Great Dance

November 12, 2008

Action Needed to Save NY Arts Funding!


URGENT UPDATE

From the New York City Arts Coalition:

PROPOSED ADDITIONAL CUTS TO STATE COUNCIL ON THE ARTS

Governor Paterson will include a proposed $7.2 million cut to the State Council on the Arts in the list of possible cuts that he is announcing at his 11:30 press conference.

Governor Paterson is providing the proposed list to the State Legislature as it starts its special session November 18. That special session is to deal with the additional $1.5 billion deficit in the current fiscal year.  The 6% cut ($2.6 million) from a few weeks ago was designed to deal with the earlier projected state deficit, which has now grown considerably.

NYSCA had on hand roughly $8 million in uncontracted funds after the 6% cut a few weeks ago. Obviously an additional $7 million cut leaves almost nothing for the applicants who had grants under consideration for the October and December Council meetings.   (FYI, October Council meeting was postponed for those who might not be aware of it)

This is a list of possible cuts.  The legislature can (1) do nothing and leave the problem to the Governor¹s hands, or (2) change the list by coming up with other cuts and taking some things off the list, or (3) pass the proposed list as presented.

 If the legislature does nothing, it is usually within the power of a Governor to simply not spend money and thereby make the cuts happen.

My understanding is that the list from Governor Paterson contains some fairly severe cuts to social service programs, as well as other areas, such as education, that will make it very hard for the arts to make a case that NYSCA should not be cut. Bluntly put, we will not avoid some kind of cut, but this cut would pretty much out NYSCA Œs funds, which I am pretty sure is a more severe impact than on other agencies.  The two cuts together also equal about 20% of NYSCA¹s entire appropriation for grants.

ACTION TO TAKE:

Everyone should do the following quickly:

(1) Contact the Governor¹s office and object to the size of the proposed cut, and pointing out that it pretty much eliminated the last half of the year¹s funding for applicants at NYSCA, and that NYSCA is now taking a 20% cut.  (Faxed letters are best, but email is better than doing nothing. Phone calls are least effective, but if you can organize a lot of them and feel like doing it, go ahead. In short, protest politely, but firmly.  (Phone:518-474-8390; Fax 518-474-1513.  No direct email.  Go to http://161.11.121.121/govemail where you can sign on to send an email.)

(2) Contact your State Assembly and State Senator and let them know how this impacts on you. Again, you should also point out the size of this potential cut and impact on the agency. Letters are best, but if you know the person or can talk directly to their Chief of Staff or budget person, a phone call is OK.  Email is not a good idea.  There will not be enough of it in most offices to make an impact.  (And get your Board to do something, please.)

Ask the Assembly and Senate members to decrease the proposed cut significantly. Don¹t get dragged into a conversation about how much, if you can avoid it.  There is no right number, so trying to come up with one is pointless.   You might consider suggesting that waste in government be eliminated before they go after funds for organizations that squeeze every penny.

Lastly, if you got our survey a few days ago and have not filled it out, please fill it out by going to: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=z3jKIwuaEGLctwvIleyY8w_3d_3d.   I need the information about outside payments and current employment very badly.

This situation is just the beginning and we need that information to make a better case for ourselves.

Norma P. Munn
Chairperson
New York City Arts Coalition
19 W. 44 Street, Suite 1108
New York, NY 10036
P: 212-246-3788
F: 212-944-1631
Email: information@nycityartscoalition.org

********
Here are some more good sources of information on the cuts and action steps you can take:
DTW blog

WNYC discussion: Tightening the Belt

Posted by Anna Brady Nuse at 12:31 PM - Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

October 21, 2008

Dispatches from EMPAC's Grand Opening Weekend


I've written quite a few posts on this blog about the United State's one and only major supporter of videodance, EMPAC (Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center) at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in Troy, NY.

After two years of construction, on October 3rd EMPAC officially opened the doors of their new magnificent state-of-the-art media and performing arts center, and celebrated with two weekends of non-stop performances, screenings, installations and special events. I was lucky enough to be able spend the day on Saturday Oct 4th, seeing this amazing facility for myself. I traveled with a fellow dance filmmaker, Sabine Klaus (aka CreationEditor on dance-tech.net) who was visiting from Scotland. We took in the sights and Sabine recorded much of what she saw on video to create the 25 min vlog post below. Many thanks to Sabine for letting me share it with you here.



