2022 Press Release

MEN IN DANCE proudly presents
The 2022 MEN IN DANCE Festival: IN THE FLESH/IN THE FRAME
a two-weekend hybrid event

MEN IN DANCE announces its featured choreographers for its upcoming 2022 Festival: IN THE FLESH/IN THE FRAME: A Two-weekend Hybrid Event! These two (very different) weekends of new dance works will feature one in-person weekend and one fully virtual weekend.

IN THE FLESH opens LIVE onstage September 30, 2022 at the Erickson Theatre on Capitol Hill in Seattle, followed by two more performances October 1 and 2. Tickets will range from $25 (advance) To $35 (General) and can be purchased beginning September 1st.

IN THE FRAME, a separate program of original dance films, will feature during the second weekend at festival.menindance.org on October 7, 8 and 9. There is no “admission fee” for this second weekend, but MEN IN DANCE (as a 501c3 non-profit arts organization) welcomes donations, which can be made at the organization’s website: menindance.org.

Following are the artists featured in each program:

IN THE FLESH: Purchase tickets as of September 1 @ festival.menindance.org

Gregg Bielemeier (Portland)
Gary Champi (NYC/Seattle)
Julius Flores (Seattle)
Alberto Gaspart (Seattle)
Ethan Sweitzer-Gaslin (Seattle/Boise)
Bruce McCormick (Southern California)
Joshua Romero (Southern California)
Teddy Tedholm (NYC)
Allen Chinhui Xing (Chicago)

IN THE FRAME: Join free October 7-9 at festival.menindance.org

Gary Champi (NYC/Seattle)
Diana Cardiff (Seattle)
Kince de Vera (Seattle)
Alex Ketley (San Francisco)
Robbi A. Moore (Seattle)
Sean Rosado (New York)

Please contact Kince de Vera at kince@verumcreative.com, or reach MEN IN DANCE by emailing menindancesea@gmail.com.

Sincerely,

Richard H Jessup, Founder/Producing President, and the MID Board of Producers

2021 Virtual MEN IN DANCE Festival Press Release

MEN IN DANCE, now in its 25th year, announces its 2021 Virtual Festival line up. This collection of male-identifying performers in concert dance is titled: THEN/NOW. It will take place online over two weekends: October 1-3 and October 8-10. There will be NO CHARGE for online viewing though tax-deductable donations to the MEN IN DANCE non-profit organization are encouraged and appreciated!

This event will bring together the creative talents of eleven choreographers:

Weekend 1 (THEN) features four returning artists from previously produced MID Festivals. MID will run videos of the pieces first created for us by these choreographers immediately followed by new dance films created for this 2021 Festival. Our online audiences will have the opportunity to see the growth each choreographer has experienced over the years.

The returning Guest Artists are as follows: Cameron McKinney, director of Kizuna Dance in New York City (seen on the MID stage in 2015 and 2016); Mike Esperanza, director of Bare Dance Company (last seen in our 2016 Festival), who has made California and New York home bases, and is now doing a Residency in Oklahoma; Versa-Style, a Los Angeles-based urban/contemporary dance company (seen in our 2018 Festival); and Dance//Novella, brainchild of two Canadian Dance artists, Rachael Prince and Brandon Lee Alley, both in Vancouver (seen as part of our 2020 Virtual Festival) .


Weekend 2 (NOW) features seven dance makers chosen from submissions we received from around the country. They will be bringing new works to this Virtual Event, all committed to film. Their viewpoints are as varied as their backgrounds!

The second weekend features works by a group of choreographers who all have a strong connection to Seattle and the Pacific Northwest, even though several of them now live and work in other parts of the country. The current Seattle residents are Daniel Costa (solo); Maeve Barton (duet); Levi Ryan (solo); Jeremy Cline (trio), and Robbi Moore (solo). Joining them are Sean Rosado (solo), currently living and working in Astoria, NY; and Alfonso Cervera (a solo), who now works in Seattle but has had a long career and background in Southern California.

Make plans to see both weekends at festival.menindance.org

For more information, please go to the MEN IN DANCE website, www.menindance.org,
and follow @menindance on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Friday and Saturday streams are at 8 pm PT; and Sunday streams at 5pm PT

For all inquiries, contact Kince at kince@verumcreative.com or email MEN IN DANCE at menindancesea@gmail.com

Our First EVER Virtual Festival!

