JULY 31 - AUGUST 6, 2023
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO
NEW CENTURY DANCE PROJECT
NEW MEXICO'S FESTIVAL OF Performance & Choreography
“Breathless” performed by Zeitgeist Dance Theatre Second Company at the 2022 New Century Dance Project, choreographed by Francisco Gella, captured by Audrey Derrell
New Mexico's Festival of Performance & Choreography Kicks off on July 31st 2023
You missed out!
Our mission is to advance excellence in artistic expression, choreographic process, and performance by nurturing high school and collegiate preprofessional dancers as well as early-career dancemakers.
New Century Dance Project is
Nurturing Performance Artists And Choreographers Who Are Fearless And Unapologetically Authentic
Credit: Along with his partner Aika Doone, Zak Ryan Schlegel dances his own award-winning choreography ‘The First Elegy’ at the 2022 New Century Dance Project. Zak was the Grand Prize recipient in the Professional/Emerging division
Music Credits: “Silentio" by Peter-Anthony Togni, Luminous Voices, Jeff Reilly
Supporting Team
FESTIVAL LEADERSHIP
Francisco Gella
Founding Artistic Director
Co-Artistic Director, Zeitgeist Dance Theatre
Francisco Gella’s distinguished career as a professional dancer, choreographer, artistic director and dance educator in the genres of ballet, modern and contemporary dance, spans more than twenty years since he took his first ballet class at the University of Washington during his freshman year. As an educator, Francisco believes that the key to excellence in dance arts moving forward is inspiring dance makers and performing artists to see what is possible through honoring historical foundations of technique and artistry, appreciating the diversity of style and genre in contemporary dance, realizing the body-mind-spirit connection in creating powerful movement, and experiencing transformative opportunities to be mentored by professional dancers who model what it takes to be successful in finding their own voice and to acquire the essential tools for success.
Festival Managing Director: Jeffrey Hoffman
Festival Operations Coordinator: Tara Debevec
Resident Dance Company: Zeitgeist Dance Theatre
New Century Dance Project taught me the importance of sharing my integrity as a mover and emerging choreographer. Working on my craft and holding on to my ideas is much more valuable than presenting works based on what is trending or cool.
Bianca Calderon
2019 NCDP Award Winning Student Choreographer
Point Park University, Class of 2023
THE 2023 FESTIVAL
DISTINGUISHED MASTER ARTISTS
Each year, the New Century Dance Project Artistic Director selects venerable, award-winning artists to share their extensive knowledge, experience and wisdom with festival intensive participants. You can find out more about them and our resident artists by visiting our teaching faculty page.
Jim Vincent
Dance & Creative Consultant,
Director, and Educator
Courtney Henry
Interdisciplinary Creator, Writer, and Educator
Zak Ryan Schlegel
Choreographer, Artistic Director, and Educator
FESTIVAL CHOREOGRAPHY COMPETITION & SHOWCASE
NCDP offers outstanding opportunities for Emerging Professional, Undergraduate, and High School Choreographers to showcase their work on a professional stage at the festival.
ABOUT THE COMPETITION AND SHOWCASE
Two culminating events of the festival weekend bring together a diverse group of emerging professional, and student choreographers from across North America who have been selected from a talented pool who submitted their work for consideration. These artists selected as NCDP finalists represent some of the best of our collective dance future. The work of these choreographers is presented on stage and adjudicated. Winning work awarded cash prizes. As the primary objective of New Century Dance Project is to nurture artistic talent, all choreographer finalists receive critique from an expert panel of experienced dance makers, a performance video, and still images.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE:
MARCH 1, 2023
FESTIVAL CONCERT DATES:
TBD (sometime between August 3 and 6)
FESTIVAL CONCERT AWARDS:
- $2,000 to 1st Place Awardee in the Emerging Professional Category
- $1,500 to 1st Place Awardee in the Undergraduate College Student Category
- $1,000 to 1st Place Awardee in the High School Student Category
All choreographers whose work is selected to be presented at the festival will receive a video of their performance.
BENEFITS TO SELECTED FINALISTS:
All choreographer finalists whose work is selected to be presented at the festival will receive:
- A video of their performance
- Still images of their performance
- Critiques from an expert panel of adjudicators
'A Collection of Agreements' choreographed by Tulia Marshall, 2022 Grand Prize Finalist in the Undergraduate Student Category, performed by her cast from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Dance, captured by Audrey Derrell
2022 Choreographer Finalists
The following lists represents this past year’s choreographer finalists and festival concerts. The 2023 choreographers will be selected by April 15 and will be listed here at that time.