The building is a work of art in itself. Designed by the London-based architecture firm, Grimshaw, it is built into the side of a hill overlooking downtown Troy with views of Albany beyond. With its modern glass and steel exterior, and curvey wood interior it looks like both a starship landing dock, and a giant pickle barrel. It was a bit confusing to find one's way around the multitude of theaters, studios and galleries, but by the end of the day I'd gotten my bearings.

In 2007, with the support of a $1 million gift from the Jaffe Fund for Experimental Media and Performing Arts, EMPAC launched the DANCE MOViES Commission which supports the creation of several new experimental dance films by artists from the Americas each year. The premiere screening of the first DANCE MOViES Commission films took place in the huge Concert Hall space on a gigantic screen. I don't know enough to speak about the great acoustical and technical attributes of this space, but it was awesome to see dance films blown up so big with so much visual and sonic impact!

I thought the pieces that showed off the capabilities of the building the best, however were the interactive installations. The Wooster group made a 360 degree video installation that was supposed to be about life in wartime, but it made a more powerful statement about control and editing, as one viewer in the space, sitting in the "chosen" chair, was able to direct the gaze of the group by swiveling around. Wherever this one person looked, that was the part of the video that was in focus and audible. The piece was masterfully designed to look slipshod and casual, but underneath it was very manipulative, making you feel both in and out of control over the action. I'd love to see more pieces like this, but besides major art museums and institutions like EMPAC, it would be hard to find a place with the technical capabilities to mount it. Another great installation was Billie Cowie's 3-D "In the Flesh" in which viewers don the red and blue glasses to watch a dancer lift herself off of a zebra print rug. Like a ghost being conjured at a séance, it felt creepy to see her delicate hand reaching up to me, almost touching, and then fading away.

All in all, EMPAC is an amazing place for experimental artists, but after visiting I had a few questions about what its real world impact will be. Here in New York City, spaces to make and show experimental dance and media are more scarce than ever. Perhaps Troy and Albany will become a new destination for artists seeking cheap and plentiful real estate with adequate cultural and community benefits to support them, but even in up-state New York, the great disparity between rich and poor is quite striking. EMPAC is really designed for world class artists who already have the capabilities, funding, and expertise to take advantage of the unsurpassed technological resources this facility can provide. This makes sense given their situation at one of the world's most prestigious technical/engineering institutions.

Even in the arts, it seems the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. I would just like an empty room with lights and heat to rehearse in, and perhaps a new video camera that can record high quality footage. I'd like to be able to pay my dancers and crew adequate compensation for their time and talents, and I'd like to not have to work three jobs in order to practice my art. There is a big gulf between the gutter most of us live in and the glimmering edifice of EMPAC. We need to create a bridge to be able to reach these glorious technological dreamlands of the future. This means radically rethinking how we build support, create community, and raise the value of our work. EMPAC makes experimental art look valuable and appealing to the wider world, but its up to us artists to raise the quality of our work to match those expectations. This takes many carefully measured steps to cultivate  donor networks, major funders, and presenters whose support will be necessary to reach that glittering gem on the top of the hill.

Posted by Anna Brady Nuse at 3:07 PM - Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

February 20, 2008

Opportunities to screen your dance films & videos


In case you haven't noticed, there is a page called Dance Film Submission Deadlines (under the Background section of this blog) that I've been up-dating regularly with new opportunities for dance filmmakers. Right now there's lots of great stuff coming up to submit your work to. See the list below, and check this page regularly for new events.


FEBRUARY 2008

CALL FOR WORKS

O dança em foco -International Video & Dance Festival is receiving applications for its International Videodance Screenings. The 2008 edition will take place in September in Rio de Janeiro followed by other cities, with free public showings.

