A C D F G H I K L M N O P R S T U V W

AK: University of Alaska, Anchorage
for XSIGHT!
Performance Group University of Alaska Anchorage's (UAA) dance faculty member Jill Flanders Crosby teamed with Brian Jeffrey of Chicago-based XSIGHT! Performance Group to create site-specific works that explore Alaska's environment for the UAA Dance Ensemble. Crosby and Jeffrey conceived Look Again: Alaskan Landscapes in Transition as an impetus for a contemporary discussion surrounding art and the Alaskan environment. Lectures, discussions, photo and art exhibits were organized around the project, which served as a model for collaboration among local visual and performing artists and departments and professors at UAA. Look Again was covered extensively by the press, which characterized it as "mesmerizing" and "intriguing." From the success of UAA's NCCI project, new projects are being developed enhancing the scope and visibility of the arts in Anchorage.

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AL: Huntingdon College
for Sue Schroeder
Beginning in October, 2001, Huntingdon College engaged Sue Schroeder to create Wish, a new work that challenged students to collaborate through improvisation. Schroeder was selected for her somatic and improvisational focus, which reflects Huntingdon's aesthetic. Developed during intense, sometimes emotion-filled rehearsals, students explored feelings surrounding the aftermath of September 11th. Outreach efforts included movement workshops for local elementary schools that were covered by two local television stations, lecture-performances for a music study group, and "Meet the Choreographer" sessions following performances.

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AR: Henderson State University
for Marlies Yearby
Henderson State University (HSU) brought in dancer/choreographer Marlies Yearby for a two-week residency in which she created a new work, Rhythmic Intentions. Yearby, a Tony award nominee for her choreography in RENT and director of Yearby's Movin' Spirits Dance Theater, used "movement memories," "dream fragments," and gestures to create the work. Performed in a variety of settings, including the American College Dance Festival, Rhythmic Intentions incorporated music and video students in the multimedia dance performance. Yearby's residency provided a rare opportunity for the rurally-located HSU, whose students are rarely exposed to an artist of her caliber.

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AZ: Arizona State University
for Vicky Shick, Tere O'Connor, Deborah Hay
Arizona State University's (ASU) commissioned new works from Vicky Shick and Tere O'Connor and restaged Exit, a historic work by Deborah Hay. The October, 2001 residency, which set Hay's Exit on a group of 30 students, was a collaborative effort with DART, the ASU student repertory company and Herrera Elementary School students, primarily from the Nuestro Barrio neighborhood-one of the highest poverty areas in South Phoenix. Chosen for its community integration component, Exit allowed for exciting aesthetic and interpersonal exchanges between individuals whose lives may not otherwise intersect. Tere O'Connor's two-week residency in November incorporated all 20 dancers that auditioned for his new piece, Taciturn Town. Performers were inspired and challenged by working with a high-caliber artist and a large group with various levels of experience.

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CA: California State University at Hayward
for Margaret Jenkins
San Francisco-based choreographer Margaret Jenkins created Delay, a new work inspired by Duchamp's life and art. The Jenkins residency coincided with the University Art Museum's festival celebrating artist Marcel Duchamp. In addition to its concert in February, the University dance touring company performed the piece for several local colleges and dance events in the Bay area.

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CO: University of Colorado
for Gabe Masson
Choreographer Gabe Masson's residency at the University of Colorado produced a moving collaborative work based on the events of September 11 entitled Above the Clouds. The residency was augmented by two lecture-demonstrations, featuring solos and duets from Masson's repertory, daily master classes, open rehearsals, a reception, and question-and-answer sessions following the four performances of Above the Clouds. Students were so taken with Masson that they funded a return visit from Student Dance Alliance funds.

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CT: Trinity College
for David Dorfman
The David Dorfman residency focused on the creation of a new piece, Remember This. Conceived as an inclusive performance and learning opportunity for Trinity College dancers and athletes as well as students from local elementary and arts magnet schools, the residency placed a strong emphasis on community outreach. Dorfman and company member Joe Poulson, collaborating with members of the Judy Dworin Performance Ensemble, worked with Trinity students in the "Education through Movement" class to develop a movement score to teach to students at Parkville Elementary. Informal auditions were open to Trinity dance students and athletes, a rare but welcome combination, as well as dancers from the Hartford community. Performed in March 2002, Remember This was well attended by members of the Hartford community, many of whom were exposed to dance through outreach efforts.

