Where did the summer go? It's been a relatively quiet and cool one this year, and that can only mean one thing. That we've all been be resting and waiting for August to hit and for the performance season to start again. Dancers who have been gone all summer training and performing across the United States, whether it was at the American Dance Festival in North Carolina, the Bates Dance Festival in Maine, or the Dance in the Desert Festival in Las Vegas, it's time to get on Dallas stages again.
In August, dance companies hold general auditions for new seasons, performances begin again, and classes resume. I've broken down the month's offerings into 3 main categories: performances, auditions, and intensives. There is a lot to choose from. See something we've missed? Add it in the comments.
Now get dancing.
Performances:
August 7: Big Rig Dance Collective Residency with Rebecca Bryant After they spend five days in residency with California-based artist and dance professor at California State University Long Beach, Rebecca Bryant, Big Rig Dance Collective will present the results at a free showing at Tarrant County College Northwest. Bryant will be setting her new work Suite Female: Part X on Big Rig co-directors Crysta Caulkins-Clouse, Whitney Geldon, Amanda Jackson, and Lily Sloan, who have performed other pieces in this series across Texas and Oklahoma. Suite Female investigates the cultural construction of female identity within American culture. Part X will continue to explore the subject of female representation by using video projection in combination with dance and text. Wielding a video camera to capture, frame, and manipulate their own images, the four female performers will explore ideas of viewing, labeling, and power by controlling the visual representation of themselves. See at 5 p.m. August 7 at Tarrant County College Northwest, WHPE Dance Studio. Free.
August 10: 8&1 Dance Company's "Summer Celebration" 8&1 Dance Company's summer production and fundraiser, "Summer Celebration," will be held at Quixotic World on Main Street in Deep Ellum on August 10 at 7:00 p.m. Join them for an upbeat and entertaining showcase of the company's new works, as well as a few of the company's favorite pieces. Company member Avery D. Wilson will present a new piece, 8&1's apprentices and intensive students will also perform pieces they have learned in their summer workshop, and guest artists Bandan Koro will also be performing. The evening is super casual and a laid back celebration of dance: so, no fancy dress required. Doors open at 7:00 p.m., show begins at 7:15 p.m. on August 10 at The Quixotic World, 2824 Main St., Dallas. $15.
August 10: Music Within Under the artistic direction of Savitha Sastry, the Arathi School of Dance and the Indian Cultural Heritage Foundation will present their show, Music Within, which gives a unique look at Indian dance and choreography. Show starts at 3 p.m. August 10 at the Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St., Dallas. $15-$50.
August 14-17: Yaa Halla, Y'All: A Gathering of the Stars in Texas As part of its mission to broaden the general public's awareness of the cultural aspects of Middle Eastern dance and music, The Isis Foundation will be presenting its 14th annual Yaa Halla, Y'All event. Hundreds of local, national, and international professional, amateur, and student belly dancers and Middle Eastern musicians will be participating, so if you've never seen professionally trained belly dancers before, don't miss this show! The Middle Eastern community is a large and healthy part of the city of Dallas and its neighborhood, so this performance is an important event marking their significance here. August 14-17 at the Grapevine Convention Center, 1209 S. Main Street, Grapevine. Shows are at 6 p.m.Thursday-Saturday and 5:45 p.m. Sunday.
August 15: DFW DanceWorks by Simple Sparrow Simple Sparrow Dance Company is back after a quiet 2013 to present new work by emerging choreographers Gabrielle Aufiero, Katie Webb, Heather Gall, and Crysta Caulkins-Clouse (also of Big Rig Dance Collective) and local favorite Katelyn Harris, as well as the work of Collective Dance Force. They received critical accolades for 2012's Sounds of a Sleepless Night. We haven't heard much of them since, but they seem to be coming back with force this season. See it at 7:30 p.m., August 15 and 3:30 p.m. August 16 at the MCL Grand Theater, Lewisville. $15 for adults, $12 for students/seniors.
August 17: Stars of American Ballet Daniel Ulbricht presents Stars of American Ballet featuring principals and soloists of New York City Ballet, Boston Ballet, and San Francisco Ballet. The show stops in at 3 p.m. August 17 at the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Dr., Richardson. $25-$80.
August 29-31: Dallas DanceFest The Dance Council of North Texas presents the inaugural season of Dallas DanceFest (DDF) - an exhilarating festival showcasing vibrant performances by regional dance companies and recognizing distinguished area leaders for their outstanding contributions in the field. In celebration of the first DDF season, the weekend culminates with the annual DCNT Honors. The Sunday, August 31 awards event includes presentation of honorary awards to illustrious dance leaders; performances by festival companies and selected DCNT 2014 scholarship recipients; a reception and silent auction. Performances are at 8 p.m.August 29-30 and 2 p.m. August 31 at Dallas City Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St., Dallas. $25-$45; $100 VIP and $15 student rush tickets also available.