The applications will only be accepted thought the site www.dancaemfoco.com.br

If interested please send dance documentaries and videodance works by 29 February 2008 to the following address:

dança em foco - Festival Internacional de Vídeo & Dança
a/c Paulo Caldas
Rua General Glicério 144 / 202 - Laranjeiras
Rio de Janeiro - RJ - Brasil
CEP 22.245-120


CALL FOR ARTISTS

The 3rd International Vdance festival at the Cinemateque Tel Aviv (Cinematek), Israel
The festival will run for 3 days showing international and Israeli work that explores the connection between film and movement - showing video dance and contemporary dance films plus experimental films from beginning of 20th century.
 
Festival dates: 12 - 14 June 2008
Venue: Cinemateque Tel Aviv

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: February 29, 2008
artists should submit their work on DVD format (2 copies). 
including:
a document with Name of artist, Postal address, E-mail address, Phone number , Name of the piece (Title), Name of Director, Name of Choreographer, Name of Producer, year in which the work has been made, length of the piece, and a short description of the piece.
 
Send it to:
Vdance - The International Festival of Video-Dance
Cinemateque Tel Aviv
2 Sprinzak St.
Tel Aviv 64738
Israel
 
For inquries and information contact:
vdance2008@gmail.com


DANCEDOC SLAM
Thursday, March 6, 2008, 7:00 - 9:30 p.m.
Green Space, 37-24 24th St., Long Island City

An interactive peer-review workshop that provides choreographers and dancers the opportunity to present video documentation of their work for critique by experts in the field. The panel will lead a discussion on the best ways to document dance pieces on film for venues, festivals and funding applications based on five pre-selected video submissions.

SUBMISSION PROCESS
To submit your video sample for critique please send a DVD clearly labeled with the name of the artist and contact information to:

Independence Arts Builds Community Submissions
Queens Council on the Arts
One Forest Park at Oak Ridge
Woodhaven, NY 11421-1166

Submissions should be 3-5 minutes. Please note that this workshop is directed towards the documentation of dance pieces not narrative or artistic films involving dance. Only a limited number of submissions will be discussed at the workshop.

For more information email chenderson@queenscouncilarts.org or visit: http://www.queenscouncilarts.org/html/artsservices-dancedoc.html


MARCH 2008

EMPAC DANCE MOVIES COMMSSION 2008: OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The deadline for the proposals is March 1, 2008.

For more information on EMPAC and the DANCE MOViES Commission, or to download the guidelines and application form, please visit the EMPAC website:
http://www.empac.rpi.edu

DANCE MOViES Commission application process:
The EMPAC DANCE MOViES Commission is a competitive open proposal process, in which eligible artists submit a project proposal.  The initial proposals are reviewed and a small number of artists are invited to submit a detailed proposal to an international panel. The panel assesses the quality and feasibility of the proposed project and submits its recommendations to EMPAC. The commissions are awarded by EMPAC after review.

Upon awarding of the commission, the artist or collaborative team has one year to complete the project, at which point the work is premiered at EMPAC, shown at dance film festivals around the world, and credited as an EMPAC DANCE MOViES Commission.



CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The American Dance Festival calls for innovators to step forward with submissions for the 13th annual Dancing for the Camera: International Festival of Film and Video Dance. Showcasing the best of fusions between cinematographic skill and choreographic vision, Dancing for the Camera has screened to international audiences more than 250 dance films by filmmakers from over 20 countries.  Directed by dance filmmaker and curator, Douglas Rosenberg, the 2008 festival will take place July 11-13, in conjunction with the ADF's 75th Anniversary. 

Seeking high artistic quality, all entries will be adjudicated in one of four categories by a panel of jurors whose selections will screen at the festival. Certificates of Distinction will be awarded to works of exceptional merit.

Submissions should align with one of the following areas:
Choreography for the Camera--original work made specifically for video or film or re-staged for the camera.
Documentaries--productions that include interviews or other educational elements in addition to choreography.
Experiment and Digital Technologies--work that extends the boundaries of dance and can exist only in video, film, or new technologies.
Student Work--submissions produced while the filmmakers were students or by current students.
The early deadline for film/video submissions is March 11, 2008, by 6pm with an entry fee of $30. 
All submissions must meet the final deadline of April 11, 2008, by 6pm.  The entry fee for late submissions is $40.  Download the entry form.  

For more information on Dancing for the Camera, including registration, entry forms, and guidelines for submission please visit www.americandancefestival.org

Questions regarding the call for entries should be directed to adf@americandancefestival.org or 919.684.6402.