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DC: Howard University
for Ronald K. Brown
Howard University engaged Ronald K. Brown to create a new work entitled Traveling Guards… Opening the Doors, a piece that reflects his commitment to the duality of scholarly research and choreographic artistry. Auditions were open to the general Howard University student body and the resulting cast of 12 explored cross-cultural aesthetics. Beginning in September, 2001 and extending into the spring of 2002, the Brown residency included master classes with Brown and company members from Cutumba of Santiago De Cuba for Howard students, outreach classes for Washington, DC youth and a symposium addressing the topic "Dance, Language, Aesthetics: A Critical Understanding Towards Translating Tradition in America." Premiering in April 2002, with an additional performance in May on the Millennium Stage of The Kennedy Center, Traveling Guards… performed to sold-out, enthusiastic crowds.

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DE: University of Delaware
for Roy Hart Theatre
To achieve vocal quality that utilizes the whole body, the Roy Hart Theatre worked with graduate acting students at the University of Delaware. Hart Theatre instructors Carol Mendelsohn and Judi Wilson worked with students in groups and individual sessions for three weeks, combining Feldenkrais, yoga, bioenergetics and chi gong with poetry, image work, and voice lessons, and impacted students' physical awareness during their spring repertory season.

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FL: New World School of the Arts
for Merce Cunningham
New World School of the Arts (NWSA) reconstructed Merce Cunningham's 1983 work, Inlets 2. Under the tutelage of former Cunningham dancers Foofwa D'Imobilité and Banu Ogan, NWSA dancers were trained in Cunningham technique through master classes and repertory. The overall experience proved to be challenging and rewarding for the dancers, most of whom were trained primarily in the more emotive or narrative modern styles of José Limón and Martha Graham. The extensive residency began at the University of Florida (UF), one of the partners that comprises NWSA, and included master classes and lecture-demonstrations for students in the Miami Dade Public Magnet Arts Schools. Students performed Inlets 2 nine times, including in Gainesville, FL, as part of an outreach program for high school students and community members, and in Miami for the Florida Dance Association Festival.

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GA: Brenau University
for Sherry Zunker
Sherry Zunker, former artistic director of River North Chicago Dance Company, was in residence for three weeks at Brenau University to set a new work entitled In the Circle, Out of the Box. Zunker developed material through improvisation that would later be used in the new work. She also led a free workshop for area students from northern Georgia and North Carolina about vernacular and concert jazz dance. Zunker's work was also performed at the American College Dance Festival as part of a National Dance Week celebration, the opening ceremony for Brenau's new performing arts center, and in Gainesville, GA for elementary students.

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HI: University of Hawaii at Honolulu
for Ellen Bromberg
The University of Hawaii at Honolulu commissioned teacher/choreographer Ellen Bromberg to set a new piece on students that would augment UH's Mainstage Production's theme of technology and dance. Selected for her expertise in producing dance videos and multimedia work, Bromberg created Here and Then, an innovative piece that combined live performance with video projections. Here and Then was performed in UH's fall concert for over 2,000 adults and school children. The positive response to Bromberg's presence and work has generated interest in adding an arts technology faculty position at UH.

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IA: University of Iowa
for Lar Lubovitch
Lar Lubovitch restaged Marimba at UI, where he studied dance in the 1960's and created his first choreographic work. Marimba was set on 10 students by former Lubovitch dancer Peggy Baker over three weeks, during which students studied the athletic and lyrical quality of the Lubovitch style in rehearsal and master classes. Broadcast live on public access television, UI dance faculty member Rebekah Kowal and Professor Leslie Sprout addressed the minimalist aesthetic in music and dance through Lubovitch's choreography and his use of composer Steve Reich's score. Lubovitch arrived a week before the performance of Marimba in November 2001 at Hancher Auditorium, which captured an audience of over 3,200.

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ID: University of Idaho
for Bill Evans
University of Idaho (UI) engaged Bill Evans to create Landscapes Idaho!, a 35minute site-specific work, to honor Idaho's geography. The extensive residency involved students and faculty from UI's Landscape Architecture, Music, Theatre Arts, Forestry, and Elementary Teacher Education programs. Coinciding with National Landscape Architecture Week and National Dance Week, the debut performance of Landscapes Idaho! took place on UI's campus and subsequently toured over 1,400 miles to six state parks with sites that varied in size and terrain. Volunteers (teachers, arts administrators, and dance students) learned sections of the work through video conferencing with Evans and UI dancers and performed with them upon their arrival to a site. As 70% of the state is unpopulated, a pilot compressed-video program was used to link Evans to three sites in the three corners of the state during which he explained concepts of the work and students demonstrated sections of the piece. A documentary video of Evans' residency, which also included open rehearsals, master classes and a solo performance by Evans, will air on Idaho public television.

