Voice of Dance

Choreographers in Mentorship Exchange Names 2009 Grantees


December 9, 2008

Choreographer Alex Ketley. Photo by Austin Forbord.

Margaret Jenkins Dance Company (MJDC) has announced the 2009 recipients of the Choreographers in Mentorship Exchange (CHIME). CHIME is a unique mentorship program that funds self-selected pairs of professional choreographers with financial support and studio space for 12 months so that they may establish and explore a working relationship.

The program was conceived in 2004 by MJDC Artistic Director Margaret Jenkins who sought to encourage the development of California choreographers and formalize the “exchange and feedback mechanisms” of both established and emerging choreographers. Now in its fourth year, the program has funded 50 Bay Area choreographers and recently completed a pilot program in Los Angeles County for Southern California artists.

The 2009 grantees are:

Yannis Adoniou, Artistic Director of KUNST-STOFF, and choreographer and solo artist Folawole Oyinlola

Zenon Barron, Artistic Director of Ensembles Ballet Folklorico, and Joti Singh, Founder/Artistic Director of Duniya Dance

Choreographer, dancer and educator Molissa Fenley of Molissa Fenley and Dancers and Hope Mohr, Artistic Director of Hope Mohr Dance

Joe Goode, Artistic Director of the Joe Goode Performance Group, and Erika Chong Shuch of the Erika Shuch Performance Project

Alex Ketley, co-Founder/Artistic Director of The Foundry, and choreographer Kara Davis

The grantees will receive financial awards totaling $50,000 along with more than 500 hours of free studio time over the course of a year.