CALL FOR ENTRIES
The 2008 dance event for the Dowagiac Dogwood Fine Arts Festival is "Dancing Outside the Box: A Video& Film Festival of Dance."  On Saturday, May 10, 2008 select films will be shown at the Theatre in the Dale A. Lyons Building on the campus of Southwestern Michigan College in Dowagiac, Michigan.
 
WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR:
We seek films or videos that blend dance and film of all kinds.  We will accept dance made for the camera, documentary, short film, adaptation of a stage work or site specific creation, or music video.  Content must be family friendly.
 
ENTRY REGULATIONS

  • Entries must be received in DVD or VHS format
  • Entry form and media must be postmarked by March 15, 2008
  • If you would like your media returned please send self addressed mailer with return postage.  We are not responsible for returning preview media without a specific request and postage.
  • Dogwood Fine Arts Festival is given the right to use excerpts from your video, if chosen for the festival in all Dogwood promotional materials.
  • DISCLAIMER/LIABILITY: every effort will be made to protect entries while in the Festival's care; however, the Festival and its sponsor do not assume liability for damage or loss to DVD's or videotapes.


Send entry form and VHS/DVD to:
Dogwood Fine Arts Festival
PO Box 526
Dowagiac, MI 49047
Attn:Amy
Direct questions to:
Amy Rose  269.580.1447
 craigamy@btc-bci.com  subject:Dogwood


APRIL 2008

Entry Call 2008                                               
Dance film entries are now being accepted for the 2008 SHOOT - Dance for Screen festival
 
SHOOT - Dance for Screen, the Swedish dance for screen festival celebrates the fifth anniversary with festival in four cities: Stockholm-Luleå-Göteborg-Malmö.
Screenings, seminars, discussions, workshops, 3D installation, national and international guests.
 
We are looking for dance films and videos in various styles, completed in 2006-2008, that combine choreography and cinematography.
We welcome shorts, features, animation and video clips.
 
Festival date: Oct/Nov 2008
Submission deadline: 2 April 2008
 
MORE INFORMATION AND HOW TO SUBMIT:
go to www.modernadansteatern.se
or email stina@modernadansteatern.se


CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

EDIT2008
4. International Dance Film Festival, Budapest
Organised by Workshop Foundation in co-operation with Budapest Autumn Festival
Planned date: 10-13 October 2008

We are accepting original films and videos on dance and movement, camera re-works and experimental projects on body and gestures with no restriction on its length and subject.

A DVD format copy should be sent to Workshop Foundation no later than 15 April 2008 (postmark).

Workshop Foundation / Gabor Pinter
1094 Budapest, Liliom u. 41.
HUNGARY

It is also the deadline for submitting the on-line ENTRY FORM.

A professional jury will select the films into the screening programme. Applicants will be informed about the decision by 30 July 2008.

Do not hesitate to contact us for further information: editfest@yahoo.com

Thank you,

Gabor Pinter
Program Curator


ON-GOING (No deadlines)

VIDEO ART REQUEST

I am glad to invite you to show your videos in the channel WEBTV.sepiensa,
an internet channel dedicated exclusively to video-art, performance documantation, etc.

WEBTV.sepiensa has the support of Sepiensa.net [debate.art.society]. Curatoria Forense and Fondo Nacional Audiovisual (Chile)

If you are interested in participate, you can send the video(s) to jorge@numcero.cl through YOUSENDIT (http://www.yousendit.com/) if the file has less than 100 MB or by postal mail (DVD or CD) to:

Jorge Sepúlveda T.
Casilla de Correo 68,
Sucursal 12 Capital
Buenos Aires, Argentina

technical requirements:
- file in AVI format (compress as RAR or ZIP)
- at least 640 x 480 pixels
- 10 minutes max. each video
- information of each video (title, author, date)

By sending your video, WEBTV.sepiensa is authorized to use it for public exhibition on internet and activities related to the promotion of WEBTV.sepiensa.

Best regards,

Jorge Sepulveda T. (alias lulo)
Curador Independiente
www.curatoriaforense.net

Posted by Anna Brady Nuse at 10:33 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

December 4, 2007

Dance Film Lab next week! (and other happenings)

Hi All.

