Abby Williams Chin, Cattywampus Dance at Small Plates Austin 2024
Dates:
September 5, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. and September 6, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. Application deadline: May 1, 2025 Notification: June 1, 2025 Confirmation: within one week of receiving acceptance email.
CALL FOR DANCE MAKERS Applications are open for Small Plates Choreography Festival, a series of two curated dance performances to be presented on Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6 at Ground Floor Theatre located in the nationally renowned eclectic artistic community of Austin, Texas.
Programming Dance works of any dance genre up to 10 minutes in length will be considered for inclusion in one of two performances. Large group pieces are acceptable.
Small Plates welcomes the applications of all genres of dance from US-based dance makers. We are most interested in work that explores the intimate nature of this performance, the uniqueness of the venue (more below), and the impact on the community and our audience members. Accepted applicants are expected to perform the piece with which they applied.
Judy Kurjan-Frank at Small Plates Newburgh, 2024 PC Jennifer Williams
Dates November 7-9, 2025 Application deadline: August 1, 2025 Notification: September 1, 2025 Confirmation: within one week of receiving acceptance email.
CALL FOR DANCE MAKERS Applications are open for Small Plates Choreography Festival, a series of four curated dance performances to be presented on November 7, 2025 at 8:00 pm, November 8, 2025 at 4:00 and 8:00 pm, November 9, 2025 at 6:00 pm at Chapman Steamer Arts located in the vibrant artistic community of Newburgh, NY.
Programming Solo, duet, and trio dance works of any dance genre up to 15 minutes in length will be considered for inclusion in two consecutive performances. Due to the capacity of the space, we must limit the total number of performers.
Any genre of live dance work from US-based dance makers will be considered. We are most interested in work that explores the intimate nature of this performance, the uniqueness of the venue, and the impact on the community/audience. Accepted applicants are expected to perform the piece with which they applied.
Venue Chapman Steamer Arts is an intimate performance space that seats approximately 35 people with a 200 square foot performance area covered with Marley flooring. There are no wings or crossover, but there is a small backstage changing area. The performers may be seated in the audience prior to and after they perform.
Small Plates Duck, 2024 Artist/Audience Meet and Greet
July 30, 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Duck Amphitheater
Baran Dance, DanceArtTheater, Haven Movement Company will be returning to the city of Duck on the beautiful Outer Banks, North Carolina again this year, along with some special invited guest performers.
This charming beach town provides a unique and intimate atmosphere for our performances, and a fun and engaging experience for artists.
Due to limited capacity for housing guests, we must limit this performance is “invitation only” and have not opened an application process for this leg of the Small Plates series.
We are seeking donations to support our costs, pay the performing artists, and to help us expand and include more artists in the future. We would love to welcome you to the Outer Banks, where you can enjoy the feeling of sand between your toes after performing outdoors in this beautiful beach town.
If you would like to donate to SPCF for this cause, please follow the link below:
It’s festival application season, and I look forward to seeing all of your amazing work. We know that you put your hearts and souls into your work, and we carefully consider every single entry.
After reviewing hundreds of festival applications over the last twelve years that Small Plates has been in existence, I thought I would pass along a few tips for your festival applications for Small Plates Choreography Festival.
Read the application Each venue and performance has different requirements, so be sure to understand and submit work that meets the parameters in the application. If you want to change your piece to fit our limitations, such as shortening it, changing the cast, or eliminating a video element, use the “Is there anything else you would like us to know?” question in the application to clearly explain your plan to adapt your work.
Submit what you plan to perform We curate our performances holistically, considering how each dance might contribute to the overall performance. A montage or selection of varied work samples might give us a feel for your style, but it does not tell us how any one specific work from your repertoire will contribute to the overall program.
Tips for Video Video of a completed, stage-lit, fully produced dance is wonderful to see, however studio footage of a work-in-progress is also completely acceptable and welcomed. Let us know where the “front” of the dance is.
Use a static camera angle. Dances with choreographed camera movements obscure how your dance will appear on stage. Small Plates’ performances are often low tech with the focus is on the artists and the dancing. Let your choreography, and the meaning and purpose of your art-making be the most impactful elements of your submission.
Works in Progress
We are excited about works that are still under development but prioritize complete pieces or those reflecting a well-defined concept and direction. If your dance isn’t complete in the video, please describe your concept, vision, and plans for completion within the application.
Ask Questions If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to smallplatesdance@gmail.com for clarification.
Feedback If your dance is not accepted, do not be discouraged. We receive an abundance of applications for each performance and we inevitably decline a lot of really wonderful work that deserves to be produced and seen. Our adjudicators are happy to provide you with feedback.
