Save CHARAS: Time to act, Mayor de Blasio!

Gentrification’s Empty Victory
by Allegra Hobbs, The New York Times, June 1, 2018

The story of Chino and CHARAS; Activist hopeful for old P.S. 64’s return
by Lincoln Anderson, The Villager, April 29, 2018

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Tim Rollins, 62

Artist Tim Rollins Has Died at 62
by Benjamin Sutton, Hyperallergic, December 27, 2017

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Dance is her oxygen, and Smallwood welcomes your help

Dwana Smallwood Performing Arts Center, opened in 2014 by the former Alvin Ailey star, recently suffered a fire. No one was injured, and the intrepid Smallwood, her instructors and her students have returned to continue their essential work in Brooklyn's Bed-Stuy community.

Why are dance, dance education and community important to Brooklyn and, especially, today's Bed-Stuy? Watch the above video, and read the DSPAC statement here.

And if you'd like to help Smallwood achieve her vision of owning rather than renting her space, please consider contributing to the DSPAC Building Fund. Contact DSPAC here to request information on how to donate.

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Francesca Harper named new Artistic Director of MIP®

Francesca Harper, the new Artistic Director
of Movement Invention Project®
(photo: Bale da Cidade)

Francesca Harper--an acclaimed multidisciplinary artist with extensive credentials in ballet, theater, film and arts education--has been named Artistic Director of Movement Invention Project® (MIP®), an immersive, contemporary dance summer program for dancers ages 18-23. Now in its tenth year, the three-week program was founded by New Jersey Dance Theater Ensemble's artistic director, Nancy Turano, to support dancers in developing creative voice as well as skills in improvisation, collaboration and cutting-edge technology. Based in New York City, MIP® provides dancers with opportunities to work with a wide range of teachers, choreographers and mentors and take advantage of the resources of venues like Baryshnikov Arts Center and New York Live Arts.

(photo: Veranika Antanavich)

“I have known Francesca for 25 years, and watched her phenomenal career as a brilliant dancer, choreographer, director and mentor to countless dance artists," says Turano. "We are thrilled to welcome her as Artistic Director of MIP® 2018. She has a wealth of information to contribute, and creates a very positive and encouraging atmosphere that enables dancers to develop their own creative vision."

(photo: David Flores)

ABOUT FRANCESCA HARPER

Francesca Harper is an internationally acclaimed multi-disciplinary artist. After being named Presidential Scholar in the Arts and performing at the White House, Francesca attended Columbia University studying philosophy and computer programming.  She soon after joined the Dance Theater of Harlem’s Second Company and the main Company the following year.  Francesca performed soloist roles with the company including the Hostess in Bronislova Nijinska’s Les Biches and as a Soloist in Swan Lake.  She then began working with William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt, where she was promoted to Principal. Performances included leading roles and pas de deux in Herman Schmerman, In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, and Loss of Small Detail, amongst others.  While a member of Ballet Frankfurt, Francesca was chosen to perform with designers Issey Miyake and Gianni Versace in shows in Paris and Milan, and in Miyake’s film Dancing Pleats. As a member of Ballet Frankfurt, she choreographed her first full evening of work, Dark Violet Light Stone, commissioned by The Holland Dance Festival. A vocalist as well, Francesca was invited to record her first single, "Slow Groove," and self-produced her own album, Modo Fusion.

The vastness of her artistry and hunger soon led her to theater and film, working with Anna Deavere Smith on many projects, and to Broadway for productions including Fosse, The Producers, All Shook Up, The Frogs and the Tony nominated treasure The Color Purple.  She was a featured performer in Zinnias – The Life of Clementine Hunter, directed by Robert Wilson, and toured Internationally with the production. Her TV appearances include Boardwalk Empire, David Letterman, and The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Francesca served as ballet consultant for the feature film Black Swan by Darren Aronofsky. Harper has choreographed works for Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, Tanz Graz, Hubbard Street II, Dallas Black Dance Theater, and founded her own company The Francesca Harper Project in 2005.

Continuing to pursue her interest of technology and dance, Francesca received a Living History Award in 2013 during Black History Month from Long Island University, and the Innovation and Technology Award for her choreography for Fashion Week with designer Louis Vuitton. She also conceived, directed, choreographed, and produced the dance film M(y)ourstory: Chapter One that premiered at the Triskelion Dance Film Festival in 2017.  Francesca was awarded a Fellowship at The Center for the Ballet and the Arts in 2017, as well as a Choreographic Fellowship from Urban Bush Women in 2017, supported by the Mellon Foundation.  Her latest creations en pointe in 2017 for The Dance Theatre of Harlem in NYC and Bale da Cidade in Sao Paulo has received critical acclaim, being cited as “...revolutionary” by The Chicago Tribune, and possessing “...sensual beauty,” by The New York Times.