I apologize for the sparse postings the past couple of weeks. I've been slammed with school work at the end of the semester (I'm studying Media Management at the New School). I'll share some of the wealth of my newly acquired knowledge soon, but in the meantime, here are some dance film/video events coming up this month.

Next Tuesday, December 11th
Dance Film Lab
@ South 4th Bar in Williamsburg
90 South 4th Street @ Berry
Subways: L at Bedford, J,M,Z at Marcy Ave.
Phone: 718.218.7478
8pm, free

The bi-monthly Dance Film Lab is a friendly gathering of folks interested in dance for the camera. People share their works (in any stage of progress) and get constructive feedback from the group. We all get to share who we are, what we're doing, and what we need (which often gets miraculously granted!). And our gracious moderator Zach Morris (of Third Rail Projects blog) always makes everyone feel very warm and welcome. So come out, but shoot an email Zach first just so he knows you're coming.

Last night I attended the DANCE MOViES Commission workshop run by my friend Hélène Lesterlin, dance curator at EMPAC (Experimental Media Performing Arts Center) in Troy, NY. It was a very inspiring presentation about the commission and the possibilities for creative experimentation in dance and media at EMPAC. The ratio of commission awards to applicants is very low, however I think it is still well worth applying to, for the process alone, and also to show the funding community that there are a lot of American artists out there that want to make dance for screen. Eventually other funders will sign on and join EMPAC's efforts to support this fantastic genre. So Viva EMPAC and DANCE MOViES!

There is a wonderful festival in the Netherlands this month that I wish I could attend, called Dancing on the Edge: Confronting Dance from the Middle East. It's a dance festival with a dance film component curated by Cinedans. The dance films are all from the Middle East, or made by artists from there, and tackle many topics from "West Bank Story" - a remake of the famous musical with competing Falafel stands and a taboo Israeli Palestinian love affair - to  "Horizon of Exile" a breath-taking installation about two Iraqi women torn between their country and their need to escape. Incidentally "Horizon of Exile" will be shown this January in New York during the Dance On Camera Festival. I can't wait to see it!

So if you are in the Netherlands or thereabouts I highly recommend you check this festival out.

Dancing on the Edge
Confronting Dance from the Middle East
Amsterdam: 12-16 december
Rotterdam: 13-18 december
Groningen: 11-12 & 18-19 december

And to leave you with some moving images to muse over, my friend Hope Hall, a filmmaker, and occasional dance filmmaker, hipped me to this blog, La Blogotheque, where she shot one of their videos in the TakeAway Series. Essentially they shoot a band performing in some non-traditional space all in one take, and then post the take on their blog. Seems like a great idea for a videodance series too.

This is one of those TakeAways, and while it's really a music video, it does have some adorable dancing, and it'll make you want to move. So take it away!




Posted by Anna Brady Nuse at 12:56 AM - Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

November 19, 2007

Up-coming Dance Film Submission Deadlines

I just added a new page called Dance Film Submission Deadlines on the upper-right side bar listing up-coming festival and funding deadlines for submissions. I'll try to keep this list up-dated frequently, but let me know about other opportunities I may have missed by sending me an email or commenting here.

Below are up-coming deadlines:

DECEMBER 2007

Fifth Annual Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema
Boulder, CO USA
call for entries
Deadlines December 21, 2007 and January 18, 2008
Festival dates: April 4 and 5, 2008

Sans Souci, an international festival of dance cinema, screens short works that integrate dance with cinematic elements. We have an expansive definition of dance and an appreciation for highly experimental and interdisciplinary forms, including mixed-media works that incorporate live performance.

Entry fees: $25 and $40 for the early and final deadlines respectively
Visit http://www.sanssoucifest.org/ for more details and a downloadable entry form.
Submissions are encouraged from all artists regardless of credentials and affiliations. JANUARY 2008

Cinedans
call for submissions
Festival date: July 2008.
Submission deadline: 14 January 2008
See also : http://www.cinedans.nl/2007/en/entries.php

We are looking for dance films and videos in various styles, completed after June 2005,  that combine choreography and cinematography. We welcome shorts, features, documentaries, stage adaption, animation and video clips.

