Submission Guidelines
Jazz Choreography Enterprises is seeking submissions for our October 2025 production of the JCE Jazz Dance Project. The performances will take place at the Martha Graham Studios located at 55 Bethune Street, NYC, on Sunday, October 26 th at 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Please contact info@jazzchoreography.com for more information or to submit your work.
Submission Requirements
We must receive a video link to Youtube or Vimeo of your work to be presented by August 10, 2025. Please don’t send large files. The dance must be at least two minutes long and no more than eight minutes long. Rehearsal video is fine, and the dance can be a finished piece or a work-in-progress.
The choreography must be original (not a re-creation of someone else’s work), and it must be jazz – funk, lyrical, musical theater, contemporary jazz, Latin jazz, Afro-Cuban jazz, etc… all are fine.
We will accept only one submission from each choreographer. Please do not send multiple videos and ask us to choose.
Live music must be approved by JCE. We don’t have much tech time, so we’d have to see if we can rehearse with live music. We encourage the use of original compositions and arrangements/recordings of music.
Each choreographer will get a 15 minute tech slot. We will have many pieces to tech in a limited time frame, and while we’ll do our best to give people their preferred tech time, we can’t make any promises. These performances are studio presentations with no lighting.
The studio space is 51’ deep x 42 ½ ‘ wide. The space seating accommodates 80 people.
Tech rehearsal will be on Saturday, October 25 th , from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Choreographers and dancers must be available during that time frame.
Photo: Jan La Salle
Please read these guidelines so you know what we expect of our choreographers:
-
All choreographers must sign a letter of agreement, which will state (among other things) they have read the guidelines and agree to them.
-
All choreographers and dancers must sign an agreement that serves as a release of liability and a video release. If a dancer is a minor, a parent or guardian must sign the release, and we will notify the Martha Graham Studios before the performance. The choreographers are responsible for notifying their dancers about this agreement, and it will be available to sign at the tech rehearsal. Please note that participating in the JCE Jazz Dance Project does not conflict with Actors’ Equity rules (we checked). Unless all performers sign the release, we will not show the piece.
-
Choreographers are expected to make every effort to promote the JCE Jazz Dance Project by circulating JCE emails, advertising the performances, posting/sharing posts on their social media pages, and encouraging their dancers to do the same.
-
We’re providing the performance space only. Choreographers are responsible for finding dancers, scheduling and paying for their own rehearsals, etc.
-
Choreographers must provide JCE with the following information about their music:
The name of the composition, the name of the composer(s), the group or artist performing the music, and the length of the music. -
The use of props must be approved by JCE. We can’t accommodate sets or large props, and we can’t provide storage. Choreographers and their dancers are responsible for working with the stage manager so there are no misunderstandings about taking their props on and offstage, and keeping them some place where they will not harm or hinder others.
-
It is the choreographer’s responsibility to give his or her dancers information about the production (e.g., schedules, ticket sales, etc…) in a timely way. Each choreographer is also responsible for proofreading the program draft to make sure the dancers’ names
and any other program information are correct. -
Dances and music must be appropriate for children. There will be children in the audience, and there may be children performing.
-
Choreographers and their dancers are expected to attend the tech rehearsal. If a choreographer cannot attend the tech, someone must be sent in his or her place to work with the production team and supervise the dancers.
-
One of the performances will be filmed and photographed. Choreographers will be able to buy a video of their piece from the videographer whom they must contact within seven days of the performance. Please note that no personal filming or photography of the performances will be allowed.