Francesca’s mother Denise Jefferson, director of The Alvin Ailey School for over 26 years and creator of the Ailey B.F.A program, served as an inspiration and mentor for Francesca’s teaching work and giving back to the community.  Francesca’s one woman show based on the life of her mother, The Look of Feeling, premiered Off- Broadway in 2014 and was later performed at Impulstanze Festival, The Holland Dance Festival, and Germany’s The Colors Festival.

Harper enjoys her appointment as an adjunct professor at New York University, was an Associate Professor at Barnard College, and continues the vital role of teacher and choreographer for The Ailey School, Fordham University’s BFA Program, and the Susan Batson Studio.  Francesca is a featured actress and singer in Punchdrunk’s Sleep No More each week at The McKittrick Hotel in New York City. She is grateful for the daily opportunity to do what she loves and is passionate about inspiring others to live their dreams.

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Kelan Philip Cohran, 90

Kelan Philip Cohran, a Musician Who Invigorated Chicago With Education and Activism, Dies at 90
by Giovanni Russonello, The New York Times, July 4, 2017

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Brooklyn Dance Festival's Santana: lessons from her journey

Tamia B. Santana (left) with Eva Yaa Asantewaa
at Movers and Shakers: Dance Activists in NYC,
a panel discussion co-sponsored by
Brooklyn Dance Festival and Brooklyn Historical Society,
November 19, 2015
(photo courtesy of Brooklyn Dance Festival)

Guest contributor Tamia B. Santana (Executive Director of the Brooklyn Dance Festival) offers a few life lessons for artists.

*****

Welcome to the leading edge!

by Tamia B. Santana

Artists, welcome! Join us on the leading edge. The arts are here to support you.

Here are a few truths I have discovered on my journey.


1.       Evolution is happening.

I like what I like. Once I am touched by a choreographer or company, like an emperor penguin, I am imprinted and locked on for life.  I support those artists through their entire journey. I may not have loved the last concert they presented, but I will always love their voice and their courage to express themselves.

Savion Glover’s Om at the Joyce was out there. One or two patrons walked out, and it was very a small crowd. I loved it. He was risking it all and revealing who he was in that moment. It taught me about allowing your whole self to be expressed as you continue to evolve.

Like the Universe, we are all evolving. Is he expected to dance Stepz or Bring in 'da Noise, Bring in 'da Funk year after year? It’s not natural.

If we as your fans are stuck in where we were when we discovered you, that is our problem. We all need to accept change, and I love when artists have the courage to remind us of that. So to artists, keep doing you and presenting you. It is liberating us whether or not we acknowledge it to you or to ourselves.

2.       Creation is happening.

As a producer, I wanted to create opportunities for the dance I wanted to see.  It was easy and fun for me, and I had a chance to learn a lot along the way. I now feel grateful to share what I love with as many people as possible.

Please do not wait to see what you love.  Help create a space for it. It can start small but will always have momentum.

I think the oldest profession is performing artist. It cannot be stopped. If we live, we will want to create, and these creations are meant to be seen and connected with each other. The Universe will support you.

3.       Just do it!

When you are on the leading edge, creating new opportunities and experiences that have never been done before, it won’t be perfect.  When artists make “mistakes” on stage or in rehearsal, we as a community are forgiving and exalt those moments as being real and authentic.

I am learning to do the same with producing. With so many working parts, a name may not make it into the program, a music or lighting cue may be missed, a date reversed, and so on. It is all part of the process.

I used to have parents at my dance school who helped me learn that beautiful lesson. They were extremely critical of almost all information and nearly every detail relating to their children. Of course, I drew people around me with that mind set because of my own self critical thinking. They helped me learn that our studio could be locked in a four-wall box, or we could experience something new.

My students now have access to unlimited resources and opportunities in dance in New York. With each new experience, this helped me learn there are new challenges and variables that accompany leading them to the edge.

So, whether it is BAM, Lincoln Center or the local street fair, the point is that we are here. I have learned to take notes, reflect on what can be improved and then let the rest go.