Please click this link to access the entry form.
Please click this link for regulations

What do we offer?
- Cinedans Award, best film 2008 prize 1000 EUR
- Cinedans Audience Award.
- Jury Special Mentions
- Cinedans on tour through Netherlands
- Cinedans on tour international including Cape Town, Shanghai, and Beijing.
- The festival will have seminars, introductions by dance filmmakers, Q&A, a video library and sales of new dance DVD's!
- The touring possibilities will be negotiated with the filmmakers.

HOW TO SUBMIT:
1. Go to www.cinedans.nl and hit ENTRIES
2. Fill out the online ENTRY FORM and press SUBMIT.
3. Please e-mail 1 digital still to entry@cinedans.nl
4. Send your preview DVD, 15 EUR submission fee and entry form to:
Cinedans
Kamer 201
Keizersgracht 174
1016 DW Amsterdam


FEBRUARY 2008

EMPAC DANCE MOVIES COMMSSION 2008: OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The deadline for the proposals is February 15, 2008.

For more information on EMPAC and the DANCE MOViES Commission, or to download the guidelines and application form, please visit the EMPAC website:
http://www.empac.rpi.edu

DANCE MOViES Commission application process:
The EMPAC DANCE MOViES Commission is a competitive open proposal process, in which eligible artists submit a project proposal.  The initial proposals are reviewed and a small number of artists are invited to submit a detailed proposal to an international panel. The panel assesses the quality and feasibility of the proposed project and submits its recommendations to EMPAC. The commissions are awarded by EMPAC after review.

Upon awarding of the commission, the artist or collaborative team has one year to complete the project, at which point the work is premiered at EMPAC, shown at dance film festivals around the world, and credited as an EMPAC DANCE MOViES Commission.

Posted by Anna Brady Nuse at 12:21 AM - Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

October 29, 2007

Free DANCE MOViES Commission Workshops

In follow-up to my post about EMPAC's fabulous DANCE MOViES Commission, below is a new announcement from Hélène Lesterlin, EMPAC's Dance Curator, about a series of free workshops she will be holding in LA, Buenos Aires and New York in November and December. These workshops are designed to help artists prepare strong proposals to EMPAC and other grant-making foundations to fund new dance film/video/installation projects. With so few grants specifically earmarked for videodance, this is a rare opportunity every dance filmmaker in North and South America should take advantage of.


empac_logo.jpg
November:  DANCE MOViES Commission WORKSHOPS
led by EMPAC's Dance Curator Hélène Lesterlin Free and open to artists interested in applying to the commission. No need to register, just come!

Topics covered:  How to apply, what makes a strong proposal, information on the facilities of EMPAC, issues related to installation-based works, examples shown, followed by a Q&A and discussion.

BUENOS AIRES  Thursday, November 8th, 2:30 - 4:30 pm
Videodanza Festival International de Buenos Aires
For information and location: http://www.videodanzaba.com.ar/index.htm

LOS ANGELES  Wednesday, November 28th, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
18th Street Arts Center
1639 18th Street, Santa Monica, CA 90404
In the main gallery space.
www.18thstreet.org

NEW YORK CITY  Monday, December 3rd, 7:00 - 9:00 pm
Dance Theater Workshop
219 West 19th Street, New York, NY 10011
Take the elevator to the third floor.
www.dtw.org

----

OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS - deadline Feb 15, 2008
The EMPAC DANCE MOViES Commission supports the creation of new works in the field of experimental dance for the screen made by, or in collaboration with, a choreographer or movement artist based in the Americas. Up to 3 commissions will be awarded in the range of $7,000 - $50,000. Artists may apply to create works in conjunction with the Artist-in-Residence program, taking advantage of EMPAC's spaces, technology, infrastructure such as computer-controlled rigging or large-scale immersive studio environments. 

-- guidelines, application and info:  empac.rpi.edu/commissions/DMC
-- questions:  dancemovies@rpi.edu or 1.518.276.3918
-- deadline:  2/15/08

Backed by the Jaffe Fund for Experimental Media and Performing Arts, the DANCE MOViES Commission supports experimental works for the screen including film, video, installation and other audio-visual formats.

