Anchored in Hope: Expanding Horizons, the 7th National Gathering in Holland, Michigan, on the beautiful campus of Hope College will provide a multitude of dance experiences, including daily skills and cultural classes, intergenerational creative classes, and performing opportunities for ages 7 to adult.
daCi participants will enjoy an evening performance and dinner on Wednesday and a dance party on Saturday evening. We invite children, adults, dancers, educators, and dance advocates to come together to celebrate the power of dance.
Join us and enjoy the unique and inspiring opportunities for people of all ages to connect and collaborate through the power of dance.
Registration opens January 1, 2023.
Nicki Flinn, Gathering Chair
flinn@hope.edu
What is a daCi USA National Gathering?
This national gathering is an opportunity for children, young people and adults to come together in a collaborative, culturally, and artistically rich dance environment for three action-filled days. Participants will explore, create and observe through daily classes including technique (western and nonwestern) and collaborative multigenerational choreography. Participants will create dance works in collaborative intergenerational classes, learning new dances in cultural and world classes and viewing or performing dances in a professional theatre each evening. Classes will be taught by dance educators and instructors from across the country. They will share their expertise and passion for dance and provide enriching, age-appropriate, creative, and culturally-authentic experiences.
Participant, 6th National Gathering, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2017
"We connected with daCi USA friends and colleagues, shared ideas and creativity, made new friends and connections. We were exposed to new dance styles and mixed generations of dancers had the chance to work together and learn from each other. Students and teachers that work together on a regular basis got to see and be with each other as equals... we are all students and learners at daCi USA."
Participant, 6th National Gathering, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2017
"I benefited from dancing with multiple generations and having the opportunity to create work together."
Teacher, 6th National Gathering, Salt Lake City, Utah 2017
"My dancers were able to experience new forms of dance while also sharing their own skills and ideas with other dancers. It was an opportunity for everyone to try new things, grow, and develop as a dancer."
Henry, Age 13, 6th National Gathering, Seattle, Washington, 2014
"I learned so many things at this conference. But I especially loved working with my core group instructor David Williams. He was very funny. He called me Beyonce when he found out how much I liked her, which made me laugh. He encouraged me to do things that I thought I couldn’t do, like safely lifting other dancers who were bigger than me. He encouraged us to reach further and further through our dancing. He created beautiful dance, and good friendships, too."
Teacher, 6th National Gathering, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2017
"My dancers gained great experience working with a variety of kids, teens and adults; I was inspired with many new ideas for teaching to bring back to my studio and company. It was also fantastic to connect with so many people in our dance world here in the U.S."
Schedule
Stream Performances
Our Friday evening performance and Saturday creative sharing performance were streamed for those not attending the conference to view and enjoy. Members of daCi, family, and friends can continue to enjoy our celebration of dance with the recordings on our YouTube channel (@daCi_USA).
Evening Performance - Friday, July 28th, 7-8:30 pm EST - Click here to watch the recording.
Core Group Performance - Saturday, July 29th, 5-6:30 pm EST - Click here to watch the recording!
Classes at the National Gathering
Skills classes are where participants are gathered in age-alike groups to explore and develop new technical dance skills. These classes happen each morning and are modern and contemporary technique classes facilitated by one or two professional dance educators. Class content is curated specifically for the age and experience of each group.
Core classes are intergenerational sessions that meet daily to create a choreographic work based on the gathering theme. These collaborative creative sessions are facilitated by two professional dance teaching artists. Products of the creative sessions are performed at the end of the gathering on Saturday evening.
Options classes allow participants of all ages to explore another art form, dance style, or genre. Participants have two opportunities to choose from four or five options classes. See below for Options Teacher Bios.
Perspectives classes allow participants of all ages to explore the cultural, ethnic, and societal context of dance forms from across the globe in the past and present. Perspectives classes highlight the diversity of dance traditions worldwide and in our international dance community.
Choose your classes by July 1st!
Participants must rank their top five classes from the Perspectives and Options Class selections. Use the form in the button below to rank your classes. There will be opportunities to experience 3 Perspectives and 2 Options classes.
Meet our Teachers!
Skills Teachers
Hannah Seidel is an Associate Professor of Dance at Grand Valley State University and a Board member of the National Dance Education Organization and Michigan Dance Council. New York City performance credits include Tiffany Mills, Mariah Maloney, Erica Essner, David Appel, and Gibney Dance with whom she also offered movement workshops to survivors of domestic violence for six years. Hannah has previously served as Lecturer at Purchase College, Education Programs Coordinator for Dance New Amsterdam, and summer intensive teacher at NYU's Tisch School for the Arts and Interlochen Center for the Arts. Her choreography has been seen in venues around New York City, commissioned by the Society for New Music, and presented in regional festivals such as Midwest RAD Fest, Regeneration, and Dance Days of Buffalo. Recent choreography focuses on water awareness in collaboration with musicians from GVSU and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, new music composers, and the Annis Water Resources Institute. Hannah is currently pursuing study of Dance/Movement Therapy through the 92Y in New York. BA Pomona College; MFA the College at Brockport, SUNY; certifications: Pilates, Autism Movement Therapy.