There is also an art in making things happen despite something being uncertain. I saw The Nutcracker at Lincoln Center last season and the Sugar Plum Fairy fell flat on the stage and yet finished beautifully. It was glorious. There was one way to make certain her fall would never happen. She could have never taken the stage. She made the right choice for all of us, and I am better for having seen that performance. I now have the same compassion and reverence for the production.

Just do it!

Tamia B. Santana is the Executive Director of Brooklyn Dance Festival and Jeté Dance Center in Brooklyn, NY. She was born, raised and is currently raising her family in Brooklyn. She is an advocate for the arts. Santana serves on the Board of Directors for One Brooklyn through Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, the co-founder of the "ONE LOVE NY" organization, bringing arts and resources to children in New York's Juvenile Hall. She is a proud member of the Bessie Awards’s Steering Committee and a Resident Director of the Brooklyn Museum's Brooklyn Dance Festival Concert series for Target First Saturday. She has also helped curate and direct dance events at BAM, , Summer Stage, Brooklyn Borough Hall and more.

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Sheri M. Goldhirsch, 55

Sheri M. Goldhirsch, Who Nurtured Young Playwrights, Dies at 55
by Margalit Fox, The New York Times, September 28, 2015

Mass Live Arts launches performance program for college grads

Mass Live Arts (MLA) is a festival of experimental theater and performance at the Daniel Arts Center [Bard College at Simon's Rock] in Great Barrington, Massachusetts.

MLA is proud to introduce our new educational initiative: The Mass Live Arts Institute. 

Class with Phil Soltanoff
at Live Mass Arts
(photo: Seth Roseman)

It is a program designed for recent college graduates looking to advance their career as performing artists. Throughout July, Institute fellows will participate in daily workshops and master classes, working hand in hand with festival artists. They will also create and perform their own work under the guidance of internationally renowned director and educator Phil Soltanoff, who will direct the institute show presented as part of the MLA/15 summer offerings.

MLA Institute participants in tech
for Andrew Schneider’s YOUARENOWHERE
(photo: Seth Roseman)

Our goal is for the Institute’s fellows to become intimately familiar with the rigors of making cutting-edge contemporary performance, establish personal relationships with a network of award-winning artists – and, above all, gain real-life experience producing large-scale contemporary works. Over the past two years, MLA has been successfully connecting freshly minted young artists with renowned performers and companies, giving them a chance to participate in hands-on, face-to-face training that has translated into real, professional opportunities. Many of our participants garnered work performing, designing, and some found entry level positions at our partner organizations in NYC.

Soltanoff envisions this production as a form built from fragments — pieces of choreography, text, lights, sound, etc. The emphasis is placed on the theatrical vitality of each fragment and what they do, not what they mean. “Meaning is created through juxtaposition, and meaning isn’t known until something happens next to something else.” – says Soltanoff. In creating this show institute fellows will immerse themselves in the process of using juxtaposition as an essential tool for building work.

Three questions 

for Phil Soltanoff

EYA: Phil, what do you have planned for this summer's eight participants?

PS: We’re aiming for a performance on July 26. Five to six days a week we (the Institute fellows and myself) rehearse with a particular notion in mind—what does something do as opposed to what it means. For instance, we might introduce a simple choreographic gesture (like walking or sitting) then double it, speed it up, do it in unison, etc. to see what that produces in the space.

We care only if the gesture produces something interesting right now--free of preconceived associations and ideas. And then we make more gestures, not exclusively choreographic--also gestures of text, sound, lighting, voice, etc. We keep doing this until we have a whole encyclopedia of what I call theatrical “fragments.”

In the last day or two, I organize a sequence of these fragments into a performance. I should add we’re working very lo-fi, with minimal resources. We’re creating big, cheap art. I love that!

EYA: What's the most valuable thing about the program for these young artists ?

PS: I want these young theater makers to grasp two big ideas. First, I want to help them understand what I call the creation of a still pond in space. If you toss a pebble in a still pond, you can really see the ripples it makes. This still pond becomes a starting place, something we (and the audience) can agree upon. I want each participant in the Institute to recognize what a theatrical still pond is, where it lives, in both themselves and in the space.

Secondly, I want them to grapple with the art of juxtaposition. How meaning can be created when different fragments happen next to each other. This is a tough notion for them to understand. They’re so used to absorbing and blending every gesture together into a narrative--before they’ve even explored what the gestures do. For me, this method of juxtaposition is like a multitrack audio recorder--choreography, sound, light, voice, text--they’re all running on separate tracks that converge and diverge during the course of the performance. Rehearsing with juxtaposition in mind--demands constant mentoring. It’s great to be able to offer such close guidance to the fellows here at the institute.

