PNB’s NEXT STEP initiative is designed to foster choreographic talent among PNB company dancers. A nine-month process which includes educational seminars, professional development tools, rehearsal time and space, and access to PNB’s production resources, NEXT STEP gives aspiring and rising choreographers space to flex their creative muscle in a supportive and mentoring environment.
Selected applicants create brand new dance works for PNB School’s Professional Division students (PDs); the program culminates in an annual choreographic showcase where PDs take center stage in an all-premiere line up of works created just for them.
NEXT STEP was originally conceived by PNB’s Artistic Director Peter Boal as a strategy to develop emerging choreographic talent, as well as a channel for PNB School PDs (talented young artists one step away from their professional careers) to participate in the creation of a new work.
NEXT STEP is managed by former PNB Soloist and current PNB Faculty member, stager, and choreographer Kiyon Ross. NEXT STEP choreographers have the opportunity to work with choreographic mentors and PNB’s in-house composers, and the annual performance is accompanied by Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra.
NEXT STEP alumni who have gone on to create new works for PNB and other companies include Andrew Bartee, Kyle Davis, Price Suddarth, Ezra Thomson, and Kiyon himself. Read on for more details about how this program works.
Who selects NEXT STEP choreographers and dancers?
Artistic Director Peter Boal and NEXT STEP Program Manager Kiyon Ross make a joint decision based on the application of each individual as to which choreographers will be invited to participate. Kiyon gave us the full scoop on how it works:
“The choreographers are given full artistic license to choose which dancers they would like to work with and world be best suited to the movement style of their new work. Once they have each individually selected their “ideal cast” the choreographers meet with me for a casting session which works in some ways like a draft; we want to ensure a) most of the PDs are used and b) each choreographer has the opportunity to work with at least some of their initial choices.”
What’s the application process like?
“Each year company members are invited and encouraged to participate in the NEXT STEP program through the application process. This process gleans information about the new work that will be created, such as composer, number of dancers, style, or other details.
The applicants are also required to write a 500 word abstract describing what they will create in words. This is one of the first opportunities for the choreographer to engage with the creative process. It’s much like grant writing in that the main goal is to excite and inspire the reader through the use of imagery and other devices (i.e. drawings) to help reveal the idea and direction of the new work by painting as clear a picture as possible.”
“Once the applications are collected, Peter and I each read through every application and score them using a 5 point scale. After we’ve each had some time separately, we come together to compare notes and readjust scores to help us make a final determination. Other criteria that assist us reaching our decision include an applicant’s history with the NEXT STEP program, previous experience, compelling abstracts, willingness to use live music, and innovative ideas.”
This year’s NEXT STEP lineup includes Nancy Casciano, Christoper D’Ariano, Steven Loch, Amanda Morgan, Sarah Pasch, and Calista Ruat premiering works on the McCaw Hall mainstage, while five brand new works from local choreographers will make their premiere outside. The party kicks off at 6 pm on June 14, 2019.