For the first time ever, MEN IN DANCE brings you a one-of-a-kind event, featuring new works created for your viewingSeattle’s MEN IN DANCE 2020, would like to announce its featured choreographers for its first-ever Virtual Festival Celebration, live-streaming October 2, 3 and 4 at 8 pm PDT! This program can be viewed by going to watch.menindance.org on the days of the event. There is no admission/ticket fee to participate in this live event, however donations are welcomed and appreciated!

These choreographers, chosen by the MID organization, have created and filmed their submissions in isolation during the Covid-19 pandemic. These original films will be presented on three evenings, as a program of dance that continues the organizations’ mission statement: to find and support the highest-quality male-identified concert dance, presenting it in all of its colors.

These artists hail from around the country and include:

Project 44/Gierre Godley, New York City, has created a timely and nuanced group piece that brings men of color together, to explore the present as it collides with the past of our countrys’ checkered history of diminishing, limiting and labeling our African-American ‘Brothers and Sons’. PLEASE NOTE: Gierre will be interviewed via Zoom, by MID Producing President Richard Jessup. This interview will introduce Gierre’s piece, as the finale of this program.

Daniel Ojeda, now living and working in Boise, ID is returning to MEN IN DANCE, after being voted ‘audience favorite’ by our 2019 Choreographers Showcase audiences. Daniel brings a theatrical solo piece that illuminates the struggles a live performer faces during Covid-19.

Bruce McCormick, also a MEN IN DANCE alumni who now lives and works in Los Angeles, has set choreography to thoughtful text about our times and the insights that artists can bring to our troubled world. His piece is danced and narrated by Alex Danna, of Fort Worth, TX Tommy Lewey, who lives and works in Indianapolis, IN, makes his MEN IN DANCE premiere, with his touching and comical look at the intersection of Covid, boredom, and dance!

Filling out the virtual program is Dance//Novella, which consists of Canadians Brandon Lee Alley and Rachael Prince, and NYC’s Richard Walters. They have created a fascinating, and frightening look at the control, influence and chaos that can come from the human experience! They are also making their premiere with MEN IN DANCE. This visually stunning program of dance can be seen by going to watch.menindance.org on October 2, 3 or 4 at 8 pm PDT. There is no ‘admission fee’ for this event, but MEN IN DANCE as a 501(c)3 non-profit arts organization welcomes and appreciates your generous donations, which can be made at support.menindance.org.

Extended Application Deadline

MEN IN DANCE, IN RESPONSE TO THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC, IS EXTENDING OUR SUBMISSION DEADLINE FOR OUR 2020 FESTIVAL OF MEN IN DANCE. THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS NOW MAY 15th, 2020. NOTIFICATION OF ACCEPTANCE WILL NOW HAPPEN NO LATER THAN JUNE 15, 2020. We also understand that getting film of the proposed piece may not be possible prior to your submission. Please provide us with up to 3 videos of your other choreographic work, along with your proposal description. Festival dates remain October 2-4 and 9-11 of 2020, at The Erickson Theatre in Seattle.

More info HERE

About Diversity, Inclusion, and the Role of Men in Dance

As society evolves, we too are evolving with it. 2019 brings about changes for MEN IN DANCE.

First of all we are dropping part of our name: “Against the Grain.” When this organization was founded we sincerely felt that pursuing a career in dance was a major uphill battle for a man. That is not true in the same way today, though there are still far fewer men in the dance field as a whole. We still acknowledge, and believe in, the unique dynamic and viewpoint that men can bring to the art and want to continue to celebrate that uniqueness in our Festivals and Adjudicated Showcase events. We have also adjusted our mission statement to better reflect that goal:  
 

“MEN IN DANCE is committed to seeking, supporting and presenting cutting edge male-identified dance in all of its colors.”    


We have always welcomed all gender identities and sexual orientations to our events and to work with this organization but we are taking the step of updating verbiage so that everyone feels acknowledged and accepted as well. We know that diversity only helps to strengthen the art that we present—with that we want artists to feel comfortable and supported and for our patrons and contributors to embrace this diversity with their support and participation in our events. Together, let’s make MEN IN DANCE an even stronger entity!  