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IL: The Dance Center of Columbia College
for David Gordon
In October, 2001, postmodern dance artist David Gordon set a new work, Beethoven, on students at The Dance Center of Columbia College. Beethoven premiered in January, 2002 in the department's semester end concert and represented The Dance Center at the Great Lakes Regional American College Dance Festival. In conjunction with the Dance Center's ongoing partnership with Links Hall, an alternative performance space, Gordon further extended his community outreach through workshops held for local dance and theatre artists.

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IN: Ball State University
for Isadora Duncan, Lori Belilove, Jennifer Sprowl
Ball State University engaged Lori Belilove and Jennifer Sprowl of the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation to reconstruct several works by Isadora Duncan as well as to create a new work. During their four visits to the school, Belilove and Sprowl taught technique and repertory classes, exploring Duncan's signature traveling movements through the reconstruction of Bach Gavottes; her fascination with ancient Greece as reflected in Tanagra Figures, Dionysian Movement Study, Cherubim, and Dance of the Furies, and her Russian Revolution-inspired choreography for Varshavianka. Renewed Ground, a new work created by Sprowl using Duncan's movement vocabulary, commemorates September 11. The six-month project included master classes and performances by Belilove for children and adults at local schools and community centers, performances at the American College Dance Festival, lecture-demonstrations featuring children from Muncie Ballet Studio and filmed by the local PBS station to be aired on the arts program Front Row Center, and a performance of Varshavianka on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage.

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KS: Wichita State University
for David Parsons
Jaime Martinez, associate director of the Parsons Dance Company, set David Parsons' The Envelope on Wichita State University (WSU) dancers. During his two-week residency in September, Martinez also taught daily free master classes that were open to the public. The Envelope was performed in November, 2001 at the Kansas Dance Festival, an annual event hosted by WSU. Patron Annie Garvey, a primary source of funding for WSU dance, loved The Envelope and would like to initiate activities to sponsor more contemporary dance events in Wichita; as faculty stated, "perhaps the best aspect to arise from the effort… [is] the encouraging possibility that an endowment fund may be set up to procure contemporary works annually."

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KY: Western Kentucky University
for Irmah Del Valle & Billy Siegenfeld
Western Kentucky University (WKU) engaged two artists-Irmah Del Valle, to set a new work called Primitive Root, and Billy Siegenfeld, to restage Getting There. The two artists are diverse both stylistically and culturally: Irmah Del Valle, a native of Cuba, taught highly energetic Afro-Cuban dance forms, while Billy Siegenfeld and members of his Jump Rhythm Jazz Project (JRJP) taught the slick subtleties of jazz dance. Jump Rhythm Jazz Project company members Brandi Coleman and Lionel Moore taught daily master classes and set Getting There. Performers and master class participants studied the cadences of rhythm, the continuity of Siegenfeld's sustained and percussive technique and learned to incorporate their own voices into the movements. One student was even given a season contract with JRJP for the winter of 2003.

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LA: Loyola University
for George Balanchine
Loyola University paid homage to the legacy of ballet pioneer George Balanchine and learned a restaged work by Paul Vasterling entitled Moondog Suite. Loyola's grant was matched by a generous grant from BellSouth, which allowed them to heighten the project's visibility. Coinciding with National Dance Week, Loyola's "Tribute to Balanchine" consisted of a master class and coaching sessions with former New York City Ballet dancer Patricia Wilde, performances of Balanchine's Allegro Brillante by the Nashville Ballet, and a public symposium. As a result, two Loyola dancers were invited to participate in Nashville Ballet's summer program, and may become candidates for the professional company in the fall of 2002.

