JULY 28 - AUGUST 3, 2025
SANTA FE, NEW MEXICO

NEW CENTURY DANCE PROJECT

New Mexico’s Festival of Performance & Choreography

PRESENTED BY ZEITGEIST DANCE THEATRE

"Monger"

Performed at: Zeitgeist Dance Theatre at the 2023 New Century Dance Project

Choreographed by: Barak Marshall, captured by Audrey Derrell.

New Mexico's Festival of Performance & Choreography Kicks off on July 28th, 2025

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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. Festival components include a preprofessional performance ensemble, choreography intensive for dancers ages 16-24, a choreography fellowship competition, concert performances, and community outreach events.

New Century Dance Project is

Nurturing Performance Artists & Choreographers Who Are Fearless & Unapologetically Authentic

"The Child in the Violin"
Choreographed by: Helena Merlino
Danced by: Alana Casas, Rosie Jansens, Audrie Gonzales-Ellsworth, Madeleine Joseph, Gredel Holladay

Music/Composer: Adios, by Benjamin Clementine

The Child in the Violin was the 2024 Critics Choice Award recipient in the High School Division

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

Through my time at NCDP, I had the opportunity to connect with various dancers, dance-makers, and artists alike, all of which held the kindest hearts and the most honest artistic approaches, allowing care, vulnerability, and passion for the art of dance in its purest form. Presenting work alongside such an amazing group of creatives and choreographers, I left NCDP feeling heavily inspired, fulfilled, and understood in my artistry. Overall, I gained a larger trust for the uncertainty of creation and appreciating the value an idea has from its beginning, to its wavering process of workshopping, until its final resolution.

Brenan Gonzalez

2023 NCDP Critics Choice Award recipient in the undergraduate category
USC Kaufman Junior pursuing a BFA in Dance

THE 2025 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
Jim Vincent

Dance & Creative Consultant, Educator, Past Artistic Director of Nederlands Dans Theater and Hubbard Street Dance

Zak Ryan Schlegel

Choreographer, Artistic Director, Educator, Dancer with Shen Wei Arts, and Founding Chief Creative Director of Congress

FESTIVAL CHOREOGRAPHIC FELLOWSHIP

NCDP offers an outstanding career advancement opportunity for three upper level collegiate through established professional choreographers to choreograph on an ensemble of advanced preprofessional dancers in Santa Fe, New Mexico during the Festival week of July 25 - August 3.

THE NCDP ENSEMBLE CONCERT DATE:

Featuring the work of the 2025 Choreographic Fellows performed by the preprofessional dancers of the NCDP Ensemble. The performance date and time is TBD but will be held on either August 1 or 2.

FELLOWSHIP BENEFITS

Selected Choreographer Fellows will receive the following to participate:


  • Provided with an ensemble of 10-12 advanced preprofessional dancers
  • Round-trip economy air
  • Ground transportation while in New Mexico
  • Lodging for ten days
  • Stipend of $1000
  • Meal allowance of $250
  • A professional quality video of their work
  • A set of digital still images of their work
  • Critiques of the work from an expert panel of adjudicators
  • An in-person feedback forum with the adjudicators following the performance

CASH AWARD INCENTIVE

Choreographer Fellows’ work will be adjudicated by an experienced panel of concert dance professionals. Adjudicators will select one work as the Grand Prize recipient with an accompanying cash award of $2000.

‘The Child in the Violin’, Choreographed by Helena Merlino, 2024 Critics’ Choice Award Winner High School Division. Performed by Alana Casas, Audrie Gonzales-Ellsworth, Madeleine Joseph, Gredel Holladay. Captured by Audrey Durell.

"The Child in the Violin" – Choreographed by Helena Merlino, 2024 Critics’ Choice Award Winner High School Division. Performed by Alana Casas, Audrie Gonzales-Ellsworth, Madeleine Joseph, Gredel Holladay. Captured by Audrey Durell.

2024 Choreographer Finalists

The following lists represent last year’s Finalists, selected from the largest number of submissions in the festival’s history. These choreographers presented their work as part of the NCDP New Voices Concert in Santa Fe, NM.


