Comprehensive Project Incubator:
preparation for entering your first rehearsal
Led by Kelly Ashton Todd and Catherine Correa
DATES & TIMES
Tues, March 12 & March 19
Thurs, March 14 & March 21
11am-3pm
LOCATION
CPR - Center for Performance Research
361 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211
Over the years, we have noticed a lack of cohesion and structure while observing dance pieces. We are seeing works jump from one idea to the next without fully developed points or characters along with a lack of attention for the audience.
Do you…
Have an idea for a piece you want to create?
Been dreaming up concepts but aren’t sure how to articulate your ideas?
Feel like you have too many ideas and want to bring them together into a piece?
Struggling with dancers in a rehearsal room with how to generate material or articulate your ideas so they understand what you want?
Feel disconnected in how to transport your audience to a whole world?
This workshop will give you the tools to fully enter your first rehearsal.
We will help you…
Find the tone for your piece
Solidify your characters (if your work calls for characters)
Develop scenes and story arc
Gather materials for grants such as a project proposal and logline
Structure tasks for guiding material devisement in rehearsals
Narrow down your research
Craft a storyboard and mood board
Whether you are in the very beginning of your process or you have had a few rehearsals, if you are craving for your work to be more intentional, this workshop is for you.
What we need from you:
Short bio to help us get to know you
Any materials from past work - it’s ok if you don’t have any
What stage of your project are you at? (Please note your project can be at any stage)
This workshop will be for a small group as Catherine and Kelly will be giving very specific and individualized feedback to each participant. Both Catherine and Kelly want to ensure a lot of time and attention for each person.
No audition is necessary. We encourage early applications – first come, first served – subject to availability.
TUITION
$400 USD
We accept payment through Zelle and PayPal. Please first fill out the registration form. Once we receive and review the materials, we will send you a confirmation to submit payment. Please contact Kelly and Catherine if needing to work out a payment plan.
Catherine Correa
I am a Colombian interdisciplinary artist, specializing in absurdist films and dance plays. Storytelling, imparted to me by my grandmother, was pivotal in my upbringing. She wove tales of her town's history, instilling in me the art of narrative and its unifying force across generations. My work draws inspiration from these stories, emphasizing the psychic, and psychological facets of female roles intertwined with nature within a mundane context, as well as my intimate explorations with my life experience. Growing up in a war-torn country deepened my ability to understand absurdity and convey opposing themes, like the mundane and limited versus the natural and psychic.
I have participated in international programs with performance development, creative movement, film, and theater production. I have applied her expertise to the advancement of global theaters, performers, and workshops in South America, Europe, and the US in venues such as: London and New York Lift of Festival, ARFF Barcelona, Bideoromo Experimental Film, Festival, Ecosistemes de L’Inesperat (ECOSS), Lincoln Center, La MaMa ETC, Bric, Joyce Theater, Joe’s Pub, Abrons Art Center, EMPAC, The High Line, Teatro Colon, Teatro Municipal Enrique Buenaventura, Teatro La MaMa, Luis A. Ferre Performing Arts Center.
Kelly Ashton Todd
Kelly Ashton Todd is a director, choreographer, performing artist, and environmental activist who makes work for both live theater and film. She currently lives in Brooklyn, NY. Her work explores land and human exploitation, environmental politics, and surrealism.
She received a BFA in Modern Dance from Texas Christian University and a Double Minor in Biology and Environmental Science (2011) along with a Master’s in Sustainability Leadership from Arizona State University (2021). Kelly performed with the off-Broadway show Sleep No More from 2015-2022. She graduated from the William Esper Acting Studio in 2022.
Kelly’s creations have been showcased globally. She has presented work at the Kaufman Hall at the 92nd St Y, Pioneer Works, Dixon Place, NOoSPHERE Arts, ‘T’ Space Rhinebeck, Usine C, and Meow Wolf Santa Fe. She has been awarded the Brooklyn Arts Council Grant, Jerome Hill Foundation Finalist, F21 NYSCA in Media Grant, Human Impacts Institute Environmental Health Fellowship, NYFA Fellowship in Choreography, Emerging Choreographer for Springboard Danse Montreal 2022, and the Baryshnikov Artist Residency in 2023. She was a panelist for the United Nations in 2023 where she shared her creations and spoke to the intersection of climate change, female empowerment, and technology. Her award-winning environmental dance film series, Under Review, has attended over 20 film festivals nationally and internationally.