The Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund of The New York Community Trust has awarded a $50,000 two-year grant to Dancewave. The fund provides support for talented, economically disadvantaged young people who are seriously dedicated to a career in the arts. The grant will provide full fellowships for five of Dancewave’s Kids Company and Kids Company II members over the next two years.
Teens city-wide interested in applying for a fellowship beginning September 2008, should contact Dancewave immediately at 718-522-4696 about audition dates and times.
Kids Company and Kids Company II are professionally oriented performance training programs for teens 13-18 years of age who learn and perform a repertoire of dances by internationally renowned modern dance choreographers including Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp, Trisha Brown, Mark Morris, Garth Fagan, David Dorfman, Doug Varone, Bill T. Jones, Donald Byrd, and Meredith Monk.
The program is designed to provide students with both a solid foundation in dance technique, and versatility in adapting to different choreographic styles. Dancewave’s program provides exposure to a broad range of dance artists representing the diverse styles of today’s modern dance companies.
During the fellowship period, recipients will have the opportunity to study, rehearse, and perform in Dancewave’s pre-professional training programs, Kids Company and Kids Company II. Company members participate in two weekly rehearsals and a minimum of two weekly technique classes, in addition to an average of ten (10) performances for the course of the season, which runs from September to June.
In the course of one year, company members have the unique opportunity to perform in both large, prestigious venues and at local community festivals and schools. These opportunities help young dancers develop a mature, professional, and versatile performance attitude, which assists them in navigating professional careers in the adult world.
Diane Jacobowitz, artistic and executive director states, “We are thrilled with this award which offers us the incredible opportunity to establish a fully funded multi-year fellowship program, and continue our successful track record nurturing disadvantaged youth through their early teens on to acceptance at top universities throughout the country. Our commitment to provide our dancers with world-class artists, teachers, and mentors makes the cost of running our programs extremely high. Now is the time to support Dancewave, and we are very grateful to The Edward and Sally Van Lier Fund of The New York Community Trust for their support and confidence in this important program.”
For more about any Dancewave program, call 718-522-4696 or visit www.dancewave.org.
