Postponed: Springboard Presents: Springboard Fellows

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED. WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE AND LOOK FORWARD TO RESCHEDULING IT AT A LATER DATE.

DAINA ASHBEE AND ALANNA MORRIS-VAN TASSEL

In an expansion of Springboard Danse Montreal’s partnership with Gibney Dance, Springboard Presents will curate national and international artists who will, in turn, present work at the Gibney: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center in New York City.  Gibney will graciously extend the gift of their space, production, and collaborative marketing efforts, thus uplifting the creative visions of Springboard artists.

Springboard Presents: Springboard Fellows is the inaugural presentation and marks the launch of Springboard’s Fellowship program. Beginning in 2022, the Springboard Fellowship will support one to two artists annually through a new branch of the Emerging Choreographers Program. The program is designed to provide Choreographic Fellows with residency, financial, marketing, and mentoring resources within Springboard’s global network.  Our 2022 Fellows and presenting artists are Daina Ashbee (CA) and Alanna Morris-Van Tassel (USA).

Learn more about Springboard Danse Montreal here.

ABOUT DAINA ASHBEE

Artist, performer and choreographer based in Canada, known for her radical works at the edge of dance and performance. At the young age of 26, she had already won two awards for her choreographies. She was a double prizewinner at the Prix de la danse de Montréal, winning both the Prix du CALQ for Best Choreography of 2015-2016 for her choreographic installation When the Ice Melts, Will We Drink the Water?, and the Prix Découverte de la danse, presented by Agora de la danse and Tangente, for Unrelated (her first choreography). Also Daina was named by the prestigious German TANZ magazine as one of 30 promising artists for the year 2017 and named one of 25 to watch by the American publication, DANCE in 2018. In 2019, she won a New York Dance and Performance Award, Bessie, for Outstanding Choreographer.

Recognized as one of the most promising young choreographers of the next generation, since 2015 her work has been presented over one-hundred times in 15 countries and over 31 different cities. Her work being presented in some of the most prestigious festivals (The Venice Biennale, Oktoberdans, Les Rencontre Chorégraphiques de Seine Saint Denis, and the Munich Dance Biennale) and on the stages of the world (Canada, France, Spain, Belgium, Norway, Finland, Greenland, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Mexico).

Daina is the artist-in-residence at Agora de la danse in Montreal until 2023. In 2018 she returned to the Venice Biennale to teach at the Biennale College, whilst creating a group-piece for 15 students. She continued to tour in Norway, Belgium, Italy, Czech Republic and Canada. In 2019 she toured Europe, Canada and the United States, meanwhile creating a new group piece (J’ai pleuré avec les chiens) and a solo (Laborious Song). In 2021 Daina looks forward to presenting 5 of her works at Montpellier Dance Festival, continuing to tour all of her works and finally premiering J’ai pleuré aves les chiens, her first original group piece.

ABOUT ALANNA MORRIS-VAN TASSEL

Brooklyn native and Saint Paul-based artist excavating cultural retention and fragmentation within their Caribbean diasporic identity.  Morris-Van Tassel was a performer with TU Dance from 2007-2017, featured in works by Kyle Abraham, Gioconda Barbuto, Camille A. Brown, Ronald K. Brown, Greggory Dolbashian, Katrin Hall, Francesca Harper, Dwight Rhoden, and Uri Sands.  In 2020 she served as the company’s Artistic Associate and is a founding Teaching Artist at The School at TU Dance Center since 2011. In 2018 they were named Dance Magazine’s 25 to Watch! and is currently an Artistic Advisor to Springboard Danse Montreal.  Morris-Van Tassel was named Minneapolis City Pages’ Artist of the Year in 2019 and Best Choreographer for their solo, “Yam, Potatoe an Fish!”  Alanna is the Artistic Director of AMVTP, founded in 2017 to produce dance, education and community-building initiatives.  She is a 2015 McKnight Dance Fellow, a graduate of The Juilliard School and LaGuardia High School for Music & Art and Performing Arts.  Morris-Van Tassel’s choreography has been commissioned by Minnesota Dance Theatre, Penumbra Theatre, Children’s Theatre Co.; and the Dance Department at Carleton College. They are currently developing a collaborative solo performance art project, Black Light_mysteries and manifestations of the creative life force, which explores the nobility of black-ness, the divinity of the feminine energy, and the harnessing of the sensual expression.  The first public presentation is March 12, 2021 virtually through The Cowles Center for Dance in Minneapolis alongside work by Penny Freeh.  The full-evening premiere features performances by 10 celebrated Black dancers, poets, and musicians from the Twin Cities at The Great Northern Festival in January 2022.  This Spring Morris-Van Tassel joins the faculty at Bard College as a Guest Teaching Artist through Gibney Dance.

 All attendees will be required to adhere to Gibney’s COVID-19 safety policies. Audience members will be required to provide proof of full vaccination and to wear masks/face coverings at all times. Unvaccinated children are not permitted at this time. Details: https://gibneydance.org/PlanYourVisit