara Sophia Mohr’s article for the Harvard Business review, entitled “Why Women Don’t Apply for Jobs Unless They’re 100% Qualified,” and Alyssa Rapp’s post “Feminism In The Era Of Millennials: It’s About Leaping Versus Leaning” for Forbes. Mohr’s article revealed women’s lack of confidence and hesitancy to apply for jobs unless they meet 100 percent of requirements, whereas men will apply if they meet 60 percent of listed attributes. To DDP, Rapp expanded on her words for Forbes, saying women choreographers should “surround themselves with advocates…don’t be afraid to ask for help. It might make all the difference in your life.” DDP is planning future programming around confidence building seminars for women that include practical tips for putting together applications. “DDP will also collect and publish data on what percentage of women actually win these competitions or are granted fellowships or scholarships,” said Yntema. “If we find a continuing trend of awarding the lion’s share of resources to male applicants, DDP will call out the committees making the final determinations.”

Download the 2019 Guide

Smuin Contemporary Ballet / Photo by Chris Hardy

The Mercury News: Smuin Ballet tours with greatest hits, new work from Amy Seiwert

/0 Comments/in /by

By Randy McMullen

Smuin Contemporary Ballet is headed out on the road beginning this weekend, with a goodie bag stuffed with fan favorites and a new work by an old friend.

In a touring program titled “Dance Series 02,” the company, noting its 25th season, is reviving several longtime favorites from company founder Michael Smuin, who died in 2007. Among these are “Unforgettable,” “Fever” “Carmina Burana,” “Frankie and Johnny” and “Dancin’ with Gershwin” — all works that helped define the troup’s endearing blend of sumptuous choreography and vibrant personality.

The new work comes from former company dancer and choreographer-in-residence Amy Seiwert, who’s now artistic director at Sacramento Ballet. Titled “Renaissance,” the work was inspired by the famed 385-mile “Women’s Wall” protest over gender inequality in India earlier this year, and is set to an a capella score performed by East Bay women’s chorus Kitka.

Details: April 26-May 5 at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco; May 17-18 at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, May 23-26 at Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts, May 31-June 1 at Sunset Center, Carmel; $25-$81; www.smuinballet.org.

Read the full article in The Mercury News.


Harvard Business Review: Make Peace with Your Inner Critic

/0 Comments/in /by

Discussion between Sarah Green Carmichael and Tara Sophia Morh

14 January 2016

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: Welcome to the HBR IdeaCast from Harvard Business Review. I’m Sarah Green Carmichael. Today I’m talking with Tara Moore, author of Playing Big. Tara, thank you so much for talking with us today.

TARA MOORE: Thanks for having me.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So you argue in the book that too many of us are playing small when we actually have the capacity to do bigger things. Is it just fear that holds us back? What’s the thing that’s really is getting in our way?

TARA MOORE: Absolutely at the core is fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of doing something so innovative that maybe it’s controversial or makes you feel alone in what you’re doing. All of those are really big fears. But another huge block for people is simply self-doubt. Having that inner critic voice, and not having any tools to manage it.

SARAH GREEN CARMICHAEL: So before we get too far down the rabbit hole of the inner critic, I do want to just pause here and ask you something you wrote in the book about dealing with praise. In the book you mentioned that you have to unhook from both criticism and from praise. So why is it so important to re-evaluate your relationship with praise as well as how you feel about criticism?

TARA MOORE: Well, certainly none of this is a have to. But it is a question of is my relationship to praise really serving my biggest goals? And what I find is that for many people, they come to a juncture in their careers where to move forward they need to evolve their relationship to praise. And what I mean by that in practical terms is particularly if you’ve been a high achiever. And that could start early in your life or early in school.

Read the whole discussion (or listen to the recording) on Harvard Business Review.

Forbes: Act Now To Shrink The Confidence Gap

/0 Comments/in /by

By Nancy F. Clark

28 April 2014

There’s been distressed chatter about the gender confidence gap ever since journalists Katty Kay and Claire Shipman began promoting their new book, The Confidence Code: The Science and Art of Self-Assurance—What Women Should Know. I like to see studies that show how women are thinking and acting in comparison to men. Sometimes it’s easy for us to assume that others are holding us back and there’s nothing we can do. Sometimes they are, but instead of blaming others, I believe we can make more progress by arming ourselves with good information and using it to improve our aim for success.

A few years ago, when Hewlett-Packard wanted to see why more women weren’t in top management positions they made an interesting discovery:

Women working at HP applied for a promotion only when they believed they met 100 percent of the qualifications listed for the job. Men were happy to apply when they thought they could meet 60 percent of the job requirements.


