Dance Gallery Festival / Texas Experience Returns

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DANCE GALLERY FESTIVAL/ Texas Experience
TO RETURN FOR 9TH YEAR
Supporting Up and Coming Artists
With Showcase Opportunities and Residencies
Sam Houston State University Performing Arts Center
October 27-28, 2017

Houston, TX August 23, 2017 – Astrid von Ussar and Andy Noble, Co-Artistic Directors of The Dance Gallery Festival, announced today the lineup for the Festival’s 9th annual TX Festival, on Friday, October 27 and 28 at SHSU Gaertner Performing Arts

Center Dance Theater, 815 17th Street, Huntsville, TX, 8 PM nightly. The Dance Gallery Festival was established in 2007 to mentor upcoming national and international choreographic talent with performance opportunities and residencies. Twelve artists will present groundbreaking work on this year’s program including Bruce Wood Dance, Mike Esperanza, and Josh L. Peugh. *See Complete Program lineup below.

Under the guidance of Astrid von Ussar, Festival Artistic Director and co-founder, artistry is cultivated by creating a performance vehicle to help support the growth of dance companies. By providing increased exposure and new performance opportunities, The Dance Gallery Festival serves to mentor hundreds of artists seeking to establish a foothold in a business with few resources and much competition.

Over 300 emerging and established choreographers have participated in The Dance Gallery Festival since its founding in 2007, with more than 25 works commissioned. Many Festival alumni have gone on to perform at Jacob’s Pillow, the Joyce Theater, international venues and national television. Video.

“This year the Festival is expanding,” said Ms. von Ussar. “Level UP artists are now receiving artist fees in support of the creation of new work. Additional residencies are in process via our new, expanded university partnerships.

“In addition, for the first time this year, dancers participated in a residency program with workshops and performances, in coordination with the Catskills Arts Society in Livingston Manor, New York. It’s so wonderful to see further opportunities arise for Dance Gallery participating artists as the Festival continues to grow,” she said.

In 2009, The Dance Gallery partnered with Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas, offering paid guest artist residencies to select participating companies. The University’s one-week residencies include the opportunity to choreograph new work on Sam Houston’s upper-level students, as well as teach classes in technique and choreography. A juried panel comprised of Sam Houston faculty and area artists select the resident artists. This year’s guest artist is New York based choreographer Mike Esperanza, a Dance Gallery Festival alumni who was recently featured in the “LEVEL Up” Dance Gallery program.

A Night of Contemporary Dance
Twelve artists, selected by the Festival committee from more than 250 applications, will present work pushing the boundaries of modern and contemporary dance. The program will include the AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD, in which audience members get to choose the ONE choreographer they would like to see in The Dance Gallery Festival NY program next year.

FESTIVAL LINE UP

Dark Circles Contemporary Dance/Joshua L. Peugh, TX
BARE Dance Company/Mike Esperanza, NYC
Bruce Wood Dance, TX
The Movement/James Morrow, MA
Rovaco Dance Company/Rohan Bhargava, NYC
Arcos Dance, TX
Victoria DeRenzo, TX
Jenny Gerena, AZ
Ad Deum Dance Company, TX
Nathan Powell, TX
Charlette Settle, NYC
CDJ Dance/Courtney D. Jones, TX

ABOUT THE DANCE GALLERY FESTIVAL
The production of modern concert dance is often challenged by the scarcity of suitable and affordable performance venues. The Dance Gallery Festival addresses this problem by providing a state-of-the-art theater, complete with production staff, marketing, and public relations support to showcase each choreographer’s work. Having been met with much praise and enthusiasm from artists, audiences and critics alike, The Dance Gallery Festival has quickly become an essential and anticipated addition to the dance world. This type of venue helps deepen the public’s appreciation and support for concert dance. Read more at DanceGalleryFestival.com.

DETAILS
The Dance Gallery Festival TX
October 27-28, 2017 @ 8 PM
SHSU Gaertner Performing Arts Center Dance Theater
815 17th Street, Huntsville TX
All Tickets $15 – www.shsu.edu/boxoffice or 936.294.2339
FOR HIGH RESOLUTION IMAGES
Contact: Dionne Noble; dln008@shsu.edu