The choreographic challenge
NACHMO is an annual challenge that spurs dancers, choreographers, and movement enthusiasts to choreograph. It’s simple - you have one month to make a new dance. The challenge kicks off January 1st, and culminates with a series of shows in February. Along the way, participants meet fellow choreographers, receive newsletters and updates about NACHMO events in their area, and stay connected through social media. The NACHMO challenge is free to join, and open to everyone because we believe everyone has something to say, and dance is sometimes the best way of saying it.
The funding challenge
NACHMO can be done on a shoestring. Every year some awesome solos are made up in bedrooms at no expense to anyone. But bringing people together and producing shows takes some cash:
- First, we have to get the word out that this happening! (Recruitment ads on social media, $120)
- Participants register for the challenge through the website. (GoDaddy, $60, Squarespace, $216).
- In NYC alone we provide opportunities for 50 choreographers to show their work in a series of 5 studio shows at the Mark Morris Dance Center and 2 theater shows at the Actors Fund Arts Center. (Space rental, $2,250).
The Impact
We'll let our past participants speak for us here:
"NACHMO connects me to others who have the creative gene but don't act on it nearly enough. It is a yearly reminder to expand myself, and do something with my ideas."
"NACHMO incentivizes me to make dance in a world where the administrative aspect of being a dance maker (funding, producing, promoting, etc.) often make me question my choice to pursue this profession further. I feel connected to a community, supported in my artistic goals, and motivated to focus intensely on what I am saying through my art, rather than how I'm getting it out there."
"NACHMO provided me with the push (hello one month deadline!) I needed to move past my doubts, excuses, and insecurities and just create work! It then went further and gave me a platform to share this work. The reason this was especially important to me is because I find that it can be very challenging to find opportunities such as this for choreographers that are not established. NACHMO also connected me to a community of dancers, choreographers, and artists that have inspired me and provided invaluable advice on continuing to navigate what it means to be a dancer and the myriad ways dance can be pursued."
Other Ways You Can Help
Sometimes there's no cash to spare, but there's always a way to help:
- Send us some love on Facebook and Twitter
- Want to volunteer for NACHMO? Or make an in-kind donation for us to raffle off at our kick-off party? Email us at info@nachmo.org
- Or perhaps you've been so inspired by the video, photos and enthusiastic quotes that you want to try your hand at making a dance. Do it!
NACHMO is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of NACHMO must be made payable to Fractured Atlas only and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.