DGF at Sam Houston State University
2023 ACDA South Central Region
We're thrilled to announce the lineup for the Opening Night performance of the 2023 ACDA Conference at SHSU! Congratulations to Olga Rabetskaya, Doron Perk, Chelsea Ainsworth & Jessica Smith, and Carlos Kerr Jr., whose works have been selected. Thank you to all who applied, we are so honored that you shared your work with us. Read more about each choreographer below!
Dual Rivet - Chelsea Ainsworth & Jessica Smith
Directors Jessica Smith and Chelsea Ainsworth have been making and presenting work since 2017. They come from an international background of creating and performing work in places such as England, France, Germany, Japan, Philippines, West Africa, Canada, and the United States. Dual Rivet has performed at venues such as West End Theatre, Kittery Maine, Musikfest Pennsylvania, Peridance Capezio Center, CreateArt, and Arts On Site. The company teaches a myriad of classes, throughout the United States, with an emphasis on contemporary partnering and floorwork. Dual Rivet is currently on faculty at The Juilliard School, Gibney, SUNY Purchase, Adelphi, Peridance and DanceWave. Dual Rivet aims to share what it means to be female leaders in the arts.
Carlos Kerr Jr.
A Belizean-American artist from Brooklyn, New York, Carlos attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music Art & Performing Arts. He then continued his education at the Ailey Fordham BFA in Lincoln Center, receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance and graduating with honors. He has worked internationally, performing with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Rubberband Dance Group, Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, Stadtheater Ulm, and the Tanz Luzerner Theater in Switzerland. He has performed in repertoire and original creations throughout his career with notable choreographers, including Crystal Pite, William Forsythe, Hofesh Shecter, Johan Inger, Bryan Arias, Georg Reischl, Fernando Melo, Itzik Galili, Inbal Pinto & Marcos Morau.
As a choreographer, his work ‘Remotely Equal’ was selected as a finalist in the Concours Choreographique of Mandalain Ballet Biarritz. His creation “Never Odd or Even” was featured as part of an evening of work alongside Patrick Delcroix for the Tanz Luzerner Theater. Carlos was commissioned to create original work as an Emerging Choreographer for Springboard Danse Montreal in Canada in 2022. Along with his choreographic endeavors, Carlos is an international dance teacher, gyrokinesis practitioner, photographer, music composer, and filmmaker. He holds a Master’s Certificate in Advanced Sciences in Dance Science with a focus in Health & Performance from the University of Bern.
Olga Rabetskaya
Olga Rabetskaya (she/her) is U.S. based artist originally from Belarus. She is a choreographer, director and photographer whose work spans film, choreography and photography, multimedia production. Olga’s artistic research and exploration focus on the deep knowledge of the body and how to share our emotional experience, memories, and body intelligence through movement. She was a soloist in the Contemporary dance troupe of the State Youth Theater of Belarus from 2014 to 2019. Her dance works and dance films have been presented at international festivals in the United States, Poland, Belgium, United Kingdom, Portugal, China, Brazil, Bolivia, and Belarus. She has held four personal photo exhibitions in Belarus and USA and has been awarded residencies at the Monira Foundation (2022), The Cell Theater (2022), School of Visual Arts (2021), Gallim Moving Women+ (2021), El Camp (2021), Fellowship at SMUSH Gallery in Jersey City (2021), Kunstraum (2021) and Residence for Young Choreographers in Moscow (2018).
Doron Perk
Doron Perk is a dancer, choreographer, and teacher on a journey to find ultimate freedom in movement and promote authenticity in dance. Doron’s contemporary style is a merge between classical ballet, Israeli folk, and free improvisation. Born in Israel, Doron started folk dancing at 8. He then studied ballet, contemporary, and composition at the high school and conservatory of the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance with the support of the America - Israel Cultural Foundation. He danced in the Croatian National Theater Ballet in Split, Compañía Nacional de Danza in Madrid, and The Batsheva Ensemble in Tel Aviv. In 2016, Doron moved to New York City with an O1 visa and started working as an independent artist, Gaga movement teacher, and dancer/associate director with ZviDance. He was then listed in "Best Performers of 2016" by Dance Magazine. Doron’s solo performance, “Grandfather Visit”, is currently nominated for a Bessie Award and has been presented by LABA NY at the 14th Street Y, Pioneers Go East Collective at Judson Church, and Arts on Site NYC. Doron’s newest film, “Pedestrian”, was chosen to be screened at CreateArt Film Night and Motion State Dance Film Series this coming Fall."
The Details
Residency Dates: March 4 - 7th, 2023
The Dance Gallery Festival is partnering with Sam Houston State University to offer a special opening night performance for the 2023 ACDA South-Central regional conference. SHSU will be hosting the 50th annual ACDA South-Central regional conference from March 6-9, 2023. Three choreographers will be selected to present 18-20 minutes of choreography and teach a master class at the conference and for Sam Houston State University students. A stipend of $3,500 will be offered to recipients. Artists will be asked to be in residence from March 4-7, 2023 with the performance scheduled for the evening of March 6, 2023.
Where: Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX
What:
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Opening Night Performance for the 50th annual ACDA
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Lead a Master class
When: March 4-7, 2023, performance on the evening of March 6th
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Companies need to arrive no later than Saturday morning, March 4th
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Tech rehearsal on March 4th
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Teach a master class on either Saturday afternoon or Sunday
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Performance on ACDA opening night, Monday March 6th ​
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About the American College Dance Association
The American College Dance Association’s primary focus is to support and promote the wealth of talent and creativity that is prominent throughout college and university dance departments. ACDA’s sponsorship of regional conferences and the national dance festival provides the venue for students and faculty to engage in three days of performances, workshops, panels, and master classes taught by instructors from around the region and country. The conferences also provide the unique opportunity for students and faculty to have their dance works adjudicated by a panel of nationally recognized dance professionals in an open and constructive forum. The conferences are the primary means for college and university dance programs to perform outside their own academic setting and to gain exposure to the diversity of college dance throughout the United States. Many conferences culminate with the presentation of pieces selected for their exemplary artistic quality.
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