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December 31st: New England Presenter Travel Fund, December 31st: Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Scholarship, December 31st: 24 Seven Dance Convention, December 31st: National Theater Project Presenter Travel Grant, December 31st: Breck Creek Artist-in-Residence Program

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

Ellevest: Nothing Bad Happens When Women Have More Money

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From Alexandra Ramirez, Brand Marketing Director

Yup. Seriously nothing.

ICYMI: Earlier this week, Women’s History Month came to the most anticlimactic end in, well, history. And Equal Pay Day became a blip on our own, and the world’s, radar. As CEO Sallie Krawcheck wrote earlier this week, it’s hard to think about fighting for equal pay when people are fighting to make ends meet.  Research shows, however, that people with less privilege — women and particularly women of color and trans women — are more likely to be negatively impacted in a pandemic. Similar to the gender-neutral approach to investing that has held women+ back for so long, there is a gender-neutral approach to pandemics. And while policymakers will say there are “bigger issues,” the reality is the gender disparities that existed before COVID-19 have only been amplified.So what’s a financial feminist to do? To be honest, I’m struggling to answer that question right now, too. I’m holding onto these four truths as I head into the weekend:
1) The fight for gender equality affects millions of women and girls and we must keep it in focus,
2) women supporting women is more important than ever,
3) we cannot do this without our allies and people of privilege using their power to prioritize gender equality, and
4) nothing bad happens when women have more money.

Read more articles from Ellevest here.

Stylist Magazine: On the frontline: the awe-inspiring women fighting coronavirus

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By Hanna Woodside

1 April 2020

As the world grapples with the escalating coronavirus pandemic, we all have our part to play in the fight against the virus. While many of us adjust to this new normal of self-isolation and social distancing, there are thousands of people working day in, day out to save lives and help those most in need. They’re the everyday heroes who deserve every ounce of our gratitude, admiration and recognition. So Stylist spoke to three women working on the frontline of the Covid-19 response, to get a glimpse into their vital work and the unique challenges they’re stepping up to. And we salute every single one of them.

Read the full article in Stylist Magazine.

Dance Magazine: The Dance Performances That Have Gone Online

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By Jennifer Stahl

16 March 2020

As COVID-19 shuts down schools and businesses across the world, just about every upcoming dance performance has been canceled. That means dancers who’ve spent weeks (and sometimes months or years) rehearsing won’t be able share their work with live audiences anytime soon.

But dancers are nothing if not creative. Many have quickly adapted and found ways to put their work online instead. Some companies are offering one-time livestreams to ticket holders, while others are putting up videos on-demand. Many are posting rehearsal clips that were captured before we all started social distancing.


The DDP team is (as always) working from home. During this time of self-isolation and quarentine, we are sharing our favorite videos on Twitter with the hashtag #DDPatHome – check out the posts for some videos of women in ballet: ballerinas, work by female choreographers, leaders, and more. Stahl’s list is a good start – she features women choreographers Mariana Oliviera and Sheena Annalise in her article for Dance Magazine above!

Read the full article on Dance Magazine’s blog.

DANCE DATA PROJECT® MARKS EQUAL PAY DAY WITH RELEASE OF LATEST STUDY, REVEALS PERSISTENT GENDER INEQUITY AMONG TOP U.S. DANCE COMPANY LEADERSHIP

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DDP has released our second annual Artistic and Executive Leadership Report today on Equal Pay Day. The report shows persistent inequity in pay among artistic directors of the “Top 50” U.S. ballet companies.

