Auditions

SALVAGE (working title) is a contemporary dance / theater project with choreography by Alexandria Nunweiler, and music by Calvin Hitchcock exploring the American Evangelical Christian experience in settings like private school, places of worship and in the home as well as interpersonally in relationships, prejudices, and mental health. Drawing upon their own upbringings as well as those from their hometowns and cast members, they intend to uncover the funny, ridiculous, harmful, and beautiful practices of American Christianity.

They are seeking 4 dancers for the upcoming process to create SALVAGE. These folks are aged 21+ with at least two years of professional dance and/or performance experience and come from a variety of backgrounds. You should feel comfortable with modern / contemporary technique and have at least some experience with partnering, generating movement, and picking up choreography. The process in rehearsals is highly collaborative and input from dancers is of the utmost importance to the work. All performers will be asked to speak and/or sing on stage. “Raw” or untrained voices and those who have non-professional singing experience (including in church or community choirs among other experiences) are encouraged to apply. Experience with comedy or comedic dance / theater is a plus!

Content warning: themes of religious trauma, racism and racial identity in private Christian schools, and LGBTQ+ issues within the church will be discussed in rehearsal. They are generally looking for performers with experiences of American Christianity and hope performers are willing to share these experiences in a rehearsal setting in order to more deeply connect with the work. The shape of the piece thus far has been extrapolated based on first hand accounts so you can also expect to work with tertiary source material (including interviews, websites, school books, etc.) discussing these themes. They do proceed with caution with these topics, but if any of these are triggering for you, this may not be the right project for you at this time. They are open to a conversation about your needs both mentally and physically throughout this application process and during rehearsals.

In response to this call, please send your resume or CV (max 2 pages), a headshot, and a video of you that best represents your ability as a dancer whether that be in rehearsal, a class, or on stage (videos must be 10 minutes or less). Please also include why you’d like to be a part of this process in your communication in a cover letter or email and outline your experience performing in a work of this nature (even if it’s zero!). Kindly send these materials directly to Alexandria Nunweiler at aknunweiler@gmail.com by Friday December 13, 2024 with the subject line: SALVAGE.

Once the call for dancers closes, applicants can expect notification of acceptance or rejection. If accepted, you will move into the interview phase. Here you can expect a 30-minute virtual interview with Alexandria and Calvin. Next, they will invite you into a closed audition whereby you will meet and work with other selected dancers to determine fit. This is scheduled for Friday, January 10, 10:30am – 1pm. Dancers can expect an offer no later than Friday, January 17, 2025. These multiple phases will allow them to determine all of the ways they interact during the process of the piece as they seek open communicators through movement, conversation, and collaboration.

Rehearsal pay for dancers is $17/rehearsal hour and includes a $50 stipend for the informal showing. If an additional formal showing is scheduled, the pay will be $75/performance for each performer and will be based on performer availability.

Questions? Email Alexandria at aknunweiler@gmail.com. Thank you!