Today@Sam Article
Dance Professor One Of Three Selected For Prestigious Residency
May 22, 2019
SHSU Media Contact: Wes Hamilton
Written By: Brianna Smith
This Fall, Assistant Professor of Dance Joshua Manculich will be joining the Whim W’Him Seattle Contemporary Dance Company for a creative residency.
Under the direction of Olivier Wevers, the company sought out emerging as well as established choreographers to help with the creation of works for the company’s fifth “Choreographic Shindig 2019.”
Close to 200 choreographers submitted for the chance to work with the prestigious company. Manculich was one of only three who were selected after the very competitive application process.
“I had to enter three pieces of my own work via Vimeo that I have choreographed in the past two years and include a proposal of the work I would make on Whim W'him,” Manculich said. “This Seattle-based company is an emerging national and now internationally recognized dance company. Unique to this competition, is that the dancers pick the three choreographers. Often artistic directors have this opportunity to be one of the three selected, I feel honored.”
The event, created in 2015, encompasses three world-premiere contemporary dance creations by selected choreographers, helps support the company’s mission to provide a platform centered around choreography and dance for artists to explore their craft through collaboration.
The dancers will be involved in selecting the choreographers for the residency, which culminates with performances of the new creations. This approach gives the dancers a choice in curating the program, becoming fully involved in a new aspect of the artistic process.Selected choreographers will attend a three to four-week residency located in Seattle, Washington at the Erickson Theatre. During this time, choreographers will have the chance to create original dance pieces with the Whim W’Him dancers.
As a second-year assistant professor, Manculich uses his skills to help shape the future of young and emerging choreographers; making him an ideal choice for the opportunity.
“As an assistant professor I am continually asking my students to consider what dance can do for the community – to consider that we are non-verbal communicators,” Manculich said. “At Sam Houston State, I get to not only make and workshop my own work but guide the maturation and finding of new young choreographers. I am biased but I have to say SHSU Dance has an incredible amount of creative talent and future dance-makers within its walls.”
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