Read more

The Fan Carpet: BalletBoyz To Present Deluxe For BBC Four TV Premiere And Online Screening To Launch Sadler’s Wells Facebook Premieres Series

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26 March 2020

BALLETBOYZ NEW SHOW DELUXE TO AIR ON BBC FOUR FOR THE BBC CULTURE IN QUARANTINE FESTIVAL AND TO BE SCREENED ONLINE TOMORROW EVENING TO LAUNCH SADLER’S WELLS FACEBOOK PREMIERES SERIES

FURTHER DIGITAL WORKS FROM BALLETBOYZ’ VIDEO ARCHIVE PLUS NEW MATERIAL WILL ALSO BE AVAILABLE TO WATCH SOON

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BalletBoyz’ new dance show Deluxe will air on BBC Four for the BBC Culture in Quarantine festival and the production will also be available to view online from Friday 27 March at 7.30pm to launch Sadler’s Wells Facebook Premieres. Following Government advice on Monday 16 March and to protect the safety of audiences, artists and workforce, BalletBoyz cancelled the remaining performances of its 20th anniversary UK Spring Tour but is now able to share the production with audiences watching from home. Deluxe will have its TV premiere on BBC Four and will be available on iPlayer – further details to be announced in due course. Co-producers Sadler’s Wells, where the live show was due to be performed in London this week, will also host Deluxe on its Facebook page this Friday at 7.30pm as the first video of the new Sadler’s Wells Facebook Premieres series where it will be available to watch for one week only. 

Deluxe features three new works choreographed by an all-female team: Ripple, the UK debut of renowned shanghai-based choreographer Xie Xin with music by electronic composer Jiang Shaofeng; Bradley 4:18 by Punchdrunk choreographer Maxine Doyle in a collaboration with Mercury Prize-nominated jazz musician Cassie Kinoshi and inspired by the Kate Tempest track Pictures On A Screen; plus The Intro, a short opening film by emerging choreographer Sarah Golding set to music by SEED Ensemble.

BalletBoyz was founded in 2000 by Artistic Directors Michael Nunn and William Trevitt. Deluxe is the company’s 20th anniversary production and is performed by the current BalletBoyz company which includes Joseph Barton, Benjamin Knapper, Harry Price, Liam Riddick, Matthew Sandiford and Will Thompson plus apprentice Dan Baines.

In addition to Deluxe, BalletBoyz will be sharing further video content online in the coming weeks including excerpts from their past shows, films and documentaries, behind the scenes in rehearsals, plus brand new material online.


Read the full article online here.

Vogue: The Australian Ballet’s Alice Topp on the cancellation of Volt and why you have to see it when it returns

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By Alexia Petsinis

23 March 2020

Only a few days after its Melbourne premiere, The Australian Ballet announced that Volt— its latest contemporary offering—will have its season cancelled as nation-wide precautionary measures are taken against Covid-19. The news has devastated Australia’s tight-knit ballet community, affecting everyone from dancers and choreographers, to loyal ticket-holders who haven’t missed a single production in years.

Alice Topp—Resident Choreographer and Coryphée dancer with The Australian Ballet—is sharing deeply in the company’s disappointment. Topp premiered her work Logos as part of the program, a gutsy, hypnotic piece trading sugar plum fairies for an exploration of how we grapple with our modern demons.

“Obviously we are all gutted by the forced cancellation of the season. We’ve been working so hard, pouring everything into the program and working for over a year on bringing the new piece to life, so it’s devastating to have the shows cancelled,” shares Topp. “But this beast is something well beyond our control and it will only make our return to stage so much sweeter. Everyone is so hungry to get back out there and share with the world what we’ve been working on.”

A triple-bill comprising the works Chroma and Dyad 1929 from acclaimed British choreographer Wayne McGregor, and Topp’s Logos, Volt is a multi-sensory spectacle exploring the trials and complexities of the human condition with explosive power. The piece is a mirror to society, challenging the audience to reflect on our place in the world—our vulnerable bodies, our emotional sensitivities—and how our humanity is ultimately registered in connection with those around us.

Read the rest of the article here.

New York Times: Royal Ballet and Liam Scarlett Part Ways After an Investigation

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By Alex Marshall

24 March 2020

LONDON — The British choreographer Liam Scarlett on Monday left his position as the Royal Ballet’s artist-in-residence, after an investigation into accusations of sexual misconduct with dance students.

Mr. Scarlett will “no longer work with, or for, the Royal Ballet,” the company said in a statement, which added that a seven-month, independent investigation the company commissioned “found there were no matters to pursue in relation to alleged contact with students of the Royal Ballet School.”