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MA: Five College Dance Department
for Pearl Primus & Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
The Five College Dance Department in Massachusetts (FCDD), comprised of programs at Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke and Smith Colleges and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, commissioned Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, founder of Urban Bush Women (UBW), to create a "riff " on the Pearl Primus work Bushasche. Entitled Walking with Pearl, the piece served as a powerful tribute to the Primus legacy. In conjunction with its February, 2002 premiere, the dance program organized a weeklong celebration of the life and work of Primus, including master classes, lecture-demonstrations, a performance of UBW's Hairstories, a panel discussion, and a photo exhibit featuring Hampshire College faculty member Kane Stewart's documentation of the project alongside many previously unviewed photos of Primus by the late Barbara Morgan. The life of the project was extended through a performance of Walking with Pearl at Jacob's Pillow's Inside/Out Series in June, 2000, an invitation from the American Dance Legacy Institute to reconstruct Bushasche as part of its Etude Project, an upcoming article in Dance Magazine on the project and, finally, Zollar's inspiration to make Primus' work the centerpiece of UBW's upcoming season.

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MD: University of Maryland at College Park
for Doug Varone
The University of Maryland (UMD) restaged two of Doug Varone works, Bench Quartet and Aperture. The dances, enthusiastically received by large audiences, were performed in an informal showing and the Maryland Dance Ensemble Spring Concert, as well as in open rehearsals for an honors seminar. Bench Quartet was performed twice on The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, allowing both casts to participate. Both works will continue to be performed on the Maryland Dance Ensemble through the fall of 2002.

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ME: Bates College
for Tere O'Connor
Bates College engaged Tere O'Connor to create two new works, Screamless and Kristina's Walk. Selected for his sophisticated understanding of craft and solid grounding in the principles of dance composition and theory, O'Connor's classes gave insight into the creative process and role of the dancer in our culture. Because Bates does not offer a dance major, the success of this first residency provided an excellent example of the high-quality postmodern work that is rarely seen on Bates' campus during the academic year and strengthened awareness of how the creation of a major in dance would enhance the liberal arts education offered. O'Connor's return visit, coinciding with Bates' annual summer dance festival, included a three-week repertory workshop, several student compositions, as well as lectures for an Art and Meaning course.

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MI: Western Michigan University
for George Balanchine & Paul Taylor
Western Michigan University (WMU) celebrated the work of two dance icons by restaging George Balanchine's Stars and Stripes and Paul Taylor's 3 Epitaphs and Junction. Sandra Jennings, former dancer with the New York City Ballet and current ballet mistress for the Pennsylvania Ballet, staged two regiments and the pas de deux from Balanchine's Stars and Stripes. Mary Cochran, former Taylor dancer, set Taylor's 3 Epitaphs and Junction. Each artist taught master classes and discussed the historic significance of the works with WMU students, the press, and the community. A lecture-performance focusing on the three works was given for 1,260 local children in grades 312. The three dances were performed in WMU's Winter Concert of Dance in January 2002 to audiences numbering close to 4,000. 3 Epitaphs was selected for the Gala Concert of the American College Dance Festival and was performed in May, 2002 on The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. Both residencies were covered extensively in the local Kalamazoo press.

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MN: University of Minnesota
for Cloud Gate Dance Theatre
The University of Minnesota (U of M) worked with Cloud Gate Dance Theatre to restage Crossing the Black Water. For three weeks the cast of 19 U of M students worked with labanotator Ray Cook and Cloud Gate dancer Yang Meijung to restage this eight-minute piece from Hwaimin's 1979 trilogy Legacy, which illustrates the migration of Chinese people by boat to Taiwan. In conjunction with this residency in March, 2002, U of M sponsored a weekend of performances of traditional and contemporary works by Chinese and Chinese-American choreographers and panel discussions entitled "Dancing Diasporas: Performing Cultural Identities." Free and open to the public, panel discussions drew the University's Department of Asian Languages and Literatures as well as scholars from MIT and University of California-Riverside, emphasizing the intellectual aspects of dance.

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MO: Washington University
for David Dorfman
Choreographer David Dorfman set Drop Down Fall Up, a new 19minute work that incorporates text and singing, on WU students. The piece was performed for more than 1,200 people during WU's annual dance concert and for an additional 600 high school students. Dorfman and assistant Curt Haworth also held master classes and workshops. The NCCI grant was the first of any significance received by the dance program. The breadth of the residency is extended by videographer Pier Marton's film of rehearsals and classes; the final project is expected to air on local cable and PBS stations.

