YDC Choreographer/Composer Project

Young Dancemakers Company, entering its 23rd season in 2018, is a tuition-free summer ensemble of New York City high school teens, who audition for and enroll in the program with the goal of creating their own original choreography and performing it in free public concerts throughout the boroughs of NYC.

Our purpose, in applying to New Music USA, is to fold original music into the season, giving the young choreographers the opportunity to collaborate with composers on the creation of the music and the dance. Through this process the young choreographers will be led away from danced imitation of recorded music, and led toward the creative partnership of the dance and the music, each reinforcing the other.

The upcoming 2018 season marks the initiation of this exciting Choreographer/Composer collaborative Project.

The company is yet to be formed via auditions in March of 2018. We anticipate a company of approximately 16 dancers. We will create a concert of ten original dances by New York City teens, with original music, and present it in free performances at venues throughout New York City, from July 25th to August 4th, 2018. The performance venues will include Kumble Theater, Symphony Space, Ailey Citigroup Theater, Flushing Town Hall, the Fieldston School, Harlem School of the Arts, University Settlement and the 92Y. Each choreographer will be paired with a composer. In the interest of expedience, most if not all of the music will be recorded.

We are applying to New Music USA to enable us to pay each composer a commissioning fee. The working process will include several one-on-one sessions for each pair of collaborators, and rehearsals as needed, in addition to phone and email communication. The project is being curated by YDC Music Director William Catanzaro. The collaborative process will be guided and mentored by Mr. Catanzaro, along with YDC Director Alice Teirstein and Associate Director Jessica Gaynor. The goal is to give our teen choreographer/dancers an understanding and appreciation of the part original music can play in their choreographic work.