EYA: What's the most fun thing--for you--about this program?

PS: I’ve been working on these ideas for years (juxtaposition and the “still pond” concept) mostly in Europe with CIE111 of France. It’s rare that I get a chance to work with young American artists who are steeped in theater, but who want to do something different with their training.

It might sound corny, but opening new vistas, awakening possibilities--is really thrilling for me. I’m a hybrid artist drawing from theater, dance, visual art, technology and sometimes circus. All the artists at MLA are searching for their next steps--can we do this? Can we do that? What’s under that rock? I really enjoy that process of doing what I don’t know and being in an environment that supports that idea.

For more information about Mass Live Arts, click here.

Paul Jeffrey, 81

Paul Jeffrey, Saxophonist Who Worked With Thelonious Monk, Dies at 81
by Peter Keepnews, The New York Times, April 8, 2015

Vivian Phillips: new leadership for Seattle's arts commission

Vivian Phillips
Chair, Seattle Arts Commission
(Photo by Jerry and Lois Photography)

Last month, the Seattle Arts Commission announced that Vivian Phillips--director of marketing and communications for the Seattle Theatre Group--would become the 16-member commission's new Chair (click here). Ms. Phillips has an extensive background in arts management, marketing and advocacy. She agreed to respond to a few questions about what's stirring with artists, communities and arts policies in Seattle.

*****

EYA: You have a background in media as well as marketing for arts organizations. What motivated you to become involved on a larger scale in arts advocacy and arts policy for your city?

VP: The majority of my work in media has been focused on elevating the arts. I’ve given 100% to arts advocacy, management, and support since the 1980’s. This is my second time serving on the Seattle Arts Commission, and it just happens that this time I’ve become chair. I have training as a political strategist and served a former Mayor as Director of Communications.

Policy is important to me, but assuring that a policy is implemented is often the challenge and even more important. As Chair of the Arts Commission, my experience and passion work together, and with my fellow commissioners, I advise on policy and its equitable implementation. 

The Seattle Arts Commission supports the Office of Arts and Culture as an advisory and advocacy body, so my primary responsibility is to lead the work of the Commission in ways that uphold that responsibility. This year, all of our work will be done with an eye on holding an equity lens up to all of our decisions, be it funding or community engagement. We are working closely with the Seattle Office for Civil Rights and developing a set of tools and philosophies that will help assure that we are being accountable to creating an arts environment that is more racially equitable in all areas.

In January, the entire Commission participated in two half-days of race and equity training so that we could all have a common starting place from which to move for our work together. A number of new initiatives and programs will launch in 2015, some of which could have incredible impacts on communities of color.  My job is to lead the body in a way that leads to successful outcomes.

EYA: What arts-related issues are top of mind today for Seattle's citizens?

VP: Equity! It’s not enough to be diverse. Along those lines, there is a big gentrification issue and we are in the process now of establishing the Central Area, as a Cultural Arts District. The Central Area is experiencing an enormous amount of development and gentrification and so with our capacity for applying an equity lens to all the work and investments we can make, this is a great opportunity to make a big difference. We don’t know yet how we will make it all come together, but we do know that we are willing to take a risk and do it in a way that increases not just the appearance but the true outcomes in an equitable fashion.   

Under the banner of equity, our work plan also touches on increased outreach and engagement with arts and artists from communities of color. Social justice is obviously a big part of achieving equity as well. The Office just held a #SeaArtsFem Twitter conversation yesterday, and the conversation garnered lots of participation. There are a lot of women making moves in the arts in Seattle right now. Women are expressing their leadership in the arts today in beautiful and effective ways. I think this is noticeable and also top of mind.

EYA: Do you see ways in which Seattle can model sound arts policy for other cities across the nation? What arts initiatives, resources or upcoming events are you particularly excited about this year?

VP: Seattle is already modeling. The Creative Advantage, an initiative to restore arts education to Seattle Public School classrooms, is a program out of our Office of Arts and Culture, and the Seattle Arts Commission. This initiative is unique and leading the path toward equitable arts access.

The Office just launched a Spacefinder Tool that literally documents and provides access to information on all of the cultural arts spaces in the city. And Artists Up is a program designed to support access to funding to targeted groups of artists. These are all programs are examples of sound arts policies that are of interest to arts policy-makers around the nation.  

I’m particularly excited about and focused on the successful transition of Langston Hughes Performing Arts Institute into a private non-profit organization, and the designation of the Cultural Arts District for the Central Area. These are cultural assets that need to be fully supported in a thoughtful and strategic way and I’m thrilled to be in a position where I can take a more active role in shaping these two things.  

