Get in "Contact" with your community - 6/25/13

Co-host Bennyroyce Royon getting the crowds attention at our last Contact event

One of the hardest things that I have had to adjust to since beginning my career as a freelance dance artist has been the absence of a regular community in my every day work life. While dancing with Pacific Northwest Ballet, I was constantly surrounded by co-workers and friends. I woke up in the morning and took class, rehearsed, and, much of the time, relaxed outside of work with members of the company. It is not common for freelancers to have much regularity in communication within the vast network of dancers our community holds.

In response to the absence of support, Bennyroyce Royon and myself held our first event for freelance dance artists back in October. Not only was this event a great success in bringing our community together. In reaching out to plan the event, we came to realize that the greater dance community agrees that there is a lack of support network and resources for freelancers. We were overwhelmed by the strong support for this venture.

Christian Serrano & Jacline Henrichs at our last Contact event

With that said, we are very happy to announce that we will be holding our second edition of Contact: A Networking Event for Freelance Dance Artists on June 25th in New York City. We have already received support and donations from Dance Magazine, Sansha, Dance/USA, Lyquid Talent, and a variety of practitioners that specialize in physical and emotional maintenance of dancers' health. It is understood that freelance dancers often have limited means and have to forgo many important aspects of their health and enjoyment just to make ends meet. Beyond creating a platform for dancers to network, our goal is to offer resources to freelance dance artists at little to no cost. In the long-term, we hope to assist dancers in our community who may not otherwise have the financial ability to take care of their bodies, stay in top condition, and enjoy the finer things in life.

If you will be in the New York area on June 25 and are interested in attending, please contact me at contactfreelanceartists@gmail.com with your name and professional experience. We require at least 1 year of professional experience as a freelance dance artist to attend this event. Contact is being held at a lounge, therefore nobody under the age of 21 will be admitted. We hope that all professional freelance dancers will come out and connect with your community!

(Photo credit: Karsten Staiger)