A spokesman for the Royal Ballet said the company would not comment further on the announcement. Mr. Scarlett did not immediately answer an email requesting his response.

Mr. Scarlett, once heralded as a “choreographic wonder boy of British ballet” by The New York Times, has created works for dance companies worldwide, including the American Ballet Theater. This month, the Royal Ballet was forced to end the sold-out run of his “Swan Lake” at the Royal Opera House after the coronavirus pandemic shut down the venue.

Read the full article here.

Last year, an arbitrator ordered New York City Ballet to reinstate two male dancers it had fired after they were accused of sharing sexually explicit photos of female dancers.

The Oklahoman: Coronavirus in Oklahoma: Oklahoma City Ballet moves triple bill including world-premiere OKC bombing tribute to new dates and venue

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By Brandy McDonnell

20 March 2020

Oklahoma City Ballet is postponing its “(e)motion(s): A Triple Bill,” which is to include the world premiere of a new short ballet commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombing, to new dates and times in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. 

The venerable dance company was originally to perform “(e)motion(s): A Triple Bill”  April 17-19 at the Civic Center. Since the weekend corresponds with the 25th anniversary of the April 19, 1995, bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, OKC Ballet Artistic Director Robert Mills said in an autumn interview that he wanted to create a new work not just to memorialize the tragedy but also to celebrate Oklahoma City’s resilience.

 As previously reported, the world premiere piece, titled “A Little Peace,” will be set to music by Oklahoma native and Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill.

“I remember his music from that time. I was a fan. He was huge. He pretty much won a Grammy every year in the ’90s. … Most elementally, he’s a beautiful lyricist and an incredible singer,” Mills said in the interview. “I wanted to create something that used the classic ballet idiom in a contemporary way, but something that was extremely unexpected in how it visually looked on the stage.”

Read the full article here.

Phoenix New Times Female Gaze: Women Artists Have Something to Say at SMoCA

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By Lynn Trimble

18 March 2020

When it comes to gender equity, American museums aren’t doing great. Fewer than 12 percent of artworks in permanent collections were created by women, according to Jennifer McCabe, who heads Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art (aka SMoCA).

Her museum wants to help change that. For nearly an entire year, it’s showing an exhibition called “Unapologetic: All Women, All Year,” which includes works by 42 women artists drawn from the museum’s own collection.

“It’s important to call out the importance of gender equity,” says Julianne Swartz, an artist born in Arizona whose delicate sculptural house forms made with glass, feather, bones, silk, and seeds hang suspended in one of the museum’s galleries. Nearby, viewers see a kinetic sculpture by Tempe artist Laurie Lundquist.

More than a dozen “Unapologetic” artists are based in Arizona, including Muriel Magenta, whose Coiffure Carnival Trilogy videos are on view in the SMoCA Lounge. They explore hair’s sculptural properties and its connections to identity. “The exhibit gives people an idea of the strength of work being done in Arizona and gives Arizona artists more exposure,” Magenta says.

Read the full article in the Phoenix New Times.

Dance Magazine: Kathryn Morgan Opens Up About Body Image in Ballet

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By Kathleen McGuire

13 March 2020

Kathryn Morgan is on a mission to change the dance field. The Miami City Ballet soloist and March Dance Magazine cover star appeared on the “Today” Show on February 27 where she openly discussed the challenges of body image and mental health in dance.

Two days later, Morgan took to her own YouTube channel to dig deeper on the subject. She shared with her followers that she had been recently removed from performing Firebird because of her body. We caught up with Morgan to learn more.

What inspired you to post a video discussing mental health?

I had that incredible experience of being able to tell my story on the “Today” Show and one of the things I really asked to talk about was body image and the mental side of ballet because I have dealt with it and I still deal with it. The problem is that the “Today” Show interview is only three minutes and I just felt that I needed to expand upon it because I did not get to say everything that needs to be said.

When I sat down to film it I didn’t know I was going to get that emotional and I didn’t know exactly what I was going to say, but I started talking and it all just came out. I was like, This is the time, no one is talking about this and we need to be talking about it.

Read the full article here.