In addition to the two things listed above, Seattle will be experiencing it’s first District-based City Council elections in the coming year. Several current Council members are leaving and the field is getting quite full of potential candidates. The Commission will hold candidate forums this year so we are clear about who supports the arts and how they intend to deliver.  

It’s a very interesting moment in time, and I feel like this is where my experiences, skills, energy, contacts and history can all culminate for the benefit of the arts, artists and community I love so deeply!

*****

Keep up with Seattle's progressive arts initiatives here.

Responding to Austin, dance artist Edwards calls for r/evolution

A Call for R/evolution
by Jennifer Edwards, Dance/USA From The Green Room, March 10, 2015

in response to:

Is American Modern Dance a Pyramid Scheme?
by Sarah Anne Austin, Dance/USA From The Green Room, March 2, 2015

What's to become of American dance? Sarah Anne Austin's analysis

A New York Observer article about Gibney Dance closes with its founder, Gina Gibney, asking a community forum, “How are we going to build a new audience?” She continued, “It’s not enough to say what artists need in a performance venue — you also have to ask what audiences need.” 

No one had an answer to her question, because no one was educated on it before. Dance in higher education is about your body, about your work, about your thoughts about the field, not figuring out how to get other people to see what you make.

--Sarah Anne Austin

Read more in:

Is American Modern Dance a Pyramid Scheme?
by Sarah Anne Austin, Dance/USA From The Green Room, March 2, 2015

Jack Leggett, 97

Jack Leggett, Pivotal Figure in Creative Writing, Dies at 97
by Bruce Weber, The New York Times, January 30, 2015

Job: Asst. Professor, Modern Dance, Choreography

University of Florida

School of Theatre + Dance Job Opening

Assistant Professor of Modern Dance and Choreography

Position Description: Full-time, nine month, tenure accruing faculty position

Date of Expected Hire: August 16, 2015

Salary: $57,000 plus a full benefits package.
 
www.arts.ufl.edu/theatreanddance

Responsibilities:  Include teaching all levels of Modern Technique, Dance Composition, and Repertory. Expertise is also desirable in one or more of the following areas: Improvisation, Dance Pedagogy, Jazz/Hip-Hop, Kinesiology/Somatics, Dance Media and Technology, and/or Ballet.

Further responsibilities include direction and/or participation in the organization of annual dance concert and showcases; commitment to teaching excellence and creative collaboration; serve on school, college, and/or university committees; effective student guidance; organizational and administrative duties in dance activities; and leadership in recruitment efforts.

Minimum Qualifications: MFA or PhD (or equivalent professional experience) with experience and currency in the field as a performer/choreographer. Two years teaching experience in higher education or professional dance setting beyond graduate school that demonstrates an outstanding record of conduct of inclusion and diversity in the arts and higher education.

Preferred Qualifications: Vita should contain evidence of a strong and growing national and international presence in the field of performance and creative research in dance.

Application Deadline: Applications must be submitted via the University of Florida's online application system at http://jobs.ufl.edu/postings/58996. Online applications must include the following: (1) a detailed letter of application; (2) professional résumé or CV; (3) 10-15 minute sample of creative work(s) on web link/video sharing site; (4) statement of teaching philosophy; (5) teaching sample on web link/video sharing site; (6) three professional references with complete contact information. The Search Committee may request additional materials at a later time.

Review of applications will begin December 1, 2014 and continue until the position is filled. To ensure full consideration, all application documents must be submitted by December 1, 2014.

Additional materials may be sent to:

Ric Rose, Chair, Dance Search Committee, School of Theatre and Dance
University of Florida
P.O. Box 115900
Gainesville, FL  32611-5900
Email: rarose@ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 273-0506

If an accommodation due to a disability is needed to apply for this position, please call +1 (352) 392- 4621 or the Florida Relay System at +1 (800) 955-8771 (TDD).

The University of Florida is an equal opportunity institution dedicated to building a broadly diverse and inclusive faculty and staff; seeking faculty of all races, ethnicities, genders, backgrounds, experiences, perspectives and those who practice conduct of inclusion.

The selection process will be conducted in accord with the provisions of Florida‘s Government in the Sunshine and Public Records Laws. Search committee meetings and interviews will be open to the public, and applications, resumes, and any other documents related to the search will be available for public inspection.

