Yesterday marked the end of a jam-packed weekend for those of us involved in the performing arts bubble. The annual Association of Performing Arts Presenters conference, better known as APAP|NYC 2013, took New York by a storm with 3,500 plus professionals gathering for a weekend of seminars, events, performance showcases, consultations, and meetings galore.
This international convention is widely respected within the performing arts community, and rightfully so, as it allows for collaboration and expansion within the industry. In addition, many companies' touring and performance calendars hinge on this sole event and the various prospects of presenters and performance opportunities to be found.
With its home base at the Hilton New York hotel, APAP participants had the chance to promote their work for presenters visiting from locations worldwide. Over 1,000 showcases - some as short as fifteen minutes, and others evening length - were held at venues across NYC. Venues included the Peridance Capezio Center, Dance New Amsterdam, Ailey Studios and the Ailey Citigroup Theater, The Living Room, The Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater, Carnegie Hall, Baruch Performing Arts Center, and The Joyce Theater, among many, many others.
Showcases varied from works in progress, to excerpts of company repertory and even world premieres. Dance New Amsterdam's Spectrum Festival APAP 2013 included a SPLICE series performance, bringing together artists Kendra Portier (DNA faculty member), Elke Luyten & Kira Alker (both DNA RAW Directions Artists). The Jan. 14 showcase included Luyten's Studies of Inertia solo, followed by the world premiere of Beautiful Weather for an Air Raid, choreographed by Portier|BANDPortier and the dancers.
Just as readily available as the showcases were the educational and business opportunities. The Expo Hall, which was open from Saturday through Monday, housed companies, touring productions, agents, producers, artists, and the like, ultimately creating a centralized marketplace for anyone looking to book a performance or expand their performance reach.
APAP is a time, in fact its become THE time, for the performing arts community to feel and work together as just that - a community, supporting and learning from one another. Keep your eyes peeled for what APAP|NYC has in store for us all next year.
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