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MS: University of Southern Mississippi
for Michael Thomas
Michael Thomas was engaged to set a new work on students entitled DEBT. Selected for his previous success with faculty and students at the University of Southern Mississippi, Thomas' DEBT addresses issues of consumerism, capitalism, and accumulation through partnering, using his signature athletic style. DEBT premiered in April, 2002 and was later performed during a lecture-demonstration tour in Jackson, MS for over 400 school children and on The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. The residency included choreography workshops with local arts-centered schools, master classes at USM in composition, ballet, and modern technique, classes for at-risk youth at the Family Network Partnership Education Center, open rehearsals, and a lecture-demonstration on improvisation. Covered extensively in the press, the project was the first extensive guest artist residency in USM's dance program, and proved to be a welcome challenge for students and a great audience builder for modern dance in the community.

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MT: University of Montana
for Wendy Rogers
The University of Montana commissioned Wendy Rogers to create a new work, "Bounds and Strays." Developed from material generated by students and Rogers' own Wildlife choreographic project, "Bounds and Strays" challenged dancers with its athletic technical demands. The piece was presented in an informal studio concert, followed by a four-night run in their Spring Dance Concert in the Montana Theater. During her residency, Rogers encountered disparate sectors of the Montana dance community, including modern and ballet, dancer and non-dancer. She presented guest lectures on composition, dance history and arts in culture, giving non-dancers a sense of how dance has affected 20th century art. She also conducted a repertory workshop for the Rocky Mountain Ballet Theatre in Missoula, offering community ballet students some first experiences in improvisation and modern dance.

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NE: University of Nebraska at Lincoln
for Charles Weidman
University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) celebrated the life and work of Charles Weidman, a modern dance pioneer, by restaging Lynchtown, Brahms' Waltzes, Bargain Counter, and Study in Contrast. Born in Nebraska, Weidman attended UNL and 2001 was the 100th anniversary of his birthday. UNL honored that history by inviting Carol Mezzacappa, president of the Charles Weidman Dance Foundation Inc., to set these four pieces. In October, UNL dancers performed these works and later garnered an invitation to perform in New York at the Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse and in Washington, DC on the Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. Augmented by a $5,000 award from the Woods Charitable Fund, the NCCI grant is the first and largest funding in dance received by the university and the state. Positive results include increased enrollment in UNL's dance technique and history courses and Lincoln's Mayor, Don Wesley, proclaiming October 19, 2001 Charles Weidman day.

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NC: Duke University
for Antony Tudor
The Duke University Dance Program restaged "Venus" and "Neptune," two movements from The Planets, a lost work from Antony Tudor's repertoire. Duke's reconstruction of The Planets makes it the earliest existing Tudor work in performance, giving Duke dancers a rare opportunity to participate in the reconstruction of a work that not been seen in 60 years. Duke brought in Executor and Trustee of the Tudor Trust Sally Brayley Bliss and labanotator Muriel Topaz to reconstruct the piece which was augmented by a three-part symposium, performances and workshops for local schools, open rehearsals, and guest lectures. The Planets was performed nine times for audiences totaling 1,800 people, including the Sylvia and Danny Kaye Playhouse and The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage. The local press covered the reconstruction extensively and Topaz has written an article for Ballet Review on the project. Due in part to the positive reception of the project, the Tudor Trust is working on reconstructing "Mars," the third movement of The Planets, with hopes that the full work will find its way back into the active repertory of professional ballet companies.

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ND: University of North Dakota
for Kim Epifano
The University of North Dakota (UND) brought in Kim Epifano, a San Francisco Bay area-based choreographer to create a dance/vocal chorus for their staging of Arthur Miller's The Crucible. Epifano was selected for her approach to dance through sound and movement and skill in working with dancers of varying ability. The Crucible was performed over six nights, with a matinee for local high schools and post-show discussions, led by faculty from the Honors Program and English Department, addressing issues regarding the altering of this classic.

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NH: Keene State College
for Sara Pearson/Patrik Widrig Company
Keene State College (KSC) engaged the Sara Pearson/Patrik Widrig Company to restage their work HereAfter, a multimedia community-based work that explores universal themes of death and loss. Having been guest artists at KSC two years earlier, Pearson/Widrig were familiar with students' ability and the social climate of the school and were selected for their prior knowledge and ability to create a positive working environment. Pearson/Widrig company members taught master classes and workshops for students, faculty, and staff as well as for Acting Out, a local theatre dance program for at risk youth.

