Awards and Auditions

Bowen McCauley Dance Receives Board Leadership Award

Bowen McCauley Dance was recently recognized by the Center for Nonprofit Advancement as the 2013 winner of the Board Leadership Award. Bowen McCauley Dance will receive a $10,000 grant; communication exposure through print, radio, television and social media; and training and development opportunities for the board and CEO from BoardSource and through the Center’s Learning & Leadership Institute. The Award Selection Committee noted the board’s commitment to mission in management decisions, board training and financial practices in their award selection in the under $2 million budget category.

Taurus Broadhurst Dance Holds Auditions

Taurus Broadhurst Dance (TBD) is holding auditions for the 2013-2014 season.  TBD is seeking a multi-generational, multi-ethnic cast of male and female dancers, age 18 and older, who are highly proficient in African, hip hop, modern, and ballet.  Opportunities for paid performances will be available during the season. Auditions will be held on Saturday, September 7th at Joy of Motion Dance Center Atlas, 1333 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002.  Sign-in begins at 4:00 p.m., and auditions begin promptly at 4:30 p.m. By Thursday, September 5th, please submit your resume (with links to relevant footage) to sarah@taurusbroadhurstdance.com.

Taurus Broadhurst Dance combines the wide-ranging currents of African Diaspora cultures in order to create a contemporary African aesthetic. The choreography is grounded in traditional West African dance and fuses movement from modern dance, house, and hip hop to convey diverse, contemporary stories and to embody the griot tradition through movement. To get a feel for the movement and choreography, attend Taurus Broadhurst’s Contemporary African class, Saturdays at 2:00 p.m. at Joy of Motion Dance Center Atlas.

darlingdance company looking for Production Assistant/Understudy

Photo Credit: Matthew Wright

darlingdance company is currently looking for a Production Assistant/Understudy for our upcoming performance in the 7th Annual Capital Fringe Festival this summer. The start date for this position is negotiable, but you must be available for the second half of May, all of June, and all of July. This position is a wonderful, all-encompassing experience for an eager dancer looking to experience the physical aspect of dance and the management aspect of dance. Duties will include: learning phrase work to fill-in when dancers are absent, assisting with marketing for the Fringe performance, working tech for the Fringe performance, as well as other responsibilities tbd.

darlingdance company was founded in Washington, DC in August 2010 by choreographer Hayley Cutler. Hayley was a finalist for the 2012 Emerging Choreographer Award at the MetroDC Dance Awards. With a background in modern and postmodern dance, Hayley combines classic movement vocabulary with her own take on abstract and pedestrian movement to create an aesthetic that is often described as “quirky” and “daring.” darlingdance company has performed at The Atlas Theatre, Dance Place, in the Chicago Fringe Festival, and will be performing in Dance in the Circle on April 21st.

If you are interested in this position, please e-mail your resume and a short written statement about why you would like to work with darlingdance company to darlingdanceco@gmail.com.

The above information is from an e-mail received Tuesday, March 27th from darlingdance company.

Audition Opportunity: Synetic Theater’s Student Production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Synetic Theater Rehearsal for "Master & Margarita"

Synetic Theater, DC’s Premier Physical Theater, will be holding auditions this Saturday for their student production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. If you don’t know the Shakespeare play, read it now. It’s one of my favorites. I checked in with Synetic Theater’s Marketing Associate Tricia Homer for the dance connection. Here’s what she had to say:

The Synetic style is unique to the company. There are performers with years of dance experience and several with none at all. It is physical theater combining movement techniques such as mime, acrobatics, aerial and parkour with drama. Some dance elements I might say are present in the work are Riverdance, Ballet, Modern, Breakdancing, Capoeira, etc. There is absolutely no dance requirement, but the audition will entail movement.  The production is a class ending in a performance- so we will most likely be accepting all who audition.  The audition process is a part of the casting process.

The Deets

• Auditions for Synetic Theater’s student production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (directed by Alex Mills, Ben Cunis and Ryan Sellers)
• 2786 South Arlington Mill Drive; Arlington, VA 22206
• Saturday, January 15th 10am-1pm (Auditions will be scheduled every half hour. Contact Meg.Synetic@gmail.com to schedule an audition appointment).
• Auditioning students ages 10-18. Must be able to attend rehearsals February 1st to March 10th and perform at shows scheduled for March 11th, 12th and 13th. There will be a registration fee for all students accepted.
• For the audition please prepare a monologue and come in clothes designed to move.

