Danspace
Project

Commissioning & Presenting Program

Danspace’s performance series commissions a diverse range of emerging and established artists annually. Artists are primarily New York-based but also include national and international artists on a project-by-project basis. Danspace Project does not have a formal application process and work is reviewed by the curatorial team throughout the year. Artists are welcome to submit materials to the curatorial team and/or invite curators to a performance or rehearsal as an introduction to their work but please note that we cannot guarantee a response to unsolicited proposals and invitations. We encourage artists new to Danspace to apply to the DraftWork program.

 

Platform Series

Since their inception in 2008, Danspace Project’s Platforms have been a signature program. The Platforms are multi-week series of performances and events organized by guest-artist-curators and the Danspace curatorial team. The Platforms were conceived by Danspace Project Executive Director and Chief Curator Judy Hussie-Taylor as “exhibitions that unfold over time” and enact curation as a process of collaborative inquiries delving into artistic, choreographic, and curatorial concerns. Each Platform is accompanied by a print catalogue and, in recent years, an Online Journal issue. Click here for a list of all Platforms to-date.

 

Food For Thought

Food For Thought presents multiple artists over one weekend with a different guest curator each evening. Food For Thought collects canned food donations over the course of the run to support East Village food distribution programs. It offers opportunities for young curators, early career artists, and provides important connections to neighborhood.

 

DraftWork

Curated by Ishmael Houston-Jones, the DraftWork series hosts free informal Saturday afternoon performances that offer choreographers an opportunity to show their work in various stages of development. Performances are followed by discussions and informal receptions, allowing for conversation and exchange between artists and audiences. DraftWork is at the heart of Danspace’s work to engage with early career and under-represented artists at all stages of their careers. Click here for more information on how to apply.

 

Conversations Without Walls

Conversations Without Walls (CWW) was designed to bring together voices of artists, curators, scholars, writers, and more, into long-form roundtable discussions. The content of these conversations are intentionally wide-ranging and artist-driven—they can provide further context and insight into an artist’s research, reflect on a Danspace Project program, unpack methodologies and practices, or reflect on larger systemic and structural issues that impact artists today.

 

Research Fellowships 

Research groups are convened annually or biannually and consist of individual artists who all have been invited by Danspace to be Artist Research Fellows. These cohorts meet regularly and collaboratively with the curatorial team to ruminate shared artistic and values-centered inquiries. Fellows, both in groups and individually, advise and consult with Danspace on new programmatic visions and organizational strategies. The public-facing outcomes of these collective fellowships have included (but are not limited to) public programs and events and contributions to the Danspace Project Online Journal and print publications. Internally, these groups have helped to guide emergent organizational change. 

 

Residencies 

Creative and production residencies are provided to commissioned artists. Research focused residencies are sometimes provided as a responsive container for some select artists work and processes. Additionally, the “Renewal Residency” program was created in 2021 as an urgent response to artists’ needs during an ongoing pandemic. These creative, year-long, research residencies prioritize artists’ processes without the pressure to produce and present a final performance. Renewal Residencies emphasize recuperative time to renew connections to creative process, collaboration, and community.

 

Publications

Danspace Project publishes both print and digital publications annually:

 

The Online Journal (danspaceproject.org/journal) is a free digital multimedia publication. Each issue of the journal explores and reflects on current Danspace programming, Danspace archives, or contemporary issues and interests within the fields of dance, performance, and artistic experimentation. To submit a journal proposal, email Managing Editor, Seta Morton seta@danspaceproject.org

 

Print Publications (danspaceproject.org/catalogues) Danspace Project publishes a new print catalogue with each Platform iteration. Aside from the Platform catalogues, Danpsace has printed other publications in support or collaboration with select commissions and projects.

Classes and Workshops 

Danspace does not hold regular classes or workshops annually but selectively will host some classes and workshops in response to the research and artistic interest of the choreographers with whom we work.

 

Partnerships

Danspace Project is proud to have partnered with many organizations, companies, and artists over the decades to provide robust and dynamic support to dance artists, support the development and presentation of new work and work to engage new and committed audiences. Organizational program partnerships have included Movement Research, Studio Museum of Harlem, The Kitchen, Museum of Modern Art, Department of Performance & Video, Madison Square Park Public Arts Alliance, Stephen Petronio Residency Center, Kaatsbaan Center,  New York State Dance Force, Times Square Arts Alliance, Brooklyn Prospect Park Alliance, Chocolate Factory, Baryshnikov Arts Center, City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center, Philadelphia University of the Arts, Vera List Center at the New School, NYU Tisch School of the Arts (Center for Creative Research), and the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Performa, Portland Institute of Contemporary Arts/TBA Festival, among many others.

 

Community ACCESS

Community ACCESS provides subsidized off-season rental opportunities for Danspace Project community members. This program is currently on hiatus.