See Also: The Dallas Dance Fest Is Back, Bigger than Ever
Click through to see audition/intensives.
Auditions
August 1: Dallas Neo-Classical Ballet Auditions DNCB is looking for both male and female pre-professional/professional dancers to join them for their 2014-2015 season. This season will include performances at the Texas Theatre in October and February, festival performances in the spring and Le Train Bleu at the Dallas Museum of Art on June 13, 2015. Dancers must be at least 17 years of age, with classical ballet training. Pointe shoes optional. Please bring your resume and headshot and/or dance shot. August 1 at 7:00 p.m. at Dance Industry Performing Arts Center, 5949 Dallas Pkwy, Plano.
August 2: Pedestrian Dance Movement Auditions Pedestrian Dance Movement is seeking dancers for its 2014-2015 season. Their style is lyrical/contemporary. It's dance work motivated by emotion and flexibility. Please bring your headshot and resume, and be prepared to stay for call-backs. Must be 18 and up to audition. August 2 at 1:00 p.m. at Dance Industry Performing Arts Center, 5949 Dallas Pkway, Plano.
August 9: Contemporary Ballet Dallas Auditions Contemporary Ballet Dallas is looking for male and female dancers for the 2014-2015 season. There are paid positions available, as well as CBD ensemble and apprenticeships. There will be a short warm up with barre and floor, followed by choreography. Please bring your pointe shoes; however, pointe is not required to be in the company. CBD's repertoire is diverse; they are looking for well-rounded dancers with a strong ballet training, as well as jazz and modern, to create their signature contemporary style. August 9 at 2:00 p.m. at Contemporary Ballet Dallas, 5400 E. Mockingbird Ln, Suite #207, Dallas. Please RSVP to Valerie Tabor at [email protected], and send your resume, headshot & dance photo in advance or bring it with you.
August 10: 8&1 Company Auditions 8&1 Dance Company is seeking professional jazz and modern dancers with a strong classical background. 8&1 is looking for dancers who are dedicated and have a passion for performance for upcoming performances in Dallas and New York in December. 8&1 is also seeking dancers for their fall apprentice program September-January. Dancers must have weekend availability. Arrive early with your head shot and resume. 17+ for professional company. 12+ for apprentice program. August 10 at 4:00 p.m. at Park Cities Dance, 7979 Inwood Road, #201, Dallas.
Intensives
August 8-10: 8&1 Dance Company's Summer Intensive Get ready to work and sweat with 8&1 Dance Company at their summer intensive that is sure to stretch your jazz, Afro-Modern, and hip-hop dance muscles. The announcement says to bring plenty of water, and knowing what is like to work with director Jill Rucci, she's not kidding. You'll work up a sweat, she'll push you to your energetic boundaries, and you'll come out leaping higher than you ever thought possible. They classes are designed to celebrate the freedom of movement and the expression of emotion, and at the end of it all, you have the chance to perform that Sunday evening at the company's "Summer Celebration." August 8-10 at Park Cities Dance, 7979 Inwood Road, #201, Dallas. For students ages 8-13, and 13-adult. Full workshop price is $180.
August 9: Intensive with Lavoy King & Robert Anthony This one day intensive promises classes that will help increase your cardio, strength, and teach you proper fitness training. There will also be classes in hip-hop, jazz funk, house, and locking. So if you're not a modern or ballet dancer, or if you are a dancer looking for something different to try out, this intensive might be for you. August 9 from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. at 145 Manufacturing St. Dallas. $15 for 1 class, $25 for 2 classes, $30 for 3 classes, and $40 for unlimited classes for the day.
August 11-15: Dance Co-op at Green Space Arts Collective (Full Disclosure: I will be teaching a Master Class at this intensive. If you want to find out what inspires me as a choreographer and how DGDG comes up with some of our ideas, come on out--my class is on Friday, August 15 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) Big Rig Dance Collective is holding its 3rd annual summer dance intensive, Dance Co-op, on August 11-15 at Green Space Arts Collective in Denton, TX. The aim of the intensive is to create an environment for dancers to work on their technique, find strength in that technique, and become more curiously creative by offering a variety of classes for pre-professional and professional dancers. This year, they are offering modern, ballet, jazz, yoga, improvisation, and composition classes with a master class taught by Danielle Georgiou. The intensive will conclude with an open jam (think free dance meets contact partnering), which is free and open to the public! August 11-15 at the Green Space Arts Collective, 529 Malone St Ste A, Denton. Drop-in classes are $15, and a daily class rate of $40 (3 two-hour classes) can be paid at the door.
