The National Society of Arts and Letters
2011 Dance Competition

Choreography: The Art of the Solo
See the Music.....

An Open Invitation for Ballet/Modern/Jazz Choreographers
To Perform Their Work

The National Society of Arts and Letters invites aspiring young choreographers to partici- pate in its 2011 Choreography Competition. NSAL’s purpose in mounting competitions is to assist young people with career potential in the arts. Contestants must first compete on the Chapter level (see page with Chapter contact information below). The first award winner of the Chapter competition will automatically compete on the National level. The National competition will take place in Birmingham, Alabama on May 20, 2011. In addition to the National first award of $10,000, there will be other cash awards. All expenses for the Chapter winner to attend the competition will be paid by the Chapter.

In a workshop atmosphere located in the main ballroom of the hotel, choreographers will perform their work before nationally recognized judges. We have commissioned Dance America to install the same fully sprung dance floor requested and performed on here in Birmingham by Mikhail Baryshnikov. The Birmingham Ballet has graciously offered their Marley floor for our event.

Eligibility Requirements
• The contestant must be at least 18 years of age and must not have reached the age of 33 on the date of the National Competition, May 20, 2011.
• Contestant must be a citizen of the United States of America.
• Contestant may not be related to a recent member of NSAL.
• Contestant must not be or previously have been under professional management as a choreographer.
• To be eligible to compete at the National level, a contestant must first compete at the NSAL Chapter level and be declared the first award winner.
• Contestant must enter a competition of the NSAL Chapter nearest to his or her home or his or her school or be assigned to a Chapter by the National Career Awards Chair. Contestant may compete in only one Chapter competition.
• Contestant must participate in the Master Class on Saturday, May 21.
• Contestant must be available to travel to Birmingham, AL on May 18 and remain through the Career Awards Banquet on the evening of Saturday, May 21^st where 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place winners are expected to perform.
• Contestant must have submitted and been approved of all required materials as stated in the application form including chapter application/registration fee.

Requirements for Audition
• Choreographers must submit a completed NSAL application. Incomplete applica- tions will not be accepted.
• All dances submitted must be performed live by the choreographer.
• Sets/set pieces/props are not allowed and no video/film components.
• Contestants will wear only black leotards and tights or black long pants and black tee shirts and appropriate footwear (or barefoot) for the style being presented.
• THE RUNNING TIME SHALL NOT EXCEED 6 MINUTES. The burden of meeting the time requirement rests with the choreographer. The dance will be judged to begin when any one of the perceived elements of choreographic choice (lights, sound, and movement) is visible or audible to the audience.The dance ends when all perceived elements of choreographic choice have been diminished (no lights, no sound, and no movement). THERE WILL BE A GENERAL LIGHTING WASH (LIGHTS ON/LIGHTS OFF). If a dance exceeds the 6 minute limit it is ineligible for the local Chapter auditions and consequently ineligible for the National Competition.
• Bows are not included in the 6 minute time limit unless they are required as part of the dance by the choreographer.
• The Contestant must submit TWO CDs of the music/sound score to the Chapter Dance Chair.
• These CDs MUST BE RECORDED ON MUSIC CDs and clearly labeled with the dance title and choreographer on both the disc and the disc case.
• Note: Professional recordings are not required, but attention to quality and clarity are essential for accurate judging of choreography.
• All choreography submitted for adjudication must be a totally original composition that is conceived, developed and performed by the choreographer.

Adjudication
• Chapter judging will be done by three judges with an alternate. Judges’ names will be available from the Chapter contact.
• Judges must be professionals in the dance business and in the position to identify talent, and assist young artists. (i.e. choreographers, artistic directors, career dancers, dance critics, professional dance faculty/coaching specialists.) Members of NSAL may not be judges.
• Judging will be based on:
  

  Choreographic Elements:	Overall Form, Movement Intention, Use of Space, Use of Rhythmic & Timing Factors, Use of Dynamics, Consistency of Style
  Performance:	Execution and Technical Proficiency, Projection, Commitment
  General:	Concept, Invention, Impact, Clarity of Intent

• Chapter judges will not know the names of the contestants. National judges will know neither the contestants’ names nor which Chapter they represent.
• Awards will not be split; only one award winner per placement is allowed. The judges may request a call back.
• The decisions of the judges are final.
• National Judges’ score sheets may include comments. National Judges will be available to meet with the National contestants in Birmingham, Alabama.
• Rules for the National competition and all Chapter competitions are identical. Chapter monetary awards vary, depending on the Chapter. All expenses for the Chapter winners to attend the National competition in Birmingham, Alabama will be paid by their sponsoring Chapter.