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NJ: Montclair State University
for Seán Curran
Montclair State University (MSU) hosted Seán Curran for a three-week residency to restage Metal Garden. Selected for the accessibility of his work, Curran was assisted by Donna Scro-Gentile, an MSU graduate and member of his company. Students were challenged technically by this physical yet fun piece. Composition students benefited from observing the evolution of the rehearsal process, using Metal Garden as a reference for class work. MSU dancers performed the work several times over a period of six months for audiences numbering well over 2,500, including performances for 300 local high school students and on The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage.

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NM: Eastern New Mexico University
for Martha Wittman
Eastern New Mexico University (ENMU) selected dancer/choreographer Martha Wittman, of the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, to create Imprints on a Landscape, a work that would bridge the gap between the university and the local community by weaving personal stories from those in the community into a dance. The High Plains Arts Council assisted Wittman in gathering oral histories from senior citizens that, along with dancers' reflections, were incorporated into the sound score. Performances of the piece drew a larger, more diverse audience because of the incorporation of the local perspective. A documentary film about the project will air on Portales' PBS station in the fall of 2002. Lerman and ENMU faculty were so pleased with the project that they are planning to continue a working relationship which may include an internship for ENMU dancers with the Dance Exchange.

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NV: University of Las Vegas
for American Repertory Dance Company
The University of Las Vegas (UNLV) hosted guest artists Bonnie Oda Homsey and Nancy Colahan of the American Repertory Dance Company (ARDC) to restage four solos by oft-forgotten choreographer Michio Ito and a contemporary work by Colahan, Betwixt. ARDC is a Los Angeles-based modern dance company committed to sustaining the legacy of modern dance by restoring classic works of pioneers and developing new works by promising choreographers. The dances were performed in UNLV's Spring Dances concert for dance students, arts supporters, and students from local at-risk programs.

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NY: Sarah Lawrence College
for John Jasperse
John Jasperse, a 1985 graduate of Sarah Lawrence, returned to his alma mater to create a new work on 10 dancers entitled Clear Field. Jasperse's status as a New York-based artist permitted a lengthy residency extending from the fall semester into spring. The residency included four panel discussions about Jasperse's work and the artistic process that were open to dance students, members of the college community, and the greater Westchester communities. Premiering in March, 2002 and later performed on The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, Clear Field marked the first time the SLC dance program has included repertory by a professional artist in their concert, which ultimately raised the bar on quality and inspiration for student work.

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OH: University of Akron
for Jill Eathorne Bahr
Jill Eathorne Bahr, resident choreographer of the Charleston Ballet, set a new work on students at the University of Akron. As an alumnus of the school, Bahr was a model of inspiration for the pre-professional dancers who were challenged by the technical demands of her work. Bahr participated in the Mary Meyers lecture series, a tour of local schools, and a distance learning event for high schools students. Support from the local press and the various activities culminated in increased funding for the dance program.

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OK: University of Central Oklahoma
for Loretta Livingston
Los Angeles-based choreographer Loretta Livingston was in residence for 17 days at the University of Oklahoma to create Persistence of the Heart (in the red, red earth), an ambitious new work on faculty and students. Inspired by the state, its inhabitants, and a love of nature and landscapes, Livingston spent a year researching Oklahoma prior to setting the multimedia work on the dancers. Keeping with the spirit of Oklahoman-inspired art, Livingston collaborated with two local artists, composer/musician Steve McLinn and Native American visual artist Anita Fields. Persistence of the Heart and its affiliations with Fields and McLinn acquired larger audiences for UCO. The piece was performed for local elementary schools, at the South Central American College Dance Festival, Northeastern State University, and for over 800 people at the National Bureau for Indian Affairs Special Arts Festival.

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OR: Lane Community College
for Nita Little Nelson
Lane Community College commissioned Nita Little Nelson to create a new work, Playing God, a 45minute dance opera created during a five-month residency that addresses questions about culture and human, natural, and technological evolution. Students benefited greatly from the prolonged contact with Nelson and firsthand view of the labor and commitment involved in seeing a long-term project to fruition. An elaborate work on a grand scale, Playing God premiered in February of 2002 and received standing ovations.

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PA: The University of the Arts
for José Limón
University for the Arts reconstructed José Limón's A Choreographic Offering, a 20minute work that had not been performed in Philadelphia in recent history. The debut performance by University of the Arts students was heavily attended and well received by audiences including Philadelphia politicians, dignitaries and community members who took advantage of 1,100 free passes. The 10 performances of the piece included traveling to New York to perform at Hunter College, to Washington, DC to perform on The Kennedy Center's Millennium Stage, and taping an episode of the CBS national television show, Panorama. The roots of Limón's work and development of his technique were detailed through on-campus workshops, film screenings, and a teacher training session. Ann Vachon, who was selected by the Limon Foundation to set the piece, and faculty member Susan Glazer explored the possibilities of using A Choreographic Offering as a teaching tool for an English writing course.