Audition for Micheline Heal & Dancers Saturday, January 15th

Micheline Heal reached out to me after coming across danceDC on the Interwebs and asked me to post information about her upcoming dance audition on Saturday, January 15th at Joy of Motion/Friendship Heights. Please see the details below if you’re looking for an opportunity to dance in the New Year!

Choreographer Micheline Heal is looking for six dancers – four female, two male – for two separate dance projects this coming spring. The first project is a series of duets in the style of “So You Think You Can Dance?” for a public performance series in April and May. For this project Micheline is looking for one female and two male dancers with partnering and contact improvisation experience as well as a strong technical background in ballet and contemporary dance.

The second project is the revision of a piece titled The Garden for Wayward Girls, multimedia installation that explores how the lessons we learn fairy tales influence our adult perspectives. Micheline is looking for three petite female dancers with a strong technical background in ballet and contemporary dance, experience with floorwork and partnering are bonuses. The piece will be performed during a performance run at the Capitol Hill Arts Workshop in May. All dancers for both projects will be financially compensated for performances but not for rehearsals. Dancers will be selected based on skill, suitability for a given role, and availability.

Here is additional information Micheline provided regarding what she looks for in a dancer and what dancers can expect during the audition process:

I look for multifaceted dancers with strong technique that are also willing to experiment and play in the rehearsal room. I am willing to overlook technical finesse, however, in favor of strong performers with a voracious love of dance. The audition will consist of a short warm-up, an improvisation exercise, learning some phrasework (both vertical as well as some floorwork), a contact improv exercise and a creation exercise where dancers will be paired off to create short partnering duets. Because I’m casting for two very different projects, the dancers will be asked to do a lot of different things. I’m looking for dancers that are willing to push their comfort zones and just go for it because it inspires me to make better work.

The Deets

• Audition for Micheline Heal & Dancers
• Joy of Motion Dance Center/Friendship Heights – 5207 Wisconsin Avenue NW; Washington, DC 20015
• Saturday, January 15th 4:45pm-6:45pm
• Please email a resume and headshot prior to attending the audition to micheline@michelineheal.com.

Culture Shock DC Season 9 Auditions

Culture Shock DC held Season 9 Auditions at the CityDance Center at Strathmore in North Bethesda, Maryland yesterday afternoon. If you don’t know about Culture Shock Dance Troupe, they are a network of nonprofit hip hop organizations with dance companies in San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Chicago, Canada and DC. I’ve taken Culture Shock DC class a few times, but this was my first time auditioning.

The registration process took place in the room next door to where they held auditions. Dancers lined up to sign in, pay the $5 audition fee and to receive their registration forms. The form was pretty standard with questions about your dance background, availability and reason for auditioning. Once completed, the form was handed in and they took a picture of you with your audition number.

Chris Law of Culture Shock DC and GnC Crew led warm ups in the same room as registration then we moved over to the larger studio next door to learn the audition choreography. The former and current artistic directors of Culture Shock DC taught eight 8 counts of choreography to Usher’s “Monstar” – an ambitious amount to learn in only 45 minutes. Luckily, dancers were given the opportunity to practice on their own before they called in groups of five to perform for the panel of judges.

After everyone performed the choreography in groups of five, they had a freestyle section. Dancers were grouped by style so they could dance to music that was most appropriate for the movement. Bboys and girls started off the freestyle section, followed by lockers, poppers, krumpers and finally waacking, house and vogue dancers.

After the freestyle section, they made their first round of cuts. Numbers were called and these dancers were invited to perform the choreography from the first section again. Unlike the first round of choreography, this part of the audition was open to all dancers so you had a much larger audience than last time. It was hard not to clap for the dancers after they finished the routine, but the judges asked us not to so most people were waving their hands in the air to show their support.

To everyone who auditioned, good luck and great job. Thank you also to Culture Shock DC for a fun day of dancing. For more information about the organization, visit their website at www.cultureshockdance.org, Like the Culture Shock Dance Troupe – Washington DC fan page on Facebook or follow @CultureShockDC on Twitter.

