newportbeachindy . com JULY 19 , 2024 5
National Choreographers Initiative Celebrates 20 Years with Performance at Irvine Barclay Theatre July 27
By Christopher Trela | NB Indy How do you give birth to a ballet , or create a contemporary dance piece ? National Choreographers Initiative has the answer .
Celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2024 , National Choreographers Initiative ( also known as NCI ) is marking two decades of innovation in dance creation .
Every summer , NCI Artistic Director Molly Lynch – a resident of Corona del Mar – invites four choreographers , as well as 16 professional dancers from ballet companies across the country ,
to come to Orange County to participate in NCI . The project culminates in a public performance at the Irvine Barclay Theater that showcases the new dance creations .
Since the program launched in 2004 , National Choreographers Initiative has welcomed 76 choreographers ( with a noteworthy 31 being women ), along with 169 dancers hailing from 54 national dance companies . Impressively , 33 of the pieces born from this program have been premiered and performed by major dance companies .
Over the past 20 years , NCI has
become well known in the dance world .
“ I had 104 choreographers apply this year ,” said Lynch . “ I try to look at bringing a mix of styles so it ’ s interesting for the dancers and the audience . And I always try and have at least one woman choreographer . We have three women choreographers this year .”
National Choreographers Initiative is more than just a dance vacation in southern California for participants . Chorographers and dancers are awarded a fee plus room and board for an experience that Lynch says is akin to summer camp for professionals . Dancers live in dorms on campus at UCI , where Lynch is a Professor in the Dance Department at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts . She teaches ballet , pointe , repertory , senior seminar and arts management . The school ’ s dance studios are available during the summer and are near the dorms , so it ’ s an immersive experience .
There are few if any artistic endeavors like NCI , although Lynch had launched a similar venture called Pacifica Choreographic Project when she was Artistic Director for Ballet Pacifica from 1988 to 2003 .
“ It was modeled after South
Coast Repertory ’ s New Scripts play readings and having a laboratory to create something new but not necessarily finished ,” said Lynch . “ That was the initial idea for the Choreographic project . Some people in the community wanted to see that continue because they liked the idea of seeing something that is not necessarily complete — they can give their thoughts about it and see and different choreographers work .”
Because Ballet Pacifica performed at the Irvine Barclay Theatre , Lynch had a relationship with them and approached The Barclay for their support . They gave her a date in July for NCI performances . And with The Barclay being on the campus of UCI , it was the perfect three-way partnership .
Lynch emphasizes to the participating choreographers that unlike a traditional commission for a specific ballet company , they don ’ t have to complete a new piece .
“ We want them to come in and be free to work on whatever it is they feel like they want to be developing in their choreographic process ,” Lynch explained . “ The piece doesn ’ t have to be completed in three weeks , it
“ Solitude in Variance ” by Ian Schwaner . From the 2023 NCI 20 YRS Page 6
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