MANCC Awarded NEA Grant for AXIS Dance Company Residency

Photo provided by MANCC

The Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography (MANCC) has received a National Endowment for the Arts Art Works grant to support the return of AXIS Dance Company for a new research and development residency project in October 2014. One of the world’s leading contemporary repertory companies featuring dancers with mixed physical abilities, the AXIS residency will pair the company with three choreographers: Nichole Canuso (PA), Beth Gill (NY) and Jill Sigman (NY), each of whom are former MANCC Fellows who will be working with AXIS for the first time. Nichole Canuso will be the first artist-in-residence with AXIS. She came to MANCC with her work “TAKES” as part of the PLAF Partnership in 2009. Jill Sigman, who was a Choreographic Fellow in 2005 for her work, “RUPTURE,”follows Canuso. Beth Gill will be the final artist-in-residence and as a Hatchery Project Artist in 2013 developed “New Work for the Desert.”

AXIS’ residency coincides with the 10th year of MANCC programming and MANCC will host two public events in conjunction with the project. The first will be a discussion and sharing held during the School of Dance Forum, Wednesday, October 15th from 10:30-12pm in the Nancy Smith Fichter Theater in Montgomery Hall. The second will be a Legacy conversation between MANCC Director Carla Peterson and AXIS Artistic Director Judith Smith on the evening of Thursday, October 16th (Time and Location TBD). Both events are free and reservations will be made available on MANCC’s website (mancc.org).

Photo Caption: As part of the informal showing during 2007’s Free to Rep residency, AXIS members Margaret Cromwell, Judith Smith and Sonsheree Giles perform.