Dance Photography Opportunity

source: The Carriage House Studio and Gallery

I am always so grateful when people contact me asking to share information. Here is an opportunity for DC area dancers to get their picture taken! See the details below and please spread the word.

The Carriage House Studio and Gallery is a busy photography studio with an active and growing base of photographers. We need advanced amateur or professional dancers for a winter photography workshop series. The complete studio facility is located in a safe, convenient location in downtown DC (Logan Circle).

Modern, ballet and ballroom dancers between the age of 18 to 35 are needed. If interested, please send photo, height and weight, description of dance background or resume to info@dcphotocoop.com. Auditions for the dance photo shoot will take place the week of November 29th to December 3rd.

Lady Greenhawks Dance Auditions Saturday, September 11th

I’m all about sports, but sometimes the most entertaining part of a sporting event is the half time show.  Although I’ve never been to a Washington Greenhawks basketball game, I’m sure that the Lady Greenhawks would be one of the highlights.

Lady Greenhawk Kelsey, who currently works as a research analyst in DC, has been with the team for two years.  Prior to joining the Greenhawks, she and other members of the team danced with DC Body Armor – the dance team of the short-lived indoor football team the DC Armor.  According to Kelsey, dancing with the Lady Greenhawks has improved her confidence as a performer and she encourages anyone looking for performance opportunities to come out to their auditions on Saturday, September 11th.  If you’re interested (or just curious), read on for more details:

Who are the Lady Greenhawks?

The Lady Greenhawks are the official dance team of The Washington Greenhawks, part of the Atlantic Coast Professional Basketball League. This group of women range in ages 20 to 39 years old. Their careers are in a variety of professions, including business, human resources, health care and teaching. The Lady Greenhawks dancers perform during half time and between quarters on game days throughout the season and join the Greenhawks organization in community events, parades and festivals in and around the DC Metropolitan area.

What type of dance do you do?

Our style is jazz and hip hop. This year, veteran Lady Greenhawk Shawnita Pair joins the team as our new full time choreographer.

What dance background do most of the Lady Greenhawks have?

Most of the Lady Greenhawks have a strong background in jazz. Several of the returning dancers regularly attend jazz and hip hop classes with Derek Brown at the Joy of Motion Atlas studio.

Where and how often do you perform?

We perform primarily at the Greenhawks basketball games, held at Coolidge High School in Washington, DC. We also perform at events around the DC area. Most recently, the Lady Greenhawks performed at the Cal Ripken Little League World Series before the U.S. Championship game.

Where and how often do you rehearse?

We rehearse on Sunday afternoons at a gym in Washington, DC.

What can people expect from the auditions?

Our auditions are pretty standard as far as dance teams go. Dancers will learn a short routine and perform it in small groups. Dancers may also be asked to show technique in an across the floor combination (pirouettes, jumps, whatever you’ve got!)

The Deets

• Lady Greenhawks dance auditions
• Balance Gym – 1111 14th Street NW; Washington, DC 20005
• Saturday, September 11th; Registration at 12:15pm – Auditions will begin at 1pm.
• $25 registration fee (cash only)
• Must be 18 years of age by August 1, 2009; must have full/part time job or attend college full/part time
• Wear midriff baring top, shorts and full make up; hair should be straightened or with light curls

Capital Funk Dance Auditions Sunday, September 5th

source: http://maineventcompetition.com

Capital Funk hip hop dance team is holding auditions this Sunday, September 5th. Third year veteran Brad Sickels took the time to tell danceDC a little bit more about the group and what dancers can expect from Sunday’s auditions.

According to Brad, Capital Funk has been one of the most enriching experiences of his life and practicing with the team is always the highlight of his day. “It’s great to be part of a well-respected and FUN team that is really making a name for itself in the East Coast dance scene,” he said.

Who is Capital Funk?

Capital Funk is a group of extremely talented, dedicated and off-the-wall dancers. “Cfunk” as we call it is a giant family and anyone who joins is immediately adopted into that family whether they like it or not.

