Choreography

Think you've got what it takes to be the next Christopher Wheeldon? Ballet Austin hopes so! The Texas company's biennial choreographic competition, New American Talent/Dance, is currently seeking entrants for the 2012 edition.

The contest brings the top three finalists to Austin to create a new 20-minute contemporary work on the Ballet Austin dancers. All three pieces of choreography will premiere in front of a renowned jury and a live voting audience in February 2012. Up to $20,000 is at stake.

Got the choreography bug? The Young Choreographer's Festival in New York City is now accepting applications for their June 2011 performance. For the second year in a row, this program presents work by up-and-coming young artists of all dance genres. Any budding choreographer ages 18 to 25 is invited to submit their work to be performed at Symphony Space alongside prestigious guest artists. The advisory board includes esteemed teachers and choreographers such as Kat Wildish, Sheila Barker, Tabitha and Napoleon D'Umo, and others.

The first time I saw William Forsythe’s choreography I hated it. Passionately.

I’d just started at NYU and our choreography class was required to see Ballett Frankfurt out in Brooklyn. Unfortunately, my parents happened to be in town that weekend. But I brought them along, assuming anything called “ballet” would be safe.

When you dance, do you do the movement, explore it or listen to how your body wants to perform it?

This weekend I took a workshop with Nathan Trice, a former Complexions, MOMIX and Donald Byrd dancer who now runs his own troupe. His movement style is kind of a modern dance-based version of contemporary ballet; it's slinky and line-driven, but much of the choreography is actively turned in. My body loved the it's amazing flow and kookiness. Yet the process by how Trice wanted us to move was incredibly challenging for me.