Read SeattleDances' review on our updated mission!

On a related note MEN IN DANCE strongly objects to Lara Spencer’s comments on Good Morning America and state that boys who love ballet and take it at Prince George’s young age should be supported, celebrated, and revered. This is precisely why MID exists: to combat this ignorance and to illuminate the beauty and power that men who dance show, and the courage that it takes for a man to dance in this world! I have never met so many impassioned people as I have in the world of dance. Good for Prince George, and for his Royal parents, for supporting him and importantly for saying so!

Read more about it HERE

Congratulations to our 2019 Adjudicated Choreographer Showcase Artists!

For the third biennial year the Company is presenting and adjudicating five new choreographers, carefully selected from applicants around the country.  The showcase will be held October 4 and 5 at the Velocity Founders Theatre on Capitol Hill in Seattle. This year features a range of styles, experience, and background, and will again bring two professional panels to the table who will give feedback to the choreographers following the performance of the new pieces. Audiences will also be providing live observations by way of feedback cards. In this process, the goal is to start a conversation about the art and science of what it takes to make a successful dance piece and to continue to explore the uniqueness of setting pieces on male-identifying dance artists! Tickets will go on sale September 1st. For more info, or to help to support the MEN IN DANCE mission, please visit our website at menindance.org.

This year all five Choreographers have strong ties to Seattle and are making it their home base at least part of the time home base.  They and their pieces are:

Daniel Ojeda who works both in Seattle and Boise, ID where he performs and choreographs for Ballet Idaho. He has also recently created works for The Treefort Music Festival, and ARC Dance in Seattle. Daniel will be creating a small group piece, dealing with toxic masculinity, and its role in contributing to bullying.

Beth Terwilleger who has had pieces produced in London, NYC, and at 12 Minutes Max and The Converge Dance Festival in Seattle. Beth was also the Creative Director of The Califa Arts Collaborative in Austin, TX. She is creating a quartet, playing with the differences and similarities, of the energy of men and boys in our society.

Elise Meiners Schwicht who has worked with the SALT II Contemporary Company, and has also created work for the Converge Dance Festival.  Elise has also performed roles for the Utah Valley Civic Ballet Company. She is exploring how a single man is affected and changed by a group of men who surround him and are interacting with him.

Nahshon Marden (they/them) who recently appeared with The Sensible Theatre Company in Seattle, and participated in the GSBA’s Equalux Fundraiser. They have also appeared with the Santa Cruz Ballet Theatre, and California’s Bare Outlines. Nahshon is creating a duet for the Showcase dealing with the themes of what it is to be a male witness of the victim/enabler/perpetrator in our society.

Joel Hathaway, a freelance artist, who has served as a Company Performer and Resident Choreographer for the Missouri Contemporary Ballet company. Joel also danced with the Milwaukee Ballet II Compan and is creating a group piece about finding the courage to "make a change" in one’s life.

The MEN IN DANCE Board of Producers look forward to bringing these pieces to the Velocity Space and to helping these artists strengthen their choreographic works while educating the audience in the creative process and getting the community engaged in conversation around choreography

Please contact Kince de Vera at kince@verumcreative.com or reach MEN IN DANCE by emailing menindancesea@gmail.com.

Applications are now open for the 2018 Men In Dance Festival!

Against the Grain/Men in Dance is seeking proposals for its 12th Anniversary Festival to be held September 28, 29, 30, 2018  (Program 1) and October 5, 6, 7, 2018 (Program 2) at the Broadway Performance Hall on Capitol Hill in Seattle.

Choreographers may be male or female, but all performers must be male-identifying. Selected choreographers will be programmed to show work in either Program 1 or Program 2. Choreographers and dancers will also be paid an honorarium. Depending on the success of our grant applications and box office returns the payments may increase. We encourage group pieces but will also consider solos and duets. Please advise us if you have a preferred performance weekend.

Application Deadline is Sunday April 29, 2018.

 

Men In Dance Festival 2018

Dates for the 2018 festival have been confirmed and will commence at Broadway Performance Hall

Performance Dates are:
September 28-30th & October 5-7th, 2018

Stay tuned for further annoucements including audition opportunities, Artist annoucements, and rehearsal schedules!