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Choreography Mentorship program ~ Round Two ~
Choreography in a Time of Global Cataclysm
with Alex Ketley and David Maurice
This living, two-month choreographic mentorship program exams how we as artists embrace this period of global upheaval to dramatically affect and influence our work. It strategically occurs on the weekends so that all demographics, including working professionals and full-time students can participate. This confronting and empowering program is designed to challenge the next generation of choreographers' notions around research, creation, and performance. Through physical practice, guided discussion, and intentional guest speakers, choreographers Alex Ketley and David Maurice will mentor deep and honest personal investigation that embraces our current state of convulsive metamorphosis.
PHYSICAL and INTELLECTUAL DIALOG
Our bodies are the reflective and dramatic repositories of history, identity, and place. Since studio practice has been essentially obliterated due to the pandemic, what dynamic modes of creation can we develop in response to the spaces we have left? Who are we in this new world? How does the lineage of our lives and history vibrantly color our artistic voices?
BODY in RELATIONSHIP to SOCIETY
A major aspect of this choreographic mentorship will be around placing one's body indirect relationship with societal research each artist wants to explore. Alex Ketley has spent years exploring what dance means to rural communities throughout the United States, did a project completely oriented in the dive bars of San Francisco, and is about to begin a project researched in hospice. The idea for this is that by placing our bodies inconsequential situations, we dramatically skew any preconceived outcome heavily towards the unknown. And from this position of being lost, the hope is we can find something new.
IDENTITY and BODY POLITICS
Over the past year, David has been researching identity as a cognitive system arising from the aggregate memories of an individual's past experiences and how this shapes process, aesthetic, theme/content, politics, and access. He believes the body does not exist in abstraction; the body is not devoid of politics; and through that reasoning believes neither does one’s presence or art. He encourages choreographers to research nuanced layers of identity, as well as how the sense of self positioned in society, is reflected in the creative process.
Generating Equality
Though this is labeled a mentorship program, alongside Alex Ketley and David Maurice, the participants will form a co-equal community of artists. As an artistic collective, we will wonder about how dance is created in a world reimagined.
Fall Term Weekly Content
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One two hour session of movement led by either Alex or David.
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An extensive choreographic concept given to the participants for investigation.
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One two hour session to share each participant's research of the weekly choreographic concept and in-depth discussion.
Winter Term Weekly Content
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The participants from phase one lead the now two weekly movement sessions with guidance from Alex and David.
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Each participant begins their research projects with mentorship from Alex and David.
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One two hour session to share the participant's research and continue the discussion.
Spring Term Weekly Content
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Participants begin to crystalize their projects with mentorship from Alex and David. (Note: What shape your project culminates in is completely up to you. It could be performance, a book, a film, or a general way of approaching creation. Honoring the idea of research means what you discover while working might dictate what form the final project takes.)
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A weekly sharing and continued discussion with the collective.
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A final sharing session of the participants' work that is free and open to the public
ELIGIBILITY
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18+
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previous dance training or passion for movement
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choreographic experience or curiosity about dance making
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desire to adapt, create, connect, and contribute
APPLICATION
There is no fee to apply.
Step 1- request an application form from Skye@thehaven.dance
Step 2- complete application form
Step 3- send the following materials to Skye@thehaven.dance
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Video Statement of Interest
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Resume or CV
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Biography
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Links to work samples
Please upload your Video Statement of Interest and Work Samples to Dropbox, Vimeo, or Youtube, and provide links (include passwords if needed). Videos that need to be downloaded will NOT be considered.
WORK SAMPLE GUIDELINES
Send 3 separate links (include passwords if needed) that connect directly to videos posted to Dropbox, Vimeo, or Youtube. Do NOT send videos that need to be downloaded.
Link 1- unedited work in its entirety from beginning to end (any length)
Link 2 - excerpt of work (minimum of 3 minutes; dance films welcome)
Link 3 - unedited excerpt of work (minimum of 2 minutes)
FEES
2-Month Program - $1800
4-Month Program - $3300
6-Month Certificate Program - $4500
Security Deposits
2-Month Program - $600
4-Month Program - $1100
6-Month Certificate Program - $1500
February 21 ~ April 17
10:00 am ~ 12:00 PM Pacific Standard Time
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Sundays ~ Movement Practice & Prompts
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Wednesdays ~ Optional midweek check-ins
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SaturdayS ~ Sharing sessions/ aka "Showings"
PAYMENT OPTIONS
We understand that people have different socio-economic backgrounds and can create payment options that work for each mentee. Payments can be made by PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, wire transfer, check, automatic withdrawal, or money order.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: term two
Applications are due on or before Sunday, January 31st, 2021 before 11:59 pm PDT.
