DONALD BYRD WORKSHOP

Non-Profit US Postage PAID Seattle, WA Permit #580

800 Lake Washington Blvd. Seattle, WA 98122-5209

WORKSHOP August 7 – 18 COMPANY AUDITIONS August 19

Donald Byrd is an internationally recognized artistic leader in the world of contemporary dance: both as a maker of dances and as Artistic Director of the renowned Spectrum Dance Theater. The Donald Byrd Workshop provides a unique opportunity for pre- professional dancers to work directly with one of this generations most dynamic and provocative choreographic talents.

The workshop is structured as a professional, rigorous and intensive developmental process. Many of Spectrum Dance Theater’s past and current professional company members have participated in the Donald Byrd Workshop.

Mr. Byrd’s aesthetic stresses a free torso infused with flexibility and strength. The technical element of the workshop is designed to focus on crucial elements of movement, including speed, physical awareness, strength, and flexibility. With this approach, artists attain a heightened level of control of the visual, emotional and physical impact of their movement.

Repertory sessions are structured to allow the dancer, through learning existing works or in the compositional context, to maximize their expressive and technical potential in a demanding and dynamic professional environment.

The Donald Byrd Workshop takes dancers to new heights of technical and artistic achievement. Byrd’s powerful and singular vision fuses a full range of artistic expression: athleticism, artistic acuity, and social consciousness in a process that produces works – and dancers – of rare intensity and visceral engagement.

“I almost never take a dancer into the company unless I’ve seen them in a workshop setting. This way I get to know a dancer’s physical capabilities, but I also get a sense of who they are temperamentally and how they deal with challenge and criticism.” Donald Byrd, Dance Magazine, Nov. 1, 2014 Photo: Gabriel Bienzycki The Donald Byrd Workshop August 7–18, 2017 11am – 4pm ADVANCED: Ages 16+ INTERMEDIATE: Ages 14 – 22

Professional Company Audition: Saturday, August 19: Time 3:00pm Non-refundable audition fee: $20.

The Donald Byrd Workshop provides a unique opportunity for pre-professional dancers to work directly with one of this generation’s most dynamic and provocative choreographic talents.

2 hour, daily technique class followed by 2.5 hours of movement development Week One, and 2.5 hours of Donald Byrd repertoire Week Two.

All students work directly with Donald Byrd.

Cost: $95/day or *$450/week one $850/both weeks no refunds Register on-line or call 206.325.4161 *Must register for the first week if only registering for one week.

Classes take place at Spectrum Dance Theater’s Madrona Studios in Seattle, WA (located on Madrona Beach).

spectrumdance.org