Gabrielle Lamb named 2013 National Choreography Competition winner
Gabrielle Lamb, photo by Ken Kramer
More than 100 students and faculty of the Department of Dance and the Southwest Michigan community attended the Community View and Vote at WMU’s Little Theatre at the end of March, an open voting event where the finalists’ choreography was shown via video. Voters were also provided with the finalists’ biographies and choreographic proposals and selected Gabrielle Lamb as the winner of the 2013 National Choreography Competition. She will come to campus in the fall 2013 semester. During this time, Ms. Lamb will create a dance for WMU dance majors, teach master classes and present a rehearsal of the work-in-progress open to the public. The dance will premiere in the 2014 Winter Gala Dance Concert. Click here for the complete press release. For more information on Ms. Lamb’s work, please visit www.gabriellelamb.com.
History
In 2011, WMU’s Department of Dance developed the National Choreography Competition to identify and recognize emerging choreographers and bring their work to campus. Students then had the opportunity to work with the winning artist to create a new dance. In the first year of the competition, seventy-three choreographers from twenty-four states entered the competition. A dance faculty committee narrowed the field to three finalists. Innovation in movement, dance structure and subject matter were the criteria the faculty committee used to select the three finalists. They also selected finalists who would bring something new to Western Michigan University and audiences from southwest Michigan. Then students, faculty and members of the community were invited to view samples of work by the three finalists and vote for their choice. The winner in the inaugural year was Lauren Edson whose biography may be found on her bio page.
Ms. Edson came to campus in Fall 2011 to create a new work and presented her original dance titled “Foreground” at WMU’s annual Winter Gala Dance Concert 2012. “Foreground” was then taken to the regional American College Dance Festival in March 2012 where it was selected for the gala concert and was one of two dances selected to be sent to the national American College Dance Festival where the dance was performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. In Michigan, her current projects include choreography for Grand Valley State and Eisenhower Dance Ensemble. View excerpts from “Foreground” on YouTube.
2013 Competition
The Department of Dance at Western Michigan University is pleased to announce a call for entries for the second biennial National Choreography Competition 2013. The winner of the competition will be invited to campus during Fall 2013. During that time, the winner will create a dance for WMU dance majors, teach master classes, and present a rehearsal of the work-in-progress open to the public. The dance will premiere in the 2014 Winter Gala Dance Concert. The winning choreographer will receive a $5,000 prize plus travel, lodging and food expenses.
Application Information
ELIGIBILITY:
Applicants must be 21 years of age or older and U.S. citizens.
PROVIDE:
- DVD or YouTube link of one complete work
- DVD or YouTube link of a minimum of two minutes of one additional work
- One-page description of the work you would like to create
- Biography
- Contact information (email address, USPS mailing address, phone numbers)
The deadline for the second biennial National Choreography Competition submissions is February 15, 2013 at 5pm. Applicants will be notified of the decision by May 1, 2013. Applications should be sent to:
NATIONAL CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION 2013
Department of Dance
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave.
Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5417
Materials will not be returned.
REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS:
Entries will be reviewed by Western Michigan University Department of Dance faculty who will select no more than three finalists. The Kalamazoo and Western Michigan University communities will have an opportunity to vote for the winner. For additional questions, email Whitney Moncrief at whitney.moncrief@wmich.edu.
A complete media release is available in PDF format.
A flyer for posting the competition information is available in PDF format.