Capital Funk was created by a group of George Washington University students and is based at GW. However over the years, the team has opened its doors to the amazing talent of the DC community. Our team is now made up of about half GW students and half DC/MD/NOVA locals, which makes for quite the interesting dynamic. We perform frequently in the GW arena but have successfully branched out into the greater DC area. We also travel to compete all over the East Coast.

What type of dance do you do?

We’ve got so many talented individuals on the team whose styles range from botting and locking, to vogue, Baltimore club and house.We try and keep things fresh and evolving and it’s always been important to us to encompass different dance styles and techniques.

What dance background do most of your members have?

Everyone on our team is so incredibly different. For instance, there are several members on the team who are classically trained in modern and ballet and have been dancing since they could walk. We have dancers who have been doing hip hop for years, and have trained with amazing choreographers and instructors. But then, you have people on the team like me whose first time ever officially doing hip hop was at the Capital Funk audition. Capital Funk is unique in that we don’t ask for a dance resume at our auditions. We don’t require extensive training. We value talented dancers who are passionate about dance and our leaders realize that can come in ANY shape or form. We value diversity in every meaning of the word.

Where and how often do you perform?

Traditionally, our Fall season is comprised of local performances. These can include GW basketball games and events, local universities’ talent showcases/competitions, and promotional events. We spend a lot of the Fall term training, learning and growing together as a team.

Our Spring semester has traditionally been our competition season. In the past we’ve done two to three major competitions in the Spring, traveling to Boston, New York and New Jersey. We also hold our annual Showcase at the end of the Spring season. For this Showcase, we invite local dance crews and artists, as well as talent from other East Coast cities. Our Showcase has been very successful, bringing in a crowd of over a thousand last year.

Where and how often do you rehearse?

We hold regular practice two to three times weekly at a variety of locations. We rehearse at GW and also at DC Dance Collective in Friendship Heights.

What can people expect from the auditions?

They can expect to have a lot of fun! Auditionees will learn two combinations from different choreographers, and then perform them in small groups for the captains. Each group will include at least one Capital Funk member so you can ask for help and rehearse with them.  We then have an informal freestyle cypher, where dancers are given the opportunity to show off their own styles.

Any words of advice for people trying out?

I’d say take a class or two just to fine-tune your pickup. The best way to progress as a dancer is to be constantly learning. Joy of Motion has some pretty tight classes and DC Dance Collective offers a few varieties of hip hop.  Maybe spend a little time with your headphones in just free-styling. Our auditions are fun so be ready to have a good time!

The Deets

• Capital Funk
• Fall Dance Auditions
• The Marvin Center Grand Ballroom – 800 21st Street NW; Washington, DC 20052
• Sunday, September 5th at 6:30pm

DCypher Dance Auditions at Joy of Motion Friendship Heights

After dropping by Lounge 201 for nGAGE DC, I hopped on the Red Line at Union Station and made it just in time for the DCypher dance auditions at Joy of Motion Friendship Heights.  This studio is just south of the Friendship Heights Metro station.  Walk toward the Jennifer Street exit, take the elevators up to street level, go right and walk a couple blocks south on Wisconsin.  The studio will be on the other side of the street in the same building as Chevy Chase Ballroom.

source: http://www.brightestyoungthings.com

I was still in work clothes, but there was a small changing area where I could put on my sweats and sneaks.  The girl at the front desk gave me a short form to fill out and handed me a cloth number to safety pin on.  The waiting area was tight so I hung out in the hallway and read some of the fliers hanging up on the bulletin board.

The audition started with a warm up by DCypher’s founder Juli Calderon.  After some stretching and intense sit ups, Juli went into the combination.  She chose a great song ‘The Garden’ by Mirah.  If you don’t know this song, download that ish on iTunes stat!  The choreo wasn’t complicated but gave a lot of room to show your own personality with several freestyle hits.

We did the combination in two groups a few times before breaking into smaller groups of four.  Each small group went a couple times, then the judges called out individual numbers to see again.  At the end, we had a cipher where dancers could show off their other dance talents including breaking, jazz, tap and booty popping.

If you’ve never been to a dance audition, I definitely recommend it.  It’s a great way to challenge yourself as you need to perform for the panel of judges.  It’s also a free class as companies usually don’t charge for auditions.  A couple more auditions are coming up soon so stay tuned for the details.  Keep dancing!