Here at SeattleDances we’re contemplating all the outstanding dance we’ve seen in the last year and preparing to pick our absolute favorites to honor in the 1st annual DanceCrush! But it’s not just our favorites that are important–we want to know what think! Who do YOU have a DanceCrush on?
One DanceCrush award will be chosen from SeattleDances reader submissions: The Reader’s Choice Award. Submitting is easy! Just think about the local production or artist you loved most between Nov 1, 2015 and Oct 31, 2016 and write a paragraph about why you think they deserve recognition. What about their performance made your heart sing? It’s a chance for your voice to be heard…and to try your hand at a little dance writing to boot!
But what is DanceCrush anyways? In case you missed our announcement back in April, DanceCrush is a new program designed to recognize and support achievements in local dance. Starting in 2016, SeattleDances will annually honor dancers, choreographers, and productions we have a total crush on. But aside from our affections, what will recipients of a Dance Crush receive? Each artist will be honored at a SeattleDances event in early 2017, followed by a feature article on each Dance Crush published throughout the year in an effort to sustain dialogue and publicity surrounding their work. It is our hope that these recognitions will help promote individual artists and create prestige for the dance community as a whole among other arts genres.
Because our goals are to support the dance scene, we are avoiding the traditional “best of category” format that can create contention and competition. Instead, since our writers collectively see so much dance, we are choosing to recognize what stood out to us over the year, and why. Did one performer execute a diversity of roles with aplomb? Did a certain show use the space with innovation? Did a choreographer find a compelling way to use narrative? SeattleDances is not interested in determining an objective “best.” Instead we will honor what inspires us, subjectively.
DanceCrushes for 2016 will be announced in late November, with performances happening in November and December 2016 eligible for 2017’s DanceCrush. To submit a nomination for The Reader’s Choice Award, please email your selection along with a paragraph explaining why they deserve recognition to editors@heatherl39.sg-host.com by 11:59pm on November 1, 2016.
