Velocity Dance Center

Diving into touring…the SCUBA National Touring Network for Dance, has successfully achieved its goal of touring nationally emerging artists to and from the participating cities of Seattle, San Francisco, Minneapolis and Philadelphia. SCUBA strives to present artists through co-operative presenting, and with the goal of connecting artists with professional venues and creative peers. Artists SCUBA has helped cultivate from local to national recognition include: KT Niehoff/Lingo Dance, zoe/juniper, SaltHorse, Amy O’Neal, Allie Hankins, Morgan Thorsen (Minneapolis), Emily Johnson (Minneapolis), Tania Isaac (Philly), Kunst Stoff (SF), Levy Dance (SF); and many more.

SCUBA was catalyzed in 2002 by Velocity co-founder KT Niehoff.  As a working artist, Niehoff was frustrated with the limited opportunities available for choreographers to tour in the US. Choreographers were (and still are) largely left to their own devices to develop the necessary relationships, resources, and track record to tour their work. SCUBA was created to help artists get their work on the road. A key dynamic of SCUBA is:

Everyone’s got skin in the game.

SCUBA is a partnership between the participating venues and artists; and the funding they are both able to bring to the table. The presenters provide the full weight of their institutional support in the form of space, staff, marketing, and tech; plus a small fee. The SCUBA award helps artists leverage their own fundraising, but artists are also encouraged to think strategically about the nature and scale of the work they propose to keep costs manageable.

NEW EXCITING CHANGES to SCUBA 2014

All artists will receive an award of $4,500 to tour all four partner presenters: Velocity Dance Center (Seattle), ODC Theater (San Francisco), Philadelphia Dance Projects (Philadelphia) and the Ritz Theater (Minneapolis).   The SCUBA residency will vary in each city but will include performances on a shared program with all SCUBA artists, plus engagement activities.  Seattle SCUBA artists will also be commissioned to create a new work to premiere in Seattle on the SCUBA shared-bill. The Scuba commission includes rehearsal space through a Creative Residency, administrative support and a commissioning fee.