Women, we aren’t taking action often enough and that’s crucial. We don’t have to be perfect. Men are confident about their ability at 60%, but women don’t feel confident until they’ve checked off each item on the list. Think about the difference between 60% and 100%. I say, “Let’s be confident and act when we’re 70% sure. If we’re shot down, take it like a guy on the football field and shrug it off. None of that 2 weeks worth of negative self-talk anymore.” Which brings up another gender difference.

Read the full article on Forbes.

Courtesy of Cincinnati Ballet/Photo by Peter Mueller

Morgan Shows Us All the Way: Anything is Possible

/0 Comments/in /by

During a visit to Cincinnati Ballet, DDP founder Liza Yntema filmed a moment of rehearsal. Victoria Morgan was coaching Principal Melissa Gelfin for an upcoming production: Bold Moves. Morgan’s new Dancing to Oz is a feature of the triple bill, and is based on The Wizard of Oz. The video shows the great amount of trust, joy, and collaboration that goes into this process between two women.

The journey of Dorothy is a familiar one. Gelfin must embody an independent girl, journeying to a new land (though the story begins in the studio) and defying all odds. In the novel, the villain is a woman (The Wicked Witch of the West); the hero is a woman (Dorothy); the comfort of home is represented by a woman (Aunt Em); and the primary aid of the hero is a woman (Glinda). The predominant role of women remains in Cincinnati Ballet’s Oz.

Victoria Morgan certainly has women on her mind. The artistic director is outspoken when it comes to women’s roles in dance. The Cincinnati Business Courier recently highlighted this, examining Morgan’s rare opportunity as a woman leading a significant ballet company in America. “Now in her 22nd season with Cincinnati Ballet, the Covington resident is one of just three female artistic directors of American ballet companies with budgets of more than $10 million. Despite avenues that have opened for women in other industries, it is still unusual for a woman to hold a leadership role in dance.” Janelle Gelfand then quoted Morgan, who said, “’It is rare, and it was rare when I became the artistic director. I just assumed that things would change…I think it’s a little bit better – there are women at the head of Washington Ballet and Miami City Ballet. But of companies with an operating budget of $10 million and above, there’s just the three of us. In those top-tier companies in the upper echelon, it’s all men.’”

The women leading in and out of the studio should be empowered to use their voice and be heard. DDP hears Morgan loud and clear.

Watch Morgan and Gelfin rehearse below:

Melissa Gelfin and Victoria Morgan rehearse Dancing to Oz for Cincinnati Ballet’s Bold Moves.

Read the Cincinnati Business Courier feature here.

Cincinnati Ballet/Peter Mueller

Cincinnati Business Courier – Ballet’s Morgan on a mission: More elevated roles for women

/0 Comments/in /by

By Janelle Gelfand

19 April 2019

Victoria Morgan twirled slowly for her dancers, lifting her arms gracefully to demonstrate exactly how she wanted them to execute a turn.

“It should be a nice, slow pace,” instructed Cincinnati Ballet’s artistic director, turning to check copious notes scribbled into a loose-leaf binder.

Morgan was choreographing “Dancing to Oz,” a new work that will have its world premiere as part of the company’s “Bold Moves” triple bill, April 25-28 at the Aronoff Center for the Arts.

They were rehearsing at the Ballet headquarters on Central Parkway in the West End, the Ballet’s home since 1995. Seated nearby, music director Carmon DeLeone penciled notes into his new orchestral score for the piece.

Now in her 22nd season with Cincinnati Ballet, the Covington resident is one of just three female artistic directors of American ballet companies with budgets of more than $10 million. Despite avenues that have opened for women in other industries, it is still unusual for a woman to hold a leadership role in dance.

“It is rare, and it was rare when I became the artistic director. I just assumed that things would change,” she said during a lunch break, as she nibbled nuts and her mini-poodle, Cami Mo, sniffed around her feet. “I think it’s a little bit better – there are women at the head of Washington Ballet and Miami City Ballet. But of companies with an operating budget of $10 million and above, there’s just the three of us. In those top-tier companies in the upper echelon, it’s all men.”

Furthermore, even though classical ballet has legions of female dancers – it was George Balanchine who said, “The ballet is a purely female thing” – the art form lacks female choreographers. Women have long succeeded in modern and contemporary dance going back to Martha Graham, who famously choreographed Aaron Copland’s “Appalachian Spring.” But women choreographers are strikingly underrepresented in classical ballet across the country.

Read the full article and see images in the Cincinnati Business Courier.