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
Hyperallergic: A Brief Guide on How to Get Your Creative Work Seen, Funded, and Supported
By Eva Recinos
14 December 2020
There are two major aspects of being any type of creative person, in my experience: the challenge of creating the thing and the challenge of getting it seen. If you’re ready to dedicate more time to your craft and put yourself out there, let’s get started.
1. First Steps
To keep this brief, I am focusing on four key areas that can help you get your work seen, supported, and funded: grants and fellowships, residencies, competitions, and social media. By no means an end-all be-all guide, these tips focus on resources for emerging to mid-career creative people.
Here are some basic things you’ll want to gather:
- Your bio
- Samples of your work (images, audio, writing clips, etc.)
- Resume/CV
- Project description (if you have a specific project in mind)
- Current mailing address
- Website or online portfolio
- Social media handles
- References
Read the full guide here.
Datebook: Helgi Tomasson to step down at S.F. Ballet in 2022, after nearly 40 years at the helm
By J
6 January 2020
Helgi Tomasson will step down as artistic director and principal choreographer of the San Francisco Ballet by June 2022, the company announced Wednesday, Jan. 6. The move will put the seal on nearly four decades of artistic leadership that has helped propel the ballet company to the forefront of the dance world.
Since being named to the position in 1985, Tomasson, 78, has been hailed for his success at combining excellence in the classical ballet repertoire with a spirit of artistic innovation and the development of new work. Tomasson alone has created more than 50 dances for the company, as well as commissioning work from a wide range of contemporary masters and developing artists. Meanwhile, the technical level of execution on display at the War Memorial Opera House has made S.F. Ballet a beacon both nationally and internationally.
Six years ago, in an interview with The Chronicle, Tomasson waved away the prospect of retirement, saying he was too busy to even think about the possibility. But now, he says, the Ballet is well-positioned to forge ahead with a new chapter in its 88-year history — and he and his wife, Marlene, are eager to spend more time with family, including their two grandchildren in Germany.
“This had been on my mind for a while, even before the pandemic,” he said in a video interview over Zoom. “And as I assess where we are now, I feel the company has come through this very well.
“We’ve been rehearsing since September. We were able to create three new ballets and film them for streaming. That’s quite an accomplishment.”
Read the full article here.
Data Bytes: Leadership Changes 2020
Dance Data Project® (DDP) today announces Data Bytes, the latest category of research that illuminates trends in the ballet industry through a new format of quick and easy-to-read metrics. The first release in this new category, 2020 Leadership Changes – Our End of the Year Mini Report on Comings and Goings in the Industry, sorts by gender the leadership transitions throughout major ballet companies and allied organizations such as festivals.
Irish Times: Ballet schools push for official pirouette on ‘unfair’ Covid restrictions
By Ellen O’Riordan
23 November 2020
“Alice, can you put the cat down now?” ballet teacher Miss Rita asks as music begins for pliés.
The young student is waltzing around her living room cradling her cat. Such are the opportunities for distraction when lessons are conducted via video link.
Movement is restricted to what can be done within a small space at home and what is visible to Miss Rita and her assistants on a Zoom video thumbnail.
Coffee tables have been pushed aside, rugs rolled up and younger siblings begged and bribed to stay clear of makeshift studios.
This is ballet class in the age of the pandemic.
The Metropolitan School of Dance, which operates from six locations across Dublin and Kildare, had been reopened for just a week when Level 3 restrictions came into force in the capital on September 18th.
“We were so excited about getting back to work,” school principal Maireád Langan said. “I had planned for the possibility of more restrictions and a return to Zoom; I just didn’t realise it would happen a week after reopening.”
Read the full article here.
