Artist Programs

Curating Artist in Residence (CAiR) is a residency program that supports movement artists and choreographers interested in curation, arts administration, and program development. One artist is selected each year for this 15-month residency. The selected artist will receive mentorship while supporting in the curation and coordination of the residency program the Bridge Project, the performance program Next Fest NW, and aspects of Seattle Festival of Dance + Improvisation. They also develop their own program with the mentorship and support of Velocity staff. The intention of this program is to ensure that there is working artist leadership at Velocity, while supporting the professional development of artists as curators and arts administrators.

HOW IS THIS PROGRAM CURATED? Through open application, selected by outgoing CAiR + Executive Director. Applications open in February.

2022-23 CAiR: Alyza DelPan-Monley

The Bridge Project, is a 4-week residency and performance program for movement-based artists new to making work, or who have been making work in the greater Seattle area for three years or less. This program offers three choreographers up to 40 hours of rehearsal space each to create a new short work with a cast of up to three local auditioned dancers. Velocity provides each choreographer with a choreography stipend, performer stipends, costume stipend, and the creative, financial and administrative support of a fully-produced weekend of performances at Base.

HOW IS THIS PROGRAM CURATED? Through open application, selected by panel including the CAiR + artist panel. Applications open in Fall.

2022 Bridge Artists: Elise Beers  (Aachix̂ Qağaduug), Artie Thomas (Stasia Coup), Ashley Menestrina

2020 Bridge Artists: Alyssa Boone, Lucille Jun, Peter Kohring

2019 Bridge Artists: LanDforms, Vladimir Kremenović, Beth Terwilliger

2018 Bridge Artists: Moonyeka, Allison Burke, Timothy Johnson, Hope Goldman, Leslie Kraus, Majinn, Jordan MacIntosh-Hougham

Velocity’s Creative Residency program supports Seattle based movement artists and choreographers at any stage in their career as they develop work and engage in research. Artists receive resources alongside mentorship and support with project related activities from Velocity staff.  Residency outcomes may include performances, artist talks and research sharings. The intention of this residency support is to nurture the creative process and provide financial support for space access for the selected artists.

HOW IS THIS PROGRAM CURATED? Through open application, selected by panel. Cycles are announced as funding or other resources are secured.

Velocity’s Made in Seattle program provides support to artists over a period of a year or more, and focuses on the critical development phase of a new work.  The Made in Seattle program is dedicated to growing the Northwest’s creative community by commissioning, producing and presenting evening-length works by some of the most talented and experimental artists from our region. 

Through nuanced and responsive assistance, over a multi-year period, the incubator enables artists to push boundaries, and develop their best work at a scale and visibility level that can catapult them into the next career phase, and onto the national stage.

The Made in Seattle creative incubator brings resources to every stage of creation — from conception through presentation and beyond — making it one of the most robust artist opportunities in Seattle, if not nationally.

HOW IS THIS PROGRAM CURATED? Selected artists are curated by the CAiR in conversation with Velocity staff. If you would like to be considered for Made in Seattle, please contact the current CAiR to express interest.

Next Fest NW is Velocity’s experimental new works festival, celebrating contemporary dance and movement-based artists innovating in our region. Every year the theme, title, and budget of the show are put in the hands of the selected artists. We will provide the cohort of four PNW-based movement artists a budget of $10,000 total to vision and execute a shared program.

HOW IS THIS PROGRAM CURATED? Through open application, selected by panel including the CAiR + external artists. Applications open in Spring.

Velocity’s Guest Artist Series provides the Seattle community with residency, performance + education activities from national/international dance artists including technique classes, workshops, and performances.

Velocity strives to give Seattle’s dance community opportunities to train with outstanding local and national artists through its Guest Artist Series. The Guest Artist Series presents internationally renowned artists in contemporary dance and related studies, offering classes, lectures, performances and/or workshops with these artists. This program helps to ensure that Seattle’s relative geographic isolation does not result in a lack of exposure, and helps Seattle to stay abreast of current technical and artistic standards.

Velocity has hosted classes and/or workshops with such nationally and internationally recognized artists as: Tere O’Connor, Pat Graney, John Jasperse, Keith Hennessy, Danielle Agami/Ate9, Daniel Linehan, Miguel Gutierrez, Amy O’Neal, Mark Haim, Jesse Zaritt, Anouk van Dijk, Reggie Watts, Faye Driscoll, zoe/juniper, Dayna Hanson, Deborah Hay, KT Niehoff, Bebe Miller, David Dorfman, and many more.

HOW IS THIS CURATED? Velocity generally presents between 1-3 visiting artists’ work in Seattle each year as a part of our season. Contact our Creative Producer to express interest in this program.