BIRMINGHAM Dance Chair Cindy Free 2228 Rockland Drive Birmingham, AL 35216 205-979-9492 cindy@birminghamballet.com Chapter President Margie Denton 3513 Robin Drive Birmingham, AL 35223 205-967-5166 denton176193@bellsouth.net BLOOMINGTON Dance Co-Chairs Robin Allen 1505 E. First Street Bloomington, IN 47401 812-822-2144 rmhallen@indiana.edu & Anne Marie Parker 8550 N. Mount Tabor Road Ellettsville, IN 47429 812-876-3303 lylimac7@aol.com Chapter President Dennis Organ 3669 Longview Avenue Bloomington, IN 47408 812-332-6988 organ@indiana.edu BOCA RATON/SOUTH FLORIDA Dance Chair Shari Upbin 7594 Elm Ridge Drive Boca Raton, FL 33433 561-392-3503 shariupbin@aol.com Chapter President Judy Asselta 3450 S Ocean Blvd. #LPH3 Highland Beach, FL 33487 561-272-2941 jjasselta@earthlink.net CENTRAL ILLINOIS Chapter President William Roberts 1684 County Road, 1600N Roberts, IL 60962 217-395-2356 roberts@illicom.net CHAUTAUQUA AREA Dance Chair Bonnie S. Crosby 1875 Les Chateaux Blvd. #302 Naples, FL 34109 239-596-7486 & P.O. Box 1216 Chautauqua, NY 14722, 716-357-2190 padanz66@yahoo.com Chapter President Juanita Wallace Jackson P.O. Box 52 89 Harper Avenue Chautauqua, NY 14722 716-753-3550 jwallacejackson@yahoo.com CLEARWATER/TAMPA BAY Dance Chair Eby Owen 690 Weathersfield Drive Dunedin, FL 34698 727-738-5017 rhoeby@verizon.net Chapter President Grace Boykin 1170 Gulf Blvd., #1606 Clearwater, FL 33767 727-386-5075 Stepalator@aol.com

EL PASO Dance Chair Lisa Smith Prof. of Theater, Dance & Film U. of Texas Drama Dept. University Ave at Hawthorne El Paso, TX 76668 915-747-6509 lisas@utep.edu Chapter President Mary Jo Melby 711 Rim Road El Paso, TX 79902 915-532-7213 mjmelby@hotmail.com EVANSTON Chapter President Joan Smutny 633 Forest Avenue Wilmette, IL 60091 847-256-1220 joanfsm@aol.com GREATER ARIZONA Dance Chair Susan Silverman 5337 North 46th Street Phoenix, AR 85018 602-840-1376 suzerina@aol.com Chapter President Elayne Achilles 16035 N. Tenth Street Phoenix, AR 85022 602-789-6363 elayne.achilles@asu.edu HONOLULU, HAWAII Chapter President Jackie Collins-Buck 114 Lunalilo Home Road Honolulu, HI 96825 808-224-4285 JackieCollins-Buck@hawaii.rr.com KENTUCKY Dance Co-Chairs Dr. Rayma Beal 1977 Twain Ridge Road Lexington, KY 40514 859-223-8062 ukdance.rkbeal@gmail.com & Susan Herren 4129 Palmetto Drive Lexington, KY 40513 859-244-3539 markherren@aol.com Chapter President Ruth Olive 403 Merrywood Drive Midway, KY 40347 859-846-9159 midwayolive@windstream.net LITTLE ROCK Dance Chair Allison Streepey 501-686-5720 streepeyallison@uams.edu Chapter President Bonnie Brandsgaard 204 Wildflower Trail Mountain Home, AR 72653 870-492-6687 bctccc@centurylink.net MID-MICHIGAN Chapter President Annette Masson 39771 Golfview Drive Northville, MI 48167 248-465-1995 amasson@umich.edu NEW JERSEY Dance Chair Susan Coutts 59 Richwood Place Denville, NJ 07934 973-635-1205 dancedipf@aol.com Chapter President Judy Martorelli 52 Kahdena Road Morristown, NJ 07960 973-267-0952 smartorielly@verizon.net

NORTH FLORIDA Dance Chair Betty Bergmark 6000 San Jose Blvd., #8E Jacksonville, FL 32217 904-448-5464 g_bergmark@bellsouth.net Chapter President Barbara Sarvis 10 Northgate Drive Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 904-285-2196 barbarasarvis@aol.com OHIO RIVER VALLEY Dance Co-Chairs Velma Schrader 2415 Norris Avenue Belpre, OH 45714 740-423-8580 & Mindy Wilson 2014 17th Street Parkersburg, WV 26101 304-485-5238 wilson_mindy@hotmail.com Chapter President Charles Pridgeon 203 Coventry Road Marietta, OH 45750 740-373-1196 pridgeoc@marietta.edu PITTSBURGH Dance Chair Harris Ferris 1 Trimont Lane, #1410A Pittsburgh, PA 15211-1272 412-454-9102 hnferris@aol.com Chapter President Norm Brown 107 Steeplechase Court Pittsburgh, PA 15236 412-881-3188 nbrown@pointpark.edu SAINT LOUIS Dance Chair Sally Bliss 4514 Pershing Place Staint Louis, MO 63108 314-367-1120 blissconnett@sbcglobal.net Chapter President Kathy Fulstone 4 Buckhammon Place Saint Louis, MO 63124 314-993-2937 fulstone@sbcglobal.net VIRGINIA/NORTH CAROLINA Dance Chair Anitra Archer 2309 Hartland Court Charlottesville, VA 22911 434-973-9921 anitra.archer@gmail.com Chapter President Pat Davis 445 Ivy Farm Drive Charlottesville, VA 22901 434-296-3382 patdav5@gmail.com WASHINGTON, D.C. Dance Chair Janice Nevin 13411 Birchbank Court Fairfax, VA 22033 703-435-0561 janevin@verizon.net Chapter President Carla Jones-Batka 5904 Mount Eagle Drive, #418 Alexandria, VA 22303 703-960-0865 carlahj@cox.net

National Career Awards Chair Edith Davis Barnes 2716 Cherokee Road Birmingham, AL 35216 205-879-6245 ediebarnes@bellsouth.net

National Dance Chair Lynn Russell-Davis 1453 Smolian Place Birmingham, AL 35205 205-933-7223 russelyn@bellsouth.net