About EMPAC
EMPAC - the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center - is a place and a program where the arts challenge and alter our technology and technology challenges and alters the arts. Founded by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, EMPAC is an arts institution that draws strength from being part of a great research university. It operates nationally and internationally: attracting innovative artists, both renowned and emerging, from around the world; offering artists, researchers, and audiences opportunities that are available nowhere else under a single roof; providing unsurpassed facilities for creative exploration, and for research in fields such as visualization and movement capture; sending new artworks onto the global stage.

Posted by Anna Brady Nuse at 11:02 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

October 19, 2007

Madonna Shows Us a New Move

I've always loved Madonna, maybe because I intuitively knew she was more of a dancer than a musician, or maybe because her music is made to dance to. In any event, the recent news of her move to leave her record label and sign a lucrative deal with the concert promoter Live Nation, struck me as a something that we dancers should perhaps take note of.

madonna-tour400x369.jpg
The music industry has officially come full circle with recordings. Before recording technology existed the music business was completely based on live shows and sheet music. Recordings changed all of this as major record labels grew to control the field and artists toured mostly to promote and sell their records, not the other way around. Now in the age of digital downloads, the exchange of recorded music has become ubiquitous and uncontrollable to the point where recordings are literally worth nothing. As Michael Arrington of Tech Crunch theorized "unless governments are willing to take drastic measures to protect the industry (such as a mandatory music tax), economic theory will win out and the price of music will fall towards zero." He goes on to say that this is opening up a lot of new lucrative revenue streams for music including sales of live music tours, limited edition physical recordings (box sets and the like), and merchandise. Now we are in the midst of a huge sea change in which music recordings have no intrinsic value besides being a great promotional tool for live acts. Madonna's move to bank on her kick-ass touring show with Live Nation over a tenuous record deal with Warner Brothers is the latest proof of this trend. (And this at the age of 49! Dancers in particular can't help but respect this woman.) So how does this relate to videodance and dance? Well there has never been a gigantic recorded dance industry, so we won't feel the pains of a huge paradigm shift of power and revenue like our musician friends. However, that doesn't mean we can't learn from them and get a running start on the new wave of the digital future. Booking dance would not be so difficult if the public had a concept about all the great dance companies out there. How can you give them a taste of who you are? By making a fabulous video of your work and getting it on everyone's computer screen, ipod, cell phone, and tv. Videodance can be a powerful promotional tool for touring dance companies, and if you give it away for free, and market it right, live dance could see a major resurgence like the music industry is experiencing today.

Already some of the biggest viral video hits on Youtube have been dance videos. The Anaheim Ballet video in particular came out of nowhere and instantly put this small local ballet company on the global map. There have been many blog posts about their breakout Youtube hit, but what I didn't know is that this was just one part of a brilliant web marketing strategy AB has been growing through a weekly video/audio podcast, a myspace page, and a youtube channel. Between 2005 and 2006 their private contribution revenue quadrupled, and their overall revenue rose 26% [Guidestar.org]. Their regular podcasts didn't even begin until the end of 2006, so I wouldn't be surprised to see their revenue make an even larger leap in 2007. A remote ballet outpost has hit upon a winning strategy that every dance company should be observing.


Anaheim Ballet Dancer Profile: Vanessa Sah

From the Material Girl herself, there is no denying that our day in the sun may be dawning. Do you want to be like the record labels or the artists? It's time to give away the media and raise the value of the live experience for all.
 
Get into the groove!

Posted by Anna Brady Nuse at 9:00 AM - Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

October 10, 2007

Commissioning opportunity from EMPAC

Hélène Lesterlin, dance curator of EMPAC (Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) has sent out a call for proposals for the 2008 DANCE MOViES Commission. Last year was the first year of this amazing and innovative program to commission 3-5 new videodance pieces by North or South American artists. I know of only one other commissioning program of this type in the Americas, and that is Bravo FACT! in Canada, which is only open to Canadian artists. EMPAC is filling a great need for the videodance community, and hopefully it will become a model for other funding organizations to emulate.

