The New Directions Choreography Lab (NDCL) is a creative residency program hosted by Robert Battle and The Ailey School. The program was initiated by Mr. Battle in 2011 as a response to what he identified as the biggest detriments to creativity in the choreographic process: lack of time, space, artistic and financial resources. The primary mission of the lab is to cultivate an environment in which choreographers are free to take creative risks and explore new ideas. Four artists will be selected annually to receive a monetary stipend, access to dancers from The Ailey School and studio time at The Joan Weill Center for Dance for the purpose of choreographic exploration.

Now in its 12th year, the New Directions Choreography Lab has welcomed 44 choreographers, 22 creative advisors, and involved over 240 of The Ailey School’s Professional Division students.

Overview

Resident choreographers have the opportunity to work with student dancers from The Ailey School to participate in their choreographic lab. Choreographers are granted studio time with these dancers for seven weeks on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm (subject to change).

Each choreographer is paired with a creative advisor. Creative advisors are seasoned professionals who serve as an artistic resource to the resident choreographers by offering guidance and feedback during the creative process.  

A few weeks into the residency, choreographers host an informal showing of their work. This is an opportunity for the artist to receive additional feedback before a scheduled hiatus. After the hiatus, the choreographer will resume for two to three additional weeks before hosting a second showing of their work, concluding their residency. 

The following is a list of past participating Choreographers and Creative Advisors.

Choreographers

Fall 2011 – Adam Barruch
Fall 2011 – Camille A. Brown
Spring 2012 – Malcom Low
Spring 2012 – Joanna Kotze
Fall 2012 – Samantha Speis
Fall 2012 – Loni Landon
Spring 2013 – Jennifer Archibald
Spring 2013 – Thang Dao
Fall 2013 – Nobert De La Cruz III
Fall 2013 – Nia Love
Spring 2014 – Sonia Dawkins
Spring 2014 – Manuel Vignoulle
Fall 2014 – Natalie Lomonte
Fall 2014 – Jacinta Vlach
Spring 2015 – Stefanie Batten Bland
Spring 2015 – Nicholas Villeneuve
Fall 2015 – Ephrat Asherie
Fall 2015 – Brice Mousset
Spring 2016 – Netta Yerushalmy
Spring 2016 – Juel D. Lane
Fall 2016 – Jonathan Lee
Fall 2016 - Esmé Boyce
Spring 2017 – Laurie Taylor
Spring 2017 – Sekou McMiller
Fall 2017 – Chuck Wilt
Fall 2017 – Cameron McKinney
Spring 2018 – Amy Hall Garner
Spring 2018 – Stuart Singer
Fall 2018 – Yusha-Marie Sorzano
Fall 2018 – Bryn Cohn
Spring 2019 – Davalois Fearon
Spring 2019 – Kyle Marshall
Fall 2019 – Ross Daniel
Fall 2019 – Helen Simoneau
Spring 2020 – Rebecca Margolick
Spring 2021 – Omar Román De Jesús
Spring 2021 – Marielis Garcia
Fall 2022 – Quilan Arnold
Fall 2022 – Maria Bauman
Spring 2023 – Nattie Trogdon & Hollis Bartlett
Spring 2023 – Annie Rigney

Creative Advisors

Fall 2011 – Elizabeth Keen
Fall 2011 – Carmen de Lavallade
Spring 2012 – Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
Spring 2012 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Fall 2012 – Ronald K. Brown
Fall 2012 – Lar Lubovitch
Spring 2013 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Spring 2013 – Sylvia Waters
Fall 2013 – Igal Perry
Fall 2013 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Spring 2014 – Marya Warshaw
Spring 2014 – Sylvia Waters
Fall 2014 – Elizabeth Keen
Fall 2014 – Sylvia Waters
Spring 2015 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Spring 2015 – Lar Lubovitch
Fall 2015 – Julie Adams Strandberg
Fall 2015 – Christine Dakin
Spring 2016 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Spring 2016 – Darshan Bhuller
Fall 2016 – Jawole Willa Jo Zollar
Fall 2016 – Christine Dakin
Spring 2017 – Charmaine Warren
Spring 2017 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Fall 2017 – Alexandra Beller
Fall 2017 – Charmaine Warren
Spring 2018 – Stefanie Batten Bland
Spring 2018 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Fall 2018 – Charmaine Warren
Fall 2018 – Joanna Kotze
Spring 2019 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Spring 2019 – Rennie Harris
Fall 2019 – Darshan Bhuller
Fall 2019 – Kevin Predmore
Spring 2020 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Spring 2021 – Gus Solomons, Jr.
Spring 2021 – Kimberly Bartosik
Fall 2022 – Raphael Xavier
Fall 2022 – Niegel Smith
Spring 2023 – Kimberly Bartosik
Spring 2023 – Risa Steinberg