FINANCIAL AID
Full and partial scholarships are available for mentees that apply and are accepted.
Step 1 - apply
Step 2 - receive notification of acceptance
Step 3 - send the following materials to Skye@thehaven.dance
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Written Statement of Financial Need
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Two Letters of Recommendation
Scholarship application materials are due on or before Sunday, February 7th, 2021 before 11:59 pm PDT.
LETTERS OF INVITATION and scholarship awards
Selected mentees will be notified of admittance by email on or before Friday, February 12th.
SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION
David Maurice (Choreography Mentor) is a nomadic choreographer, freelance dancer, and writer. He trained with César Degollado while attending the University of Arizona in Tucson. He has performed with companies such as Ate9 in Los Angeles, Luna Negra Dance Theater in Chicago, and Loni Landon Dance Project and Gallim in New York. David served as the Artistic Director of Chicago-based CoCoDaCo Dance Project, a triptych organization that included a Youth Ensemble, Mezzo Company, and Professional Company. Currently David performs with Madboots Dance in New York, Alex Ketley’s The Foundry in San Francisco, and William Forsythe dancer Roderick George. As a choreographer, David has created works on Condanza, Ate9 Dance Company, Santa Barbara Dance Theater, and Convergence Ballet in Phoenix. He assisted Barak Marshall’s creation of The Castaways set on Ballet Rambert in London, Kevin Jenkins with his work Farewell My Lovely on Big Muddy Dance, and Loni Landon on Damon Cardasis’ award winning film Saturday Church. He has taught workshops at the UC Santa Barbara, UC Irvine, Loyola Marymount University, and Northwestern University.
Alex KetleY (Choreography Mentor) an independent choreographer, filmmaker, and the director of The Foundry. Formerly a classical dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, he left the company to create The Foundry as a platform to explore his interests in alternative methods of devising performance. The company has allowed Ketley the freedom to pursue projects that would be difficult to realize within his commissioning career. A few examples of these are: Syntax, an hour long duet systemically using the mechanics of language as an organizing mechanism; Lost Line researched how the application of environment affects the generation of movement and studied in direct response to California's diverse physical landscapes; Please Love Me jettisoned the structure of performing in a theater context and was developed with a curiosity about how people genuinely connect and experience artwork; and the No Hero Trilogy which was a multi-year project that explored what dance and performance means to the lives of people living throughout rural America. The Foundry’s diverse work has been enthusiastically received by audiences, the press, and funders.
For his independent work as a choreographer he has been commissioned extensively throughout the United States, as well as projects in Germany and Italy, and has received acknowledgement from the Hubbard Street National Choreographic Competition, the International Choreographic Competition of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Saveaur, the Choo-San Goh Award, the Princess Grace Award for Choreography, four Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography Residencies, the Gerbode-Hewlett Choreographer Award, the Eben Demarest Award, the National Choreographic Initiative Residency, a Kenneth Rainin Foundation New and Experimental Works Grant, three CHIME Fellowships, a Phyllis C. Wattis Foundation Grant, the Artistry Award from the Superfest International Disability Film Festival, and his work was featured on national television through an invitation from the show So You Think You Can Dance. His pieces and collaborations have also been awarded Isadora Duncan Awards in the categories of; Outstanding Achievement by an Ensemble, Outstanding Achievement in Choreography, Outstanding Achievement by a Company, and nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Visual Design.
As an educator he has taught throughout the world and is currently a Lecturer at Stanford University’s Theater and Performance Studies Department. He was the founding Resident Choreographer at the San Francisco Conservatory of Dance for fourteen years until its closure in 2018.
In 2020 he became a Fellow of the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, one of the most prestigious honors in the United States recognizing individuals "who have demonstrated exceptional creative ability in the arts.”