Dancers on the Move – Transitions to New Careers 

About this series: 
Since becoming a program of The Actors Fund in 2016, Career Transition For Dancers (CTFD) has awarded scholarships for certificate, undergrad and grad programs, to 488 dancers around the country, totaling over $1 million. In 2020, many dance artists used the pandemic time out to take action toward building skills or completing formal degree programs for future career moves.  

About our speakers:  
CTFD scholarship winners will describe their journeys from performance to three career arenas: Health and Wellness, Education, and Arts Leadership and Business. With the premise that once a dancer always a dancer, our speakers will report on their discovery of how their dance skills and experience has informed their current fields of influence. Also, they will share the emotional and logistical challenges of forging new paths and developing new chapters of their creative lives.  

• Careers in Health and Wellness: Weds, June 30 
• Careers in Education: Weds, Sept. 15 
  
• Careers in Arts Leadership and Business: Weds, Nov 17
  
• Time: 10 am – 11:30 am PT; 11 am – 12:30 pm MT; Noon – 1:30 pm CT; 1 pm – 2:30 pm ET 
  

Find out more here

"Because community-centered service is such a powerful catalyst and multiplier, we spent the first quarter of 2021 identifying and evaluating equity-oriented [nonprofit] teams working in areas that have been neglected," Scott wrote in a blog post. 

Find out more here

mayfield brooks
June 18 - 19
CPR
Experience brooks' Whale Fall II, "...an evolving multi-disciplinary project arising from brooks’ practice, Improvising While Black (IWB). A “whale fall” describes the process of a whale’s decomposition after it dies and falls to the ocean floor, where it provides vital nutrients for deep sea creatures. Informed by decomposition, whale songs, echolocation, Herman Melville's Moby Dick, the Biblical story of Jonah and the Whale, and the sonic dissidence of Black grief, the work considers how grief can be processed and transformed," according to the release.  Find out more here

STILL HAPPENING:

AFROFEMONONOMY // WORK THE ROOTS
March 1-June 27
Performance Space New York
Members of AFROFEMONONOMY who have collaborated in different configurations come together for the first time as a group to celebrate each other’s work. This exploratory collaboration happens with Black femme theatermakers Lileana Blain-Cruz, Charlotte Brathwaite, Eisa Davis, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Ayesha Jordan, Joie Lee, April Matthis, Jennifer Harrison Newman, Okwui Okpokwasili, Stacey Karen Robinson, Kaneza Schaal, and others.  Find out more here

Ailey All Access
March 17 – June 24
Join the Ailey All Access web page and get real-time access to many Ailey classics, favorites and more.  Find out more here

Various Artists
May 15 - June 18 & July 1 - August 31
Dancespace Project
The Dream of the Audience, curated by artistic director Judy Hussie-Taylor brings artist to the virtual space to present works built while in-residence at Danspace’s historic venue in St. Mark’s Church, and more. The Dream of the Audience features the premiere of a new film by Ishmael Houston-Jones in collaboration with josé e. abad, Snowflake Calvert, Keith Hennessy, and Kevin O’Connor followed by live conversation with Houston-Jones & Miguel Gutierrez.  Also featured will be films by Okwui Okpokwasili, Eiko Otake with Joan Jonas, and Reggie Wilson. All films will be available for online viewing July 1-Aug 31.  Find out more here

NEW HAPPENINGS****

Various Artists
June 3 – August 1
The Shed
Now open to the public with their Open Call, an Exhibition and Performance Series, featured will be works by early-career New York artists including Leslie Cuyhet, Nia O. Witherspoon, Emily Waters, Nazareth Hassan, Rachika Nayar, AnAkA, DonChristian Jones, Troy Anthony, Merche Blasco, Kyle Marshall, Ana María Agüero Jahannes and more.  Find out more here

Various Artists
June 3-5
Arts On Site
EMERGE125 formerly Elisa Monte Dance will present works by Executive Artistic Director Tiffany Rea-Fisher alongside soloist Garnet Henderson in a shared weekend at Arts On Site's 3r series. The performance series has been created to adhere to current COVID-19 restrictions. Find out more here.

Kyle Marshall
June 7-21
BAC
Kyle Marshall’s STELLAR “…a dance of speculative fiction… inspired by Afrofuturism and the echoes of Jazz” filmed on the stage of BAC features Marshall, Bree Breeden, Ariana Speight with an original score performed live by Kwami Winfield.  Find out more here.