EMPAC DANCE MOVIES COMMISSION 2008

The competition is tough (last year only 4 proposals out of 163 were chosen), however the rewards are great including a cash grant, screening opportunities, and in late 2008 when their new building is complete artists may also receive valuable creative residency time using their state of the art facilities. The deadline for proposals is February 15, 2008. Guidelines and information are below:

EMPAC DANCE MOVIES COMMISSION 2008: OPEN CALL FOR PROPOSALS

Troy, NY--In 2007, its inaugural year, EMPAC's DANCE MOViES Commission received more than 150 applications from dance-filmmakers in North and South America. As the first major commissioning program available to dance-film artists in the United States, the DANCE MOViES Commission represents an important opportunity for those working at the intersection of the moving body and the moving image. Selected artists receive awards ranging up to $50,000.

EMPAC (the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) is now accepting proposals for its 2008 commissions. The deadline for the proposals is February 15, 2008.

This year, with the opening of the EMPAC building in the fall of 2008, artists may apply to create their DANCE MOViES works in conjunction with the Artist-in-Residence program.  Works commissioned may take advantage of EMPAC's spaces and technology, using infrastructure such as computer-controlled rigging or large-scale immersive studio environments.

Backed by the Jaffe Fund for Experimental Media and Performing Arts, the DANCE MOViES Commission supports works for the screen including film, video, installation and other audio-visual formats. The works may be narrative in nature or abstract; they may range in length (up to 20 minutes); they will certainly vary in style, technique and expressive intent.

The four commissioned projects in 2007 included a poetic film based on the autobiographical account of an U.S.-based African choreographer returning to dance in Zimbabwe; a work featuring American veterans of war; an Argentinean video interlacing pure movement, form and architecture; and a piece in which a contemporary Russian dancer is viewed in the aesthetic context of a post-Soviet surveillance society.

The DANCE MOViES Commissions may present movement of the body in direct or in allusive ways. They may take advantage of a variety of tools, such as computer processing, motion capture, simulation, animation, image processing and post-production technologies. Some may not portray "dance," per se, at all. All will, however, reflect or refer to the power of movement unfurling in time.

The DANCE MOViES Commission is intended to support experimental works in which the onscreen images are crafted by, or in collaboration with, a choreographer or movement-based artist. The commission was not created to support documentaries, feature-length films or commercial films that feature dance.

DANCE MOViES Commission application process
The EMPAC DANCE MOViES Commission is a competitive open proposal process, in which eligible artists submit a project proposal.  The initial proposals are reviewed and a small number of artists are invited to submit a detailed proposal to an international panel. The panel assesses the quality and feasibility of the proposed project and submits its recommendations to EMPAC. The commissions are awarded by EMPAC after review.

Upon awarding of the commission, the artist or collaborative team has one year to complete the project, at which point the work is premiered at EMPAC, shown at dance film festivals around the world, and credited as an EMPAC DANCE MOViES Commission.

The deadline for the proposals is February 15, 2008.

For more information on EMPAC and the DANCE MOViES Commission, or to download the guidelines and application form, please visit the EMPAC website:
http://www.empac.rpi.edu

To download press ready images of EMPAC and a press kit: http://www.empac.rpi.edu/presskit/press.html

About EMPAC
EMPAC - the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center - is a place and a program where the arts challenge and alter our technology and technology challenges and alters the arts. Founded by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, EMPAC is an arts institution that draws strength from being part of a great research university. It operates nationally and internationally: attracting innovative artists, both renowned and emerging, from around the world; offering artists, researchers, and audiences opportunities that are available nowhere else under a single roof; providing unsurpassed facilities for creative exploration, and for research in fields such as visualization and movement capture; sending new artworks onto the global stage.

About Rensselaer
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, founded in 1824, is the nation's oldest technological university. The school offers degrees in engineering, the sciences, information technology, architecture, management, and the humanities and social sciences. Institute programs serve undergraduates, graduate students, and working professionals around the world. Rensselaer faculty are known for pre-eminence in research conducted in a wide range of research centers that are characterized by strong industry partnerships. The Institute is especially well known for its success in the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the marketplace so that new discoveries and inventions benefit human life, protect the environment, and strengthen economic development.

Posted by Anna Brady Nuse at 12:39 AM - Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)


© 2007-2008 Great Dance. All rights reserved.
Great Dance is a registered trademark.