Working Towards a Global Market
As told to DDP by Assis Carreiro
Limón Dance Company rehearsing Kayla Farrish’s “A Quake that Held Them All”
Photo by MJ Edwards
April 30th: Oconee Performing Arts Society, May 1st: Small Plates Choreography Festival, July 31st: Community Engagement Artists and Creatives Grant, December 31st: New England Presenter Travel Fund, December 31st: Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet Scholarship, December 31st: 24 Seven Dance Convention, December 31st: National Theater Project Presenter Travel Grant, December 31st: Breck Creek Artist-in-Residence Program
×Limón Dance Company rehearsing Kayla Farrish’s “A Quake that Held Them All”
Photo by MJ Edwards
A question that comes up in our discussions with choreographers, time and time again, is simple but loaded with further implications that may determine whether or not an artist is successful across the board: How does one break into the international market? Dance Data Project® is continuing to provide choreographers with tools to expand both their expertise and reach. In an effort to better guide dancemakers to the answers to this question and others, we are delighted to offer our latest resource, a new Choreographer Checklist: Working Toward a Global Market.
The checklist was put together in collaboration with Assis Carriero MBE, a London-based artistic consultant and manager with three decades of industry expertise and knowledge of dance and the wider arts and culture sectors around the globe. Assis has worked with a number of well known artists to secure commissions and offers bespoke mentorship following years of leadership and producing experience. Previously, Assis worked as the Artistic Director & Chief Executive of DanceEast and Artistic Director of Royal Ballet Flanders before joining the New English Ballet Theatre as Head of Strategic Planning and Development.
Read more about Assis on her website, www.assiscarreiro.com.
I spend a lot of my time mentoring choreographers at various stages of their careers. Some are starting out and seek to better understand how to break into the competitive US and overseas markets. Others are transitioning from dancer/choreographer to full-time freelance horeographer. Yet a third group are exploring breaking into the world of ballet from a contemporary/modern background. Many choreographers want to expand opportunities outside their home country base. There is no magic formula for making a full-time career as a choreographer. Times are currently very tough for both companies and choreographers around the globe. Not only is it a saturated market, but most companies are rescheduling work and not taking on new, live commissions. Still, eye-catching new work may pique the attention of an artistic director at any moment, so it’s best to be bold and be prepared.
DDP wishes to offer its sincere gratitude to the following individuals and organizations, who collaborated on this document.