The Rockbridge Artist Exchange
In June of 2009 The CDCT launched the Rockbridge Artist Exchange, a program established for the purpose of developing community connections with working artists on a national level. Within the context of our county’s diversely beautiful landscape, the Rockbridge Artist Exchange offers visiting artists housing accommodations in the Dancers’ House along with studio time and space donated by Halestone Dance Studio. In return, each guest or company of artists is asked to present their choice of either a master class, workshop, or a showing of their work in progress, free of charge and open to the public for
each week they spend in residence.
Rebecca Brookes, a Lexington native now living in New York City, serves as the program’s managing director for The CDCT. Brookes’ connection to Rockbridge County as well as her involvement with the NYC dance scene for the past six years as a dancer, choreographer, educator, and events manager for Movement Research—an organizational hub for the city’s cutting edge, contemporary dance makers—gives her a unique perspective for the potential value of The CDCT’s exchange program. “In NYC, we have passion, community, culture, ideas, but what we lack is space and time to make work. When Nancy [CDCT Artistic Director, Nancy Saylor] pitched the idea of starting an artist exchange program in Rockbridge County, I thought, ‘Wow, what an opportunity!’”
For the summer of 2009, Brookes arranged for an impressive variety of NYC choreographers and dancers to take part in The CDCT’s first Rockbridge Artist Exchange. On their arrival, the dancers went to work, eagerly combining creative exploration of the Rockbridge countryside with intensive studio sessions. By the end of their time here, each artist had something different to share in their community exchange presentations from innovative yoga and dance classes to salons that previewed their fall concert material.
Plans for this summer’s, 2010 Rockbridge Artist Exchange are now underway. Says Brookes, “I’m so looking forward to it, from the initial meetings with artists, to working through both artistic and logistical concerns with Nancy, to hearing from the artists while they’re in Lexington, to experiencing the products of their work when they return to NYC!”
Stay Posted! Rockbridge community members interested in taking advantage of the free Artist Exchange salons, master classes, and showings this summer can find information and updates about the program on The CDCT’s website beginning in May, 2010.