Various Artists
June 10 -27
Various Locations
Celebrating 20 years, River To River Festival returns with dance highlights including works by Okwui Okpokwasili, Miguel Gutierrez, The Illustrious Blacks, Mariana Valencia, nora chipaumire, and Maria Hassabi. Find out more here

Various Artists
June 12 – 26
Rufus King Park
The Jamaica Dance Festival returns with performances by Jamal Jackson Dance Company, Alpa Omega Theatrical Dance Company, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Kizuna Dance and more.  Find out more here

Various Artists
June 12 & 19 + June 24 -26
Various Locations
Dances For A Variable Population, Artistic Director Naomi Goldberg Haas and legendary guest artists offers a five-day hybrid dance festival, Revival 5, with guest choreographers: Shirley Black Brown Coward, George Faison, Goldberg Haas, Ellen Graff, Audrey Hubbard Madison, Myna Majors, Sandra Rivera, and Marnie Thomas Wood.  Find out more here

Company SBB // Stefanie Batten Bland
June 17 - 18
Martha's Vineyard Museum
As part of the nearly month-long residency, Batten Bland culminates with two work-in-process performances of Embarqued: Stories of Soil.  Find out m ore here

Various Artists
June 18
Arts On Site (special venue)
DANCE NOW will present Encore!, co-curated by Robin Staff, at East 3rd Street and will feature works by Alice Sheppard, Amber Sloan, Dual Rivet - Chelsea Ainsworth + Jess Smith, Jamal Jackson, Jasmine Hearn, Maleek Washington, Nicole Vaughan-Diaz, Sarah Chien. Find out more here 

Milka Djordjevich
June 18
New York Live Arts
As a NYLA’ Live Feed creative residency artist and Djordjevich will present CORPS, a procession, an outdoor ambulatory in-process rendering, also part of the commissioning program.  The performance will feature six performers including: Martita Abril, Josie Bettman, Dorothy Dubrule, Ayano Elson and Tara Sheena.  RSVP and find out more here

Kinesis Project dance theatre
June 18 
Brooklyn Navy Yard
For their first in-person performance of Search(Light) with music by Sandbox Percussion Quartet with David Crowell and a live violin solo by Doori Na. Find out more here

Various Artists
June 18 – June 20
Harlem Stage
E-Moves Part I features Carolina Rivera and Ephrat Asherie, who will discuss their respective pieces with dancer and choreographer, Cynthia Oliver. Find out more here

Various Artits
June 19
BAAD!
The outdoor events continue with the Out Like That Dance Compilation featuring works by Arthur Avilés, Cemiyon Barber, Día Bùi, Kasey Caswell, Nikolai McKenzie, Neimo Sworld, Portia Wells and more! Find out more here  

On June 30th, The Chocolate Factory will vacate its current space on 49th Avenue (our home since 2004) and will move into the rough/gorgeous/as-yet-unrenovated building that WE OWN. It's an exciting and scary (but mostly exciting!) time.

To mark the occasion, we're hosting an intimate Goodbye Toast at the 49th Avenue space on June 24th:

We're also offering individual viewing appointments from June 21-23; and will host a weekend of outdoor performances on June 26 + 27. 

Let's say goodbye in style!

I hope you'll consider joining us for one (or all!) of these events, if you can.

Regardless, THANK YOU for your support + much love to you,


Brian Rogers,
Co-Founder / Artistic Director
The Chocolate Factory Theater

DanceAfrica 2021!
I am so proud to be the Producer
Find out more & get tickets HERE

Various Artists
June 10-13
Performance Mix 35
At Movement Research/Community Center performances will be live!  Featured will be works by Leslie Cuyjet, Degenerate Art Ensemble, Rachel Thorne Germond, Camilo Godoy, Jil Guyon, Yvonne Meier, Johnnie Cruise Mercer, Dana Michel and Tracy Maurice, MOLLY&NOLA, Sari Nordman, Christopher “Unpezverde” Núñez, Alethea Pace, Lisa Parra and Daniel Pinheiro, Rosy Simas, Hadley Smith and Johanna S. Meyer, Andrew Tay, Anh Vo, Nami Yamamoto, and we are: Anna, Kimiko, s., Symara, Tara, Taylor, Ogemdi, and marion. Audience members will be asked to follow COVID-19 safety protocols.  Find out more here

