Accent Dance NYC is seeking experienced Dance Teaching Artists for placement in the current school semester and next year in dance and movement residencies and after-school programs in the NYC Public Schools.

About the position and Accent Dance NYC:

Teaching artists will lead in-school or after-school dance residencies/programs in public, private, and charter schools in NYC as well as possible schools in lower Westchester. Programs include paid time for curriculum development.

Since 2018, Accent Dance NYC has worked with thousands of students in public, private, and charter schools in New York City and lower Westchester, with a focus on providing arts education to students who do not have regular access to it. We also are a professional performance company which features a multicultural team of artists performing works of ballet, tango, salsa, hip hop, tap, jazz, ballroom dance, martial arts-based dance, and beyond. Our educational programs occur both during the school day (between 8am-3pm) and after school (3pm-6pm).

Qualified candidates should have:

1 to 3 days per week available between 8am-3pm (in-school programs) and/or 2:30pm-6pm (after-school programs) for placement in the upcoming school semester, with experience in a variety of dance forms: Hip hop, African dance, Latin dances (e.g. tango, salsa, etc.), creative movement/choreography, ballet, modern, and jazz. Candidates also should have experience teaching in NYC public schools (or similar settings) with elementary, middle, and/or high school populations.

Application Instructions

To apply, submit:

• Detailed CV including TEACHING RESUME
• One or more teaching videos
• Brief sample LESSON PLAN setting forth a successful dance lesson in any one of the above-referenced styles of dance (45-60 minute lesson) and indicate what age/grade it is targeted for.
• Brief cover letter statement in the body of the email highlighting the following:
• Interest in Accent Dance NYC’s mission and approach to teaching dance in public school settings;
• Brief summary of dance teaching expertise, such as “I have 4 years’ experience teaching ballet, jazz, tap in schools and studios and would be comfortable also teaching modern.”
• Noting your current and upcoming availability based on the schedule above, such as “I am available Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays between 8am-6pm.”

To Artistic Director, Andrea Ziegelman, at andrea@accent.dance with subject line DANCE TEACHING ARTIST. Initial interviews and next steps will be conducted via video call and/or in-person.

Accent Dance NYC is seeking a professional, experienced Black American choreographer to create a new dance work for our company. Choreographers should feel comfortable creating a 10-15 minute work in a 4-8 week time period. Works should be suitable for both youth and adult audiences and we are particularly interested in works with themes of social justice, identity, equity, inclusion, Black American history, and the Black American experience. We invite a wide array of genres; contemporary, ballet, hip hop, tap, jazz, multidisciplinary, and other forms are all welcome.

How to Apply

Please send the following to andrea@accent.dance by April 21, 2023:

• Resume
• Short bio
• 2-3 video samples of your past work
• Letter for recommendation
• Brief (approximately 1 page) proposal of the work you would like to create. We understand that your ideas might not be fully developed, but please provide any information that can give us an idea of the work’s scope.

Helpful things to include in your proposal:

• Ideas for music/accompaniment
• Approximate number of dancers
• Possible production needs
• Style of dance
• Influences or sources of inspiration
• Possible themes (we are particularly interested in works with themes of social justice, identity, equity, inclusion, Black American history, and the Black American experience)

Eligibility

To be considered, choreographers should:

• Identify as Black American
• Be based in the NYC-metro area (rehearsals will take place in NYC)
• Not be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program
• Have at least 2-5 years of professional choreographic experience

About the Opportunity

The selected choreographer will be asked to create a new work for the Accent Dance NYC Company. The choreographer will have the opportunity to select some or all of the Accent Dance artists with whom they would like to work through an audition or masterclass/workshop. Accent Dance will also consider including dancers that the choreographer has worked with previously. If needed, Accent Dance will support the choreographer by holding open auditions to find new dancers for the project.

The creative process will likely begin in spring/summer 2023. The exact schedule and frequency of rehearsals will be determined based on choreographer and dancer availability.

The commissioned work will be featured in our arts education programming as well as community events, galas, and concert performances.

Accent Dance NYC will provide:

• Compensation: $3,000 to $5,000 depending on length and complexity of work/experience of choreographer, etc.
• Rehearsal space
• Dancer fees
• Audition space and support (if needed)
• Scheduling support
• A premiere of the work at our 2024 Gala
• Marketing to promote the work’s premiere and any subsequent performances of the work

About the Accent Dance NYC Company

The Accent Dance NYC Company is a multidisciplinary concert dance company committed to exploring the artistic, cultural, and humanistic connections among people of all backgrounds. Accent Dance NYC commissions and performs new work by emerging and established choreographers that celebrate the rich diversity of the company and its audiences. The company is composed of artists from Colombia, Haiti, Japan, Europe, Venezuela, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Argentina, and the greater US who have mastered a dynamic array of dance styles, including ballet, hip hop, tango, salsa, tap, African dance, modern, and flamenco, among others. Past commissions include works by Pedro Ruiz, David Fernandez, Dardo Galletto, Lucia Jackson, Elisa Toro Franky, Steven Vilsaint and Zay P., among others.

Accent Dance NYC is seeking professional modern/contemporary, ballet, hip hop and African dance performers for potential school and festival performances throughout the year.

Accent Dance NYC was founded to celebrate multiculturalism through dance and prioritizes hiring artists who reflect the communities we serve. BIPOC and immigrant artists are especially encouraged to apply, though all are welcome. Artists who have experience or an interest in working with youth audiences are also encouraged to apply.

Dancers must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the time of the audition to be considered. Please bring proof of vaccination to the audition.

Audition Process/What to Prepare

If you are interested in auditioning, please send the following details to andrea@accent.dance:

• Resume or detailed bio of your performance experience
• Headshot or picture of yourself
• Video of you dancing (reels, performance footage, studio footage, or improvisation footage are all acceptable). We will view up to 3 minutes of footage. If your video is longer than 3 minutes, please provide cue times for the section you would like us to watch.

All dancers must show proof of vaccination when they check in for the audition.

If you are attending a hip hop audition, you will be asked to present a short solo movement phrase (approximately 1 minute or less). This can be an improvisation or a prepared solo. You may be asked to do this multiple times during the audition. If you have specific music for this, please have it pulled up on your phone. All hip hop and street styles are welcome.

If you are attending a ballet audition, you may be asked to perform a short classical ballet variation of your choosing (2-3 minutes). You may be asked to do this more than once during the audition. On occasion, auditions also involve a ballet class led by one of our resident choreographers.

If you are attending a contemporary/modern audition, you may be asked to perform a short work and/or you will be led through a warm up as well as choreographed dance sequences by one of our resident choreographers.

About the Opportunity

Compensation: $20/hr for rehearsals, $150-$250 for performances.

Selected dancers may perform in a gala performance, a festival, a school performance, or other venues throughout the year.

About Accent Dance NYC

Since 2018, Accent Dance NYC has worked with thousands of students in public, private, and charter schools in New York City and lower Westchester, with a focus on providing arts education to students who do not have regular access to it. In addition to our educational work, we are also a professional performance company which features a multicultural team of artists performing works of ballet, tango, salsa, hip hop, tap, jazz, ballroom dance, martial arts-based dance, and more.

To learn more about our work, please visit: https://accent.dance/

To see past performances by our company, please visit our Youtube page:

If you have any questions, please email andrea@accent.dance