New Voices Concert
Presented on Thursday, August 4, 2022
The Undergraduate Finalists
Meredith Brown
Asheville, NC
Fordham University and
The Ailey School
Grace Coleman
Centennial, CO
New York University
Marissa Furfaro
Pittsburgh, PA
Purchase College State University of New York -
Conservatory of Dance
Ekko Greenbaum
West Palm Beach, FL
The Boston Conservatory
Tulia Marshall
New Paltz, NY
Purchase College State University of New York -
Conservatory of Dance
Anastasia Miller
The Woodlands, TX
University of Arizona
The Woodlands, TX
University of Arizona
Alicia Pak
San Jose, CA
California Institute of the Arts
Binyamin Salzano
Fort Collins, CO
Colorado State University
The High School Finalists
Zoe Baber
Agoura Hills, CA
Elite Dance and Performing Arts Center
Sophie Biderman
Santa Fe, NM
New Mexico School for the Arts and NDI New Mexico
Lorena Daily
Winter Park, FL
Skyra Studios
Bijou Douglas
Torrance, CA
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts
*Grand Prize Recipient
Avery Gay
Scottsdale, AZ
Club Dance
Addison Rey Hill
Valencia, CA
Los Angeles High School for the Arts and Shooting Stars Dance Studio
Lucia Rosen
Santa Fe, NM
New Mexico School for the Arts and NDI New Mexico
Avery Trammell
Aurora, CO
Mpact Dance Project
Joey Vice
Westerville, OH
Generations Performing Arts Center
Shana Winer
Miami, FL
Miami Dance Collective
New Voices Concert
Thursday, August 4th
The Presenting Undergraduate Choreographers
Meredith Brown
Asheville, NC
Fordham University and
The Ailey School
Grace Coleman
Centennial, CO
New York University
Marissa Furfaro
Pittsburgh, PA
Purchase College State University of New York -
Conservatory of Dance
Ekko Greenbaum
West Palm Beach, FL
The Boston Conservatory
Tulia Marshall
New Paltz, NY
Purchase College State University of New York -
Conservatory of Dance
Anastasia Miller
The Woodlands, TX
University of Arizona
The Woodlands, TX
University of Arizona
Alicia Pak
San Jose, CA
California Institute of the Arts
Binyamin Salzano
Fort Collins, CO
Colorado State University
The Presenting High School Choreographers
Zoe Baber
Agoura Hills, CA
Elite Dance and Performing Arts Center
Sophie Biderman
Santa Fe, NM
New Mexico School for the Arts and
National Dance Institute New Mexico
Lorena Daily
Winter Park, FL
Skyra Studios
Bijou Douglas
Torrance, CA
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts
Avery Gay
Scottsdale, AZ
Club Dance
Addison Rey Hill
Valencia, CA
Los Angeles High School for the Arts and Shooting Stars Dance Studio
Lucia Rosen
Santa Fe, NM
New Mexico School for the Arts and
National Dance Institute New Mexico
Avery Trammell
Aurora, CO
Mpact Dance Project
Joey Vice
Westerville, OH
Generations Performing Arts Center
Shana Winer
Miami, FL
Miami Dance Collective
The Amplified Concert
Presented on Friday, August 5, 2022
The Emerging / Professional Finalists
Arturo Garcia
El Paso, TX
NGL by J2k Dance Studio
Claude “CJ” Johnson
Brooklyn, NY
AIM by Kyle Abraham
Glen R. Lewis
Portsmouth, VA
Iswel Dance Theater
Sophia Oddi
Los Angeles, CA
Independent
Zak Ryan Schlegel
El Prado, NM
Shen Wei Dance Arts
*Grand Prize Recipient
The Amplified Concert
Friday, August 5
The Presenting Emerging / Professional Choreographers
Arturo Garcia
El Paso, TX
NGL by J2k Dance Studio
Claude “CJ” Johnson
Brooklyn, NY
AIM by Kyle Abraham
Glen R. Lewis
Portsmouth, VA
Iswel Dance Theater
Sophia Oddi
Los Angeles, CA
Independent
Zak Ryan Schlegel
El Prado, NM
Shen Wei Dance Arts
An Evening of World Premieres with Zeitgeist Dance Theatre
Presented on Saturday, August 6, 2022
Presenting Choreographers:
Lauren Edson
Boise, ID
Artistic Director, LED Boise
Francisco Gella
Santa Fe, NM
Co-Artistic Director, Zeitgeist Dance Theatre
Yusha-Marie Sorzano
Los Angeles, CA
Co-Artistic Director, Zeitgeist Dance Theatre
An Evening of World Premieres w/ Zeitgeist Dance Theatre and the NCDP Choreography Awards Ceremony
Saturday, August 6
Presenting Choreographers:
Lauren Edson
Boise, ID
Artistic Director, LED Boise
Francisco Gella
Santa Fe, NM
Co-Artistic Director, Zeitgeist Dance Theatre
Yusha-Marie Sorzano
Los Angeles, CA
Co-Artistic Director, Zeitgeist Dance Theatre
A Reputation for Educational & artistic Excellence
NCDP INTENSIVE REGISTRATION
The Festival Intensive is for preprofessional dancers ages 15-24 and features master classes, workshops, choreography, and concerts for the seven-day event. You can either start by learning about the schedule, workshops, and more or, if you are ready to register for NCDP 2023, you can go ahead and enroll today. Registration for the Intensive means that you will receive access to all of the festival concerts too!
Please message us in the chatbox below or contact us if you have any questions about New Century Dance Project.