Year: 2024-2025
DanceForce Member: Kim Engel
Artists: A.I.M. by Kyle Abraham; Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company
Community Partners: Proctor’s Theatre, Schenectady; Saratoga Performing Arts Center; Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs; Union College, Schenectady
Audience: 1,235
Counties: Albany, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady
DF member Kim Engel used her full allocation to support a couple of venue/college collaborations resulting in a pair of extended residencies concentrated in two Capital Region counties but expanding outward to also include two additional ones.
The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) and Skidmore College’s Department of Dance, both in Saratoga County, collaborated to host A.I.M by Kyle Abraham from November 4-10, 2024. The residency was planned by Chris Shiley, SPAC’s Senior Vice President of Artistic Planning, and Sarah DiPasquale, Skidmore Dance Department Chair, and promotion was undertaken jointly by their respective organizations. It marked a second partnership by the two entities after collaborating in March 2024 to present Ballet X in a residency with performances.
Outreach activity, conducted by four A.I.M company members, took place for the first five days at Skidmore College. The schedule was as follows:
Monday – Modern III and Improvisation
Tuesday – Modern II and Modern IV
Wednesday – Senior Seminar, Modern I, Afro-Caribbean I
Thursday – Ballet IV, Jazz II, Panel discussion
Friday – Ballet III, Community class
The residency culminated in two public performances at SPAC’s Little Theatre on November 9 & 10 with a combined audience of 632.
Feedback from the key players:
“This project allowed us to elevate historically marginalized people. The engagement has certainly been a huge leap forward in catalyzing inclusion, diversity, equity, and access in our local arts and cultural sector.”
“The insight and expertise brought by the A.I.M dancers were exceptional. Each artist came to the classroom sharing their own personal and lived experiences.”
Proctors Collaborative and Union College’s Dance Program, both in Schenectady County, collaborated to host Nai-Ni Chen Dance Company in a residency from January 21-24, 2025. The residency was planned by Lanaea Brice, Assistant Director of Programming at Proctors, and Laurie Zabele Cawley, Interim Director of Dance at Union College, along with DF member Kim Engel. Promotion was spearheaded by Proctors with support from Union to its campus community. The residency marked a first-time partnership between the two entities.
Outreach activity, conducted by two company members, took place at Union College (three classes) and four other Capital Region locations (five classes). The location schedule of classes was as follows:
Tuesday – Chinese Community Center
Wednesday – Union College and Abram Lansing Elementary
Thursday – Academy of the Holy Names and Union College
Friday – Sage College
The residency culminated in a public performance at Proctors on Thursday, February 6 with an audience of approximately 300. A morning matinee for school groups was scheduled but had to be cancelled because of inclement weather.
Feedback from the key players:
“The company’s visit to Union provided our students with a rich and immersive experience in Chinese culture and movement. We are profoundly grateful for the depth of knowledge, artistry, and cultural insight they so graciously imparted.”
“Proctors strengthened our relationship with the Chinese Community Center, reinforced our connections within the Capital Region educational communities, and helped cultivate an ongoing relationship with Union’s Dance Program which has blossomed into another dance residency already planned for this fall.”