Information for Participants
We are excited to have you be a part of the 2023 New England Youth Dance Exchange. The vision is to offer youth artists the opportunity to experience participating in a professional concert performance while meeting and spending the day with others that share the same passion for the art of dance. Dancers will learn the elements that go into presenting a concert performance and share both the studio and stage with dancers from other studios. They will have the opportunity to meet and watch other aspiring teenage dancers in a positive and motivational atmosphere. Participants will also receive confidential, personal feedback from professionals about their performance, offering valuable feedback while uplifting and cultivating student performance potential. Studio owners, directors and choreographers will also have the opportunity to meet and enjoy the day in each other’s company.
What Is Our Mission?
Our mission with the Youth Dance Exchange (NEYDEX) is to create youth centered, collaborative performance showcase, that provides students with a supportive atmosphere to begin to learn the steps of dance production, as well as create a space where critical reflection and education can occur for choreographers and dancers. To get young dancers outside of the comfort of their home studio to meet other dancers that share their joy of dance.
What Is It?
Through our one day event, students will go through the rigors of what it is like to produce a professional dance show in an active dance theater. Each group will be assigned to a morning technical time where they will work directly with our professional lighting designer and the theater’s own technical director. Dancers will learn the steps necessary for setting lights for the performance as well as stage directions from the technical staff while having an opportunity on stage to rehearse their work. They will become the "professional dancers," earning all the elements of a performance experience.
The tech times will be followed by a dress rehearsal. During the dress rehearsal all dancers will have the opportunity to watch the other pieces being presented. Dancers will have the opportunity for a dinner break before returning for a warm-up class onstage. The day concludes with a formal performance showcase for an adjudication board, as well as their peers, families and other public audience members featuring some of the best of what New England has to offer in the youth dance scene.
Following the performance each group will be sent confidential comments and critiques from our adjudicators. Directors and choreographers can choose if they would like to share these comments with their dancers or keep them for their own use.
Where And When
Saturday, November 11, 2023
The Dance Theater at Boston University
915 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
Entrance on Buick Street
Costs
The cost per dancer is $75 for the day. There is a minimum cost per studio of $400 (if you plan to bring less than 6 dancers). General admission tickets will be sold for the evening performance. If a dancer performs in more than one group/studio, they must pay entry fee for each group they perform with. General admission tickets will be sold for the evening performance. Tickets are $25. Choreographers and studio directors do not need to purchase a ticket for the show, but will need to reserve a ticket in advance.
There is no minimum requirement to sell tickets. However, we do hope that you encourage parents and friends to attend!! To make this event a success, we do hope that you help promote the performance at your studio and on social media @newenglandyouthdanceexchange #newenglandyouthdanceexchange #neydex
If you have any questions about the event, please contact us directly and we would be happy to discuss the opportunity with you.