Dance Omi International Dance Collective
Overview
Application Guidelines for Dance Omi
Program
Invited Residents
Overview
Inaugurated in 2005, the Dance Omi International Dance Collective is the newest program at the Omi International Arts Center. This unique program brings together 10 international dance artists who spend 2 and a half weeks exploring collaboration. Though the program culminates in informal showings on the Omi campus and in New York City, the greatness of this program lies in the absence of pressure to create a performance product. Rather the program's gently facilitated process emphasizes exploration, experimentation and above all else, collaborative process.
Dance Omi International Dance Collective at Omi International Arts Center
Application Guidelines
Postmark Deadline: March 1
SESSION DATES: August 12 - September 1, 2008
Showing Dates to be determined
To apply, send the following materials:
- A one page cover letter with your contact information (name, mailing address, telephone number(s), and e-mail address), and how you heard about Dance Omi.
- A paragraph about what working collectively means to you, and how you feel you can contribute to the collective experience.
- A two page maximum C.V., listing most recent accomplishments first, including a listing of choreographic works, performance experience, education, additional dance-related experience, languages spoken, etc.
- One letter of recommendation from an established professional in the dance field relative to your career progress and/or your experience in collaborating.
- A Videotape or DVD clearly labeled with your name, showing representative sample(s) of your work as a performer, improviser, and/or choreographer - a total of five minutes maximum. Tapes and DVDs must be in NTSC format to be considered.
- A one page Video Description with
- Name of Applicant
- A brief description of video contents to be viewed, including title and date of creation of each dance or work shown, total length of each work that has been excerpted, number of performers in each work, author of each work (if collaborative, name the collaborators).
- One paragraph about how the video excerpts specifically support your application.
Mail Completed applications to:
Dance Omi Applications
c/o Omi International Arts Center
55 Fifth Avenue, 15th floor
New York, New York 10003
Direct questions or further inquiries to:
Christopher K. Morgan at dancers@artomi.org
Fellowships & Prizes
Francis Greenburger Fellowship on Mitigating Religious and Ethnic Conflict: Fellowship only for an artist whose work relates to managing and/or mitigating religious and ethnic conflict. Work made at Omi must be in direct relation to this area.
The 2008 Guest Mentor (To Be Announced)
About the Director
Committed to artist development, and a skilled facilitator, Christopher K. Morgan is the director of the Dance Omi International Dance Collective. With a virtuosic movement vocabulary, thought provoking text and striking visual imagery, the Washington Post has called his choreography "hypnotizing... technically and artistically strong, simply excellent". The mission of his New York based dance company, Muse, is grounded in the belief that art has the ability to incite dialogue and create socio-political change. His work has been seen in Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Ireland, Hong Kong and US venues including La Mama, Dixon Place, Bronx Academy of Art and Dance, Dance Theater Workshop, Joe's Pub, Joyce SoHo, Counterpulse (San Francisco), Theater Artaud (San Francisco) and Dance Place (Washington DC). Christopher was recently the Artist in Residence at Western Kentucky University, and a Guest Artist at Stephens College in Missouri. He and his company have garnered support from the Jerome Foundation, the Arts Council of Ireland, Asian American Dance Performances, the Brooklyn Arts Exchange and Dance Theater Workshop. As a performer he has worked for: Fabulous Beast Dance Theater (UK/Ireland), Ben Munisteri, David Gordon, Hernando Cortez, New York City Opera, Shapiro & Smith, Kevin Wynn, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Selfish Shellfish (Germany), Washington National Opera, and Malashock Dance among many others. He portrays the central character in the short film Fallen Star, danced in the PBS Great Performances of Le Cid, starring Placido Domingo, and danced with Kate Winslet in the feature film "Romance and Cigarettes". Teaching credits include: Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts, Shawbrook Summer Program (Ireland), Iwanson Schule (Munich) and universities and private schools throughout the US. He will soon become Rehearsal Director and a Choreographer in Residence at City Dance Ensemble in Washington, DC.
2008 Residents
Kimber Andrews - Illinois
Leonides D. Arpon - New York
Marie Chabert - France/ United Kingdom
Joey Chua Poh Yi - Singapore
Peter Fazekas -Netherlands/ Hungary
Marion Ignacio - Philippines
Amy Knauff - New York
Csilla Nagy - Hungary
Maxx Passion - New York
Melissa Riker - New Jersey
Sintija Silina - Latvia
Past Guest Mentors:
2007 Vincent E. Thomas
The Program
Dance Omi is a unique opportunity for a collection of ten high-caliber, international dance artists to explore collaboration during a 3-week residency. Uninterrupted by the normal constraints of lack of space, time or other artists with whom to work, the richness of this residency lies in the fact that it is truly an exploration. Residents are encouraged to collaborate with each other, without the goal or pressure of a performance product. It is a model of process and community building, that strives to have repercussions on a scale beyond that of the art making. Under the Direction of the Dance Omi Director and an annually changing Guest Mentor, residents are facilitated in creating a collective of their own design, sharing in each other's work, process and styles of movement. Additionally, invited guests of the dance community (1 guest per week) join the collective for special workshops in collaboration, dance and arts administration. Culminating in two Open Day informal showings with the community at Art Omi and in New York City, the final events are an opportunity to share the process of collaboration with both the local and dance communities.
Applicants may be primarily choreographers, dancers or improvisers, but should have some proficiency in each of these areas. Dance Omi encourages professional dance artists from all dance disciplines to apply. It is recommended that applicants come not with specific projects in mind, but a willingness to share their skills and sensibilities, and an openness to working with others on jointly conceived dance projects.
All awarded fellows commit to remaining for the entire residency and to participating in the concluding showings. Everyone accepted to Dance Omi receives full room and board during his or her stay at Omi (note that Omi is unable to provide travel funds).
Accomodations at Dance Omi
The Omi International Arts Center is located approximately two and a half hours north of New York City in the historic Hudson River Valley. The facilities, set on 300 acres of rural farmland, include a large two-story barn with indoor studios, as well as the 150 acre Field's Sculpture Park. A swimming pool, several bicycles, and internet access are available on the premises. During their stay at Dance Omi, full room and board is provided for the residents.
Board of Directors
Christopher Morgan, Director
Christine Cali
Francis Greenburger, President
Abby Hamlin
Faith Hamlin
Maria Mitchell
Amber Sloan
Nicole Smith
Gus Solomons, Jr.
Dance photos by Ross Willows, Carol Frederick, and Yeondoo Jung.
