Congratulations!
ARCOS is thrilled to announce the recipients of our 2nd annual Dance Artist Development Award. We offer this microgrant in the community of Austin not only as financial support, but also to provide vital practice to independent artists to represent their work to others. We hope the process of writing and preparing artist statements, development plan descriptions, and samples for review has already served to expand each applicant’s creative practice.
Of the many impressive applications we received, the panel decided these applicants demonstrated strongly established personal practices, professional accomplishments, and the inspiration to rigorously pursue opportunities for the kind of boundary-pushing creative development the award supports. We are grateful to the panelists for their hard work evaluating the proposals and look forward to what this year’s DADA grantees will accomplish!
Michael J Love performing his solo work “SELF” in Sling Dance Project presents “Boundless” (July 2016 at The Off Center). Photo: Roger Ho.
Michael will receive the $500 award to pursue training and mentorship in the process of developing his first evening-length work, a significant step for an independent artist. Michael will explore voguing and ballroom culture with San Antonio-based multidisciplinary collective House of Kenzo, as research to develop several short pieces into what will be his full-length debut, about the intersections of race, gender, and orientation. He will also engage a mentor to receive guidance throughout the artmaking and producing processes.
Stephanie Patrick, “Windy day on Treasure Island,” San Francisco. Photo: Karin Velasco.
Stephanie will receive a full scholarship to a 2017 ARCOS Workshop. Stephanie recently returned to Austin after a period of teaching and performing as a dancer in San Francisco. Her proposal articulated a newly discovered interest in creating site-specific dance film and laid out a detailed plan to expand her technical knowledge with the help of creative mentors. As with all the applicants, we are excited to see how Stephanie continues to investigate this exciting new territory—and to see her take advantage of the rigorous interdisciplinary offerings in one of our upcoming workshops!
