Biennale College Dance 2018

Biennale College-Dance dedicates a specific section to the art of choreography and offers new choreographers, ages 32 and under, the opportunity to create an original 20-minute work. There will be a selection of up to 3 choreographers, who have presented at least one original creation in public and wish to undertake a professional career.

The 3 selected choreographers will be involved from May 15th to July 1st 2018, and from May 21st to July 1st 2018 will work with 7 professional dancers for a period of six weeks, ending with a public performance of each of the 3 original creations during a single event to be held as part of the 12th International Festival of Contemporary Dance of the Biennale di Venezia.

During the elaboration, development and production of their creations, the 3 selected choreographers will be supported by experts in Marie Chouinard's composition method, in dramaturgy, in stage direction and set design.

The project will take place from May 15th to July 1st 2018, with scheduled activities five days per week.
The Biennale di Venezia reserves the right to modify the work schedule at any time during the project.
The 3 choreographers will be engaged in the development of a low-budget free creation, basing their work on the analysis of Marie Chouinard’s composition method, which will help them understand the mechanisms of the Artist's composition and ideation, and will serve as input for them to develop their own thinking, and not as an aesthetic model.
The 3 choreographers will be given creative freedom, to respect their inspiration.

The programme is structured as follows:
• a first one-week session with Isabelle Poirier, a former dancer and maître de ballet for the Compagnie Chouinard, an expert in Marie Chouinard's methodology and repertory;
• 6 weeks dedicated to choreographic creation during which the 3 choreographers will experiment with their own language, working with 7 professional dancers; in this phase, they will be supported:
• for one week by a dramaturg: Guy Cools
• for one week with a choreographer/director who will serve as an "independent eye" on the work that is being created
• for an entire day in the theatre to explore the technical aspects of staging with Simone Derai, a director and expert in set design.

During the process, the 3 choreographers will participate in two OPEN days in which they will present the work-in-progress of their creations as part of the 16th International Architecture Exhibition.
The last week will be dedicated to the rehearsals for the public presentation of their creations, which will take place as a single event as part of the 12th International Festival of Contemporary Dance of the Biennale di Venezia.
During the final phase, the 3 choreographers will each create a 10-minute event at Campo Sant’Agnese.

Selection and announcement
Deadline for registration for the selection: January 25th, 2018

The selection is open to participants from all over the world.
The selection will be made at the complete discretion of the Director of the Dance Department of the Biennale di Venezia, and will be announced approximately at the end of January / early February 2018.

Attendance is mandatory for participation in the project.
The selected participants may stay in an apartment arranged for them by the Biennale di Venezia.
The participants must pay for their own travel, food and local transportation expenses.
Each selected applicant will be required to pay a registration fee in the amount of € 80.00 (VAT included, non-refundable) to be settled by credit card only following the announcement of their acceptance, and no later than the date that will be specified in due time.

PARTICIPATION PROCEDURE
Documentation
You must first register on the Biennale website www.labiennale.org/en/biennale-college, and submit the following documentation:
1. Curriculum Vitae (max. 1000 characters) and two photographs (half bust and full figure)
2. Letter of motivation for participation in the College – Choreographers’ section, explaining the motivations that led to their decision to become a choreographer
3. Letter of reference
4. A video (minimum 1/ max 3) (with a link for viewing) that documents complete choreographic works by the choreographer

Application deadline: January 25th, 2018.