STILL HAPPENING:

AFROFEMONONOMY // WORK THE ROOTS
March 1-June 27
Performance Space New York
Members of AFROFEMONONOMY who have collaborated in different configurations come together for the first time as a group to celebrate each other’s work. This exploratory collaboration happens with Black femme theatermakers Lileana Blain-Cruz, Charlotte Brathwaite, Eisa Davis, Jackie Sibblies Drury, Ayesha Jordan, Joie Lee, April Matthis, Jennifer Harrison Newman, Okwui Okpokwasili, Stacey Karen Robinson, Kaneza Schaal, and others.  Find out more here

Ailey All Access
March 17 – June 24
Join the Ailey All Access web page and get real-time access to many Ailey classics, favorites and more.  Find out more here

Various Artists
May 15 - June 18 & July 1 - August 31
Dancespace Project
The Dream of the Audience, curated by artistic director Judy Hussie-Taylor brings artist to the virtual space to present works built while in-residence at Danspace’s historic venue in St. Mark’s Church, and more. The Dream of the Audience features the premiere of a new film by Ishmael Houston-Jones in collaboration with josé e. abad, Snowflake Calvert, Keith Hennessy, and Kevin O’Connor followed by live conversation with Houston-Jones & Miguel Gutierrez.  Also featured will be films by Okwui Okpokwasili, Eiko Otake with Joan Jonas, and Reggie Wilson. All films will be available for online viewing July 1-Aug 31.  Find out more here

NEW HAPPENINGS****

Various Artists
June 3 – August 1
The Shed
Now open to the public with their Open Call, an Exhibition and Performance Series, featured will be works by early-career New York artists including Leslie Cuyhet, Nia O. Witherspoon, Emily Waters, Nazareth Hassan, Rachika Nayar, AnAkA, DonChristian Jones, Troy Anthony, Merche Blasco, Kyle Marshall, Ana María Agüero Jahannes and more.  Find out more here

Raja Feather Kelly
June 4-12
Playwrights Horizon
Kelly and the feath3r theory’s The KILL ONE Race, a performance-based work created and filmed at Playwrights Horizons during the pandemic, part-documentary (capturing the members of the feath3r theory as they recreate a macabre game first envisioned in the 1963 dystopian novel Kill One), part theater, and part reality TV game show itself. Find out more here

Various Artists
June 3-5
Arts On Site
EMERGE125 formerly Elisa Monte Dance will present works by Executive Artistic Director Tiffany Rea-Fisher alongside soloist Garnet Henderson in a shared weekend at Arts On Site's 3r series. The performance series has been created to adhere to current COVID-19 restrictions. Find out more here.

Kyle Marshall
June 7-21
BAC
Kyle Marshall’s STELLAR “…a dance of speculative fiction… inspired by Afrofuturism and the echoes of Jazz” filmed on the stage of BAC features Marshall, Bree Breeden, Ariana Speight with an original score performed live by Kwami Winfield.  Find out more here.

Various Artists
June 10 -27
Various Locations
Celebrating 20 years, River To River Festival returns with dance highlights including works by Okwui Okpokwasili, Miguel Gutierrez, The Illustrious Blacks, Mariana Valencia, nora chipaumire, and Maria Hassabi. Find out more here

Various Artists
June 12 – 26
Rufus King Park
The Jamaica Dance Festival returns with performances by Jamal Jackson Dance Company, Alpa Omega Theatrical Dance Company, Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company, Kizuna Dance and more.  Find out more here

Various Artists
June 12 & 19 + June 24 -26
Various Locations
Dances For A Variable Population, Artistic Director Naomi Goldberg Haas and legendary guest artists offers a five-day hybrid dance festival, Revival 5, with guest choreographers: Shirley Black Brown Coward, George Faison, Goldberg Haas, Ellen Graff, Audrey Hubbard Madison, Myna Majors, Sandra Rivera, and Marnie Thomas Wood.  Find out more here 

Various Artists
June 15
Closing out the Studio 5 | Dancing Across Continents five-part series of coaching sessions and conversations is the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater with dancers Jacqueline Green, Yannick Lebrun, Renaldo Maurice with Artistic Director Robert Battle, Resident Choreographer Jamar Roberts, and Associate Artistic Director Matthew Rushing.  Find out more here