SCHOOL OF THEATRE + DANCE:

The School of Theatre + Dance has an international full-time faculty of 21 people who are recognized artists and researchers in their own right, complemented by adjunct and guest faculty and staff, including full- and part-time professionals. The School offers MFA curricula in acting and in design/technology, which includes scene design, lighting design and costume technology; BFA programs in acting, musical theatre, scene design, lighting design and costume design; and a B.A. in general theatre. The School's B.F.A. degree in Dance Performance includes four interlocking streams of dance study: choreography and performance, intercultural dance studies, dance and medicine, and dance theatre. Approximately 200 students major in the artistically diverse curricula of the School of Theatre + Dance. Through its production program, outreach and innovative programming, the School of Theatre + Dance provides multiple cultural opportunities annually to thousands of members of the University and the greater community. The University of Florida is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges and is an accredited institutional member of the National Association of Schools of Theatre and the National Association of Schools of Dance.  For more information, visit www.arts.ufl.edu/theatreanddance.

The University of Florida:

The University of Florida is a comprehensive learning institution built on a land grant foundation. We are The Gator Nation, a diverse community dedicated to excellence in education and research and shaping a better future for Florida, the nation and the world. Our mission is to enable our students to lead and influence the next generation and beyond for economic, cultural and societal benefit. UF is a graduate research institution with 50,000 students and membership in the prestigious Association of American Universities. Gainesville, which is consistently ranked as one of the nation’s most livable cities, is located midway between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Together, the University and the community comprise the educational, medical and cultural center of North Central Florida, with outstanding resources such as the University of Florida Performing Arts (Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the Baughman Center, University Auditorium), the Harn Museum of Art, the Florida Museum of Natural History and the Hippodrome State Theatre.

COLLEGE OF THE ARTS:

The College of the Arts fosters creative activity, scholarly and artistic excellence and innovation across disciplines. We achieve the university’s mission by training professionals and educating students as artists and scholars, while developing their critical thinking and inspiring a culture of curiosity and imagination. The College offers baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degrees. Approximately 1,100 students are pursuing majors in degrees offered by the College of the Arts under the direction of 100 faculty members in its three accredited schools — the School of Art + Art History, School of Music, School of Theatre + Dance. In addition to its schools, the college comprises the Center for Arts and Public Policy, Center for Arts in Medicine, Center for World Arts, Digital Worlds Institute, University Galleries and the college program of the New World School of the Arts in Miami.

CENTER FOR WORLD ARTS:

Founded in 1996, UF’s Center for World Arts (CWA) advances diversity and internationalism in arts praxis, policy, research and education. Recognizing the power of the artist to voice the unique human condition, the CWA values arts processes as critical resources to shape and interpret our interconnected—but not unified—world. In dialogue and exchange with artists, scholars, diverse cultural communities and interdisciplinary partners across the campus and the globe, the Center tests new paradigms of curriculum, scholarship, media, cultural exchange and entrepreneurship. The CWA has been recognized as the artistic arm of UF’s prestigious US Department of Education, Title VI National Resource Centers and the research arm of the bi-continental Africa Contemporary Arts Consortium. Through its practices, the CWA seeks to enhance the role the arts play for the responsible world citizen and to equip the UF student to imaginatively engage and contribute to an increasingly global community. For more information, visit www.arts.ufl.edu/cwa.

Stephan Koplowitz: new online course on creating site-specific dance and performance

Coursera and California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) present a free online course, Creating Site-Specific Dance and Performance Works, taught by noted choreographer Stephan Koplowitz.

A production course geared to performers, choreographers, and other artists interested in producing site-specific work. Through three assignments, students will have the opportunity to plan and conceptualize a site-specific work.

September 29-November 14

For additional information on this course 

and to register, click here.

de Blasio announces aid and hires for NYC school arts programs

Mayor de Blasio, Comptroller Stringer and Chancellor Fariña Announce New Arts Programs for Thousands of Students
NYC.gov, July 1, 2014

Pace University to launch of performing arts school

Pace University to Start Performing Arts School
by Robin Pogrebin, The New York Times, May 15, 2014

Junot Diaz: Lift all the voices of our nation

MFA VS. POC
by Junot Diaz, The New Yorker, April 30 , 2014

Anthony Drexel Duke, 95

Anthony Drexel Duke, 95, Boys Harbor Founder, Dies
by Margalit Fox, The New York Times, May 2, 2014

Dance artist Allyson Green will head NYU Tisch School of the Arts

N.Y.U. Appoints a Dean for the Tisch School of the Arts
by Robin Pogrebin, The New York Times, April 30, 2014