Pictured: Victoria Morgan, Artistic Director of Cincinnati Ballet
Wendy Whelan, Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet
UPDATE: In light of recent events, Dance Lumière is taking this Residency virtual! We will film panel discussions and share choreography on this site and elsewhere. The conversation featuring Victoria Morgan (Artistic Director of Cincinnati Ballet), Wendy Whelan (Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet), and Kathryn Roszak (Artistic Director of Danse Lumière) will be available on the Djerassi Resident Artists Website starting JULY 30. http://djerassi.org.
Additional participants include Julia Feldman (Sacramento Ballet), Lauren Jonas (Artistic Director of Diablo Ballet), Christina Johnson (formerly of Dance Theatre of Harlem), and Vivian Fung (JUNO award winning composer).
"Where are all the women choreographers?"
...asks Dance Magazine, as well as numerous other news and arts publications, dance companies and schools. Among choreographers in the ballet world, women are a minority group.
Kathryn Roszak's Danse Lumière has addressed this, by developing the Women Ballet Choreographers Residency. The inaugural Residency was held at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program on May 15, 2016. The second Residency took place on May 7, 2017. During these successful events women choreographers screened their works and presented ballets in open rehearsal. The third Residency, included composers, and took place on Sunday, June 3, 2018, again at the Djerassi Resident Artists Program. The fourth Residency took place on Saturday June 15, 2019.
Kathryn Roszak says, "This residency program highlights choreographic and musical works by women. We plan to help women artists to further develop their choreography or musical work while giving them greater opportunity and visibility."
At the 2018 Residency, San Francisco Ballet Master Betsy Erickson accepted an honor on behalf of San Francisco Ballet Artistic Director Helgi Tomasson who presented ballets by women this year. Erickson read: "On behalf of Helgi Tomasson I just want to thank you all for this wonderful honor. Helgi wishes he could be here today but he is on a well deserved vacation following our big Unbound Festival this Spring. Congratulations to Kathryn Roszak for establishing this important residency celebrating and supporting female Choreographers, now in its 3rd year. It’s a privilege to receive this distinction. Thank you."