Although we are changing the submission process and requirements in 2025 to include our new Choreographic Fellowship program, since the start of NCDP in 2016 the program has invited over 100 high school, undergraduate, and emerging professional choreographer Finalists selected from hundreds of submissions from all across North America!

New Voices Concert

Saturday, August 3, 2024 | 2PM at NDI New Mexico

2024 Emerging Professional Finalists

Seda Aybay (She/Her)
Inglewood, CA
UCLA, Ailey Program
2024 Emerging Professional Division Critics Choice Award Winner!

Grace Gallagher (She/Her)
Fort Collins, CO
Arizona State University, MFA and BFA

Amanda Lewis (She/Her)
Milwaukee, WI
Milwaukee Ballet
2024 Emerging Professional Division Peoples’ Choice Award Winner!

Fernando Ramos Cintrón (He/Him)
Santa Fe, NM
Middle Tennessee State University

2024 Undergraduate Finalists

Hailey Fleming (She/Her)
Boston, MA and Purchase, NY
Boston Conservatory, BFA and SUNY Purchase, BFA

Keira Fleming (They/Them)
Boston, MA and Purchase, NY
Boston Conservatory, BFA and SUNY Purchase, BFA

Maile Johnson (She/Her)
Lehi, UT
Brigham Young University, BFA

Sadie Grace Shelburne (She/Her)
Raleigh, NC
University of Southern California, BFA
2024 Undergraduate Division Critics Choice Award Winner!

Courtney Spero (She/Her)
Brookfield, CT
Vassar College
2024 Undergraduate Division Peoples’ Choice Award Winner!

Aubrie Stoehr (She/Her)
Temecula, CA
Chapman University, BFA

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

HIGH SCHOOL FINALISTS

Amelle Amirouche (She/Her)
Los Angeles, CA/Glendale, CA
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts
2024 High School Division Peoples’ Choice Award Winner!

Carrington Mason (She/Her)
Los Angeles, CA/Glendale, CA
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

2024 High School Division Peoples’ Choice Award Winner!

Natalina Chen (She/Her)
San Marino, CA/Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

Sadie Ferguson (She/Her)
San Marino, CA/Los Angeles, CA
Los Angeles County High School for the Arts

Abigail Pearson (She/Her)
San Diego, CA
Coronado School of the Arts

Helena Merlino (She/Her)
Santa Fe, NM
New Mexico School of the Arts and Aspen Santa Fe Ballet

2024 High School Division Critics Choice Award Winner!

Chloe Smith (She/Her)
Kathleen, GA
Studio Powers


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 & THE NCDP CHOREOGRAPHY AWARDS CEREMONY

Friday, August 2 and Saturday, August 3, 2024 | 7PM at NDI New Mexico

Presenting Choreographers:

Zak Ryan Schegel 

Prado, NM / Los Angeles, CA

Independent Choreographer / Artist, Shei Wei Dance Arts

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

Friday, August 2 and Saturday, August 3 | 7PM at NDI New Mexico 

Presenting Choreographers:

Zak Ryan Schlegel

Prado, NM

Independent Choreographer / Artist, Shen Wei Dance Arts 

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

THE NCDP FESTIVAL ENSEMBLE

The NCDP Festival Ensemble is for preprofessional dancers ages 16-22. The Ensemble is a selective group of advanced dancers who are interested in pursuing careers in dance performance and to dive into exploring the craft of choreography.


Up to thirty-six dancers from across North America will work with one of three Choreographer Fellows. Fellows will create and 8-12 minute work over the course of one week. At the end of the week, all three works will premiere on the stage for New Mexico audiences.


In addition, all Ensemble dancers will take daily company class,, and jump into choreography and performance workshops before their rehearsals begin each afternoon. Zeitgeist Dance Theatre Trainees, in Santa Fe during the same period of time for their three-week residency and Company Experience, will join the Ensemble each day for the classes and workshops.

Send in your required materials by March 1 to be considered.

Please message us in the chatbox below or contact us if you have any questions about New Century Dance Project.