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RI: Rhode Island College
for Jack Cole & Danny Buraczeski
Collaborating with the dance programs from Brown University, Providence College, and Roger Williams University, Rhode Island College (RIC) commissioned Danny Buraczeski to reconstruct Happy Endings Every Time from the 1951 movie musical On the Riviera by jazz master Jack Cole as well as create an original jazz Etude. RIC celebrated the often under-recognized contributions of jazz dance pioneer Jack Cole by bringing in Danny, a contemporary jazz dance choreographer and direct descendant of Cole's work, along with members of his JAZZDANCE company. Buraczeski also created a partnering Etude set to jazz, blues, and swing music, under the auspices of the American Dance Legacy Institute, which will use the piece in outreach activities to educate teachers and students on the importance of jazz studies in education. All four schools are licensed to perform Cole's work for 18 months and Buraczeski's Etude became a permanent addition in each school's repertoire. Happy Endings Every Time and the Etude were performed for more than 500 school children who previously had limited exposure to jazz or live dance of any kind.

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SC: Columbia College
for Celeste Miller
Celeste Miller, artist-in-residence with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, created Homecoming 29203 for The Power Company, the Department of Dance Education's resident company, and the Eau Claire High School's Dance Ensemble. Named for Eau Claire's zip code, Homecoming 29203 is the first major project resulting from the recently formed partnership between these two schools, whereby art-centered curriculum at the high school is augmented by courses at the college. Miller structured the piece around oral histories she culled from community members, four of whom performed in the piece. Audience members were invited to participate in a gestural dance based on the concept of "home" and to add their wishes and home rituals to a storyboard in the lobby.

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SD: Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science
for Paul Taylor
The Washington Pavilion of Arts and Science facilitated a residency with the Paul Taylor Dance Company for the University of Sioux Falls Theatre Department and the Augustana College Theatre Department to restage Paul Taylor's 1956 work 3 Epitaphs, which was set to American folk music performed by the Laneville-Johnson Union Brass Band. Former Taylor dancer Sandra Stone set the work on students from the two schools. The performance of 3 Epitaphs, double cast to allow equal opportunity for both campuses, coincided with the South Dakota Dance Network's annual conference in Sioux Falls, which included performances by the Paul Taylor Dance Company and Taylor 2.

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TN: University of Memphis
for Gesel Mason
University of Memphis dance faculty engaged choreographer Gesel Mason to create Voices of Revolution, Songs of Redemption, which drew from students' experiences. A former dancer with Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Mason is known for creating timely work that addresses issues of race, gender, and identity, and was selected for her expertise in community-based choreography. During her residency, Mason conducted lecture-demonstrations, master classes, and workshops with college students, school children, and community members. Mason and her company performed in the dance program's concert and held a panel discussion involving artists and scholars from the U of M community following the last performance. Mason's residency, just over a month after the events of September 11, was poignant as her work dealt directly with identity and developing ways to communicate with one another, highlighting the educational and healing power of the arts.

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TX: University of Houston
for Nicholas Leichter
The University of Houston (U of H) commissioned Nicolas Leichter to create Bliss, a new work. Bliss represents the hallmarks of Leichter's style, a fusion of hip-hop, modern, and African dance forms. In rehearsals, dancers were challenged to maintain stylistic integrity in a form that was new to them. The process was documented for U of H's new distance learning course, Choreography in Action, which combines lectures about 20th century choreography, interviews with local and national artists, and demonstrations of compositional tools, bringing an unusual visibility to dance and choreography. The inclusion of Leichter's work in the distance learning program, which will be broadcast on public television in Houston, broadens the impact of this NCCI residency to the larger television viewing public.

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UT: Southern Utah University
for José Limón
Southern Utah University (SUU) commissioned Risa Steinberg to reconstruct eight sections from José Limón's There is a Time. Steinberg is one of a select group of Limón experts who teach and stage his repertoire. Select rehearsals were open to the community, a special matinee performance was given for local high school students, and Steinberg presented a free solo concert, "A Celebration of Dance," featuring choreography spanning 100 years of modern dance, as part of the university's weekly lecture series.