Chara Huckins is a dance educator, choreographer, performer, curriculum developer, and dance advocate. She earned a BFA in modern dance from the University of Utah and a M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction Creative Arts in Learning from Lesley University. Chara has an extensive background in performing and teaching historical and contemporary dance forms. She performed with Repertory Dance Theatre (RDT) for 19 years where she danced works by (selected) Lucinda Childs, Laura Dean, Zvi Gotheiner, Margaret Jenkins, Hwai-min Lin, Elise Monte, David Parsons, Jo Strombren, Merce Cunningham, Isadora Duncan, Viola Farber, Martha Graham, Doris Humphrey, Jose Limon, Sophie Maslow, Elizabeth Waters, Helen Tamaris. Chara is a certified movement specialist that has brought the magic of dance to students and teachers with her performances, dance classes, chorography, and professional development workshops through the Utah Artist-in-Education Program. Chara teaches and choreographs for the University of Utah Tanner Dance. She is a dance educator for the Beverly Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program where she inspires hundreds of students to learn, create, and perform through the art form of dance. Chara was honored with the Sorenson Legacy Award for excellence in teaching dance education. She received the honor of Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals. Chara directs the dance program at two public schools. She organizes professional development workshops and has taught in Taiwan, Australia, Denmark, and Rwanda. Chara serves for the dance and the Child international (daCi) organization as the Membership Relations for the daCi USA board and Board Member for daCi Utah. When Chara is not in a dance studio, she enjoys dancing, traveling to national parks and exploring them, as well as figure skating. Core Teachers
Anne Green Gilbert is the Founding Director of the Creative Dance Center, Kaleidoscope Dance Company, and the Summer Dance Institute for Teachers in Seattle, WA. She has conducted hundreds of workshops for children and adults across the USA and abroad as well as taught classes for all ages at CDC for over thirty-five years. Anne served as the first daCi USA Chair from 1997-2000, Secretary/Treasurer, 2000-2003, National USA Representative to the International daCi Board, 2003-2006 and Past National Representative, 2006-2009. Anne has traveled with Kaleidoscope to 5 National daCi Gatherings and 6 International daCi Conferences. Anne is the author of Teaching the Three Rs Through Movement Experiences (1977), Creative Dance for All Ages (1995/2015) and Brain-Compatible Dance Education (2006/2019), three DVDs, BrainDance (2003/2016) and Teaching Creative Dance (2002), and numerous articles. Her awards include the 2005 NDA Scholar/Artist Award, the 2011 NDEO Lifetime Achievement Award, and the American Dance Festival Balasaraswati/Joy Ann Dewey Beinecke Endowed Chair for Distinguished Teaching in 2016.
Dr. Kathryn White Austin has over 40 years of teaching experience in the private sector, University, public school system, and community education as well as frequent guest teaching, lecture demonstration, artist-in-residencies, and conference presentations to her credit. She is a past recipient of the Outstanding Dance Educator Award for the Private Sector by the National Dance Education Organization and is a former Teacher of the Year and an Arts Teacher of the Year nominee subsequently while teaching in Osceola County. Austin is an active member of several state and national dance organizations and is currently on the Board of Directors of the Florida Alliance for Arts in Education and Dance and the Child International-USA. She is one of the founding leaders of the daCi Youth Leadership program. Dr. Austin is also the Chair of NDEO's Mentorship Program for the Independent Sector. She is a Life Member and Fellow of the British Association of Teachers of Dancing, specializing in traditional Scottish Highland and National dances. Dr. Austin is a freelance choreographer having worked for Nickelodeon, Universal Studios - Florida, the Orlando Magic, the Florida Motion Picture Association, and various musical theatre productions. Austin is active in her home community and is an involved member of the First United Methodist Church of Winter Garden.
ASHLEY BOYACK received her BFA in modern dance from the University of Utah. She began teaching for the University of Utah Tanner Dance Program in 1991. In 2010 she earned a Masters in Arts and Teaching from the University of Northern Colorado. Then Ashley, her 4 boys and husband, Morgan moved to Lawrence, Kansas. She joined the Lawrence Arts Center, where she served as the Artistic Director of the Youth Dance Theater. She also performed as a guest with the 940 Dance Company, created the preschool dance and modern dance curriculum, co-created the boys sports dance class curriculum, and served as the Lawrence Arts Center Dance Education Specialist. In 2016 she was honored with the Sorenson Legacy award for outstanding teaching in dance education. Ashley currently teaches full time at the University of Utah Tanner Dance program where she is Director of Professional Development. As director she has organized and conducted countless professional development workshops for teachers all across the state of Utah, Oklahoma, Canada, and Kansas.
Brigham Young University Emeritus Professor Marilyn Berrett (MA-BYU, BFA-U of U) developed her lifelong passion for teaching creative dance as a child and youth - dancing , choreographing, and teaching with Virginia Tanner in Children’s Dance Theatre. During her 38-year career at BYU, she artistically directed dance companies, choreographed contemporary/modern dance works, musical theatre and film. In 2002 she founded and directed BYU Kinnect, an outreach company presenting educational dance performances and workshops to over 16,000 public school students annually. Berrett has presented at daCi local, national and international conferences for the past twenty years. She served as Chair of the Department of Dance at BYU from 2010 – 2017 and retired in 2018.
Linda retired June of 2019, after serving for 36 years as