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VA: James Madison University
for Mark Taylor
James Madison University (JMU) commissioned Mark Taylor, artistic director of the Pittsburgh-based company Dance Alloy, to create a new work inspired by the growing immigrant population in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Taylor has a long history with JMU and was selected for his love of collaboration. In This Valley incorporates the oral histories of Virginia residents from Pakistan, Iraq, Senegal, Mexico, Vietnam, Russia, and the Ukraine as well as Shenandoah natives. Following each performance, the choreographer and composer led discussions about the piece. Taylor also taught master classes and collaborated with Kate Trammell, director of the JMU student company, to create a lecture-demonstration based on the project, which toured Virginia and Washington, DC. The NCCI grant made strides toward JMU's goal of attaining a permanent guest artist in residence position.

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VT: Bennington College
for Ann Carlson
Known for embracing the individualist tradition in art, Bennington commissioned Ann Carlson to create a new work based on political themes. To o Beautiful A Day is based on some of the cultural and political issues that emerged from her earlier work, Flag, and addresses ideas related to the artist as citizen/activist. Too Beautiful A Day was performed at Bennington College, on the streets of Williamstown, Massachusetts, in New York City, and as part of Carlson's performance series at the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theater at Symphony Space. For many students, it was not only their first performance in New York, but their first visit as well. The opportunity to perform with an artist of this caliber in a professional venue was an invaluable experience. Bennington College benefited greatly from the NCCI grant as very little funding is available for guest artist performances and residencies.

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WA: Cornish College of the Arts
for Seán Curran
Seán Curran was in residence for two weeks at Cornish College for the Arts to create a new work entitled Matters of Fact; Matters of Opinion. While at Cornish, Curran conducted master classes for students, young dancers in Cornish's Preparatory Program, and professional dancers at Velocity Dance Studio. A symposium on Curran's career and creative process entitled "Dancemaking: Exploring Choreography with Seán Curran" was co-sponsored by On the Boards. As a result, several regional organizations have expressed interest in presenting the Sean Curran Company in the Northwest.

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WI: University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point
for KoThi Dance Company
The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point commissioned Ferne Caulker and Roxanne Kess, both of KoThi Dance Company, to create a piece entitled Heaven and Earthbound. Founded in 1969 by Caulker, the Wisconsin-based company is the third oldest African dance company in the United States, and is committed to preserving and performing dance and music rooted in African, African-American, and Caribbean cultures. In residence for 10 days, Kess created this new work, which fuses modern and Afro-Caribbean dance. Caulker conducted a three day workshop on African and Afro-Caribbean dance forms in preparation for outreach activities with eight local elementary schools and the Wisconsin Rapids Public Library. The residency also engaged students from other disciplines including Cathy Tantillo, who created the costumes, and student videographer Laurie Clark, who is editing video footage into two documentaries about Kess' work and the outreach activities.

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WV: West Virginia Wesleyan College
for Mark Taylor
At West Virginia Wesleyan College (WVWC), Mark Taylor created a new work entitled Swan Lake, Act II, a humorous parody of the ballet classic incorporating song and dialogue. The Taylor residency helped inaugurate the West Virginia Contemporary Dance Festival. Swan Lake, Act II lives on in WVWC repertory with performances given for local high schools and plans to perform it in the fall of 2003. Project Director and WVWC dance faculty member Bess Park Reynolds reported record numbers of attendance for the dance concerts, as community members were invited take part in a dinner/concert package and attend a 'meet and greet' reception with choreographers and performers. The West Virginia Contemporary Dance Consortium was founded as a direct result of Taylor's residency and the festival's success. The Consortium is dedicated to producing events that broaden the scope of dance performance and education in West Virginia.

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WY: University of Wyoming
for Bill Evans
The University of Wyoming (U of W) Department of Theatre and Dance engaged Bill Evans for a two-week residency in the fall of 2001, during which he restaged two of his works, Yes, Indeed, a tap piece, and Velorio-A Vigil for the Dead. He also taught technique classes to dance students, was a featured speaker at the U of W- sponsored roundtable discussion on collegiate dance and choreography in the Mountain West, and gave a presentation about his life in dance. Velorio, which represented U of W at the American College Dance Festival, resonated deeply with students in the aftermath of a series of losses within the student body and the events of September 11th. The University of Wyoming's project was significant for the dance program, marking the first time the dance program commissioned the restaging of a work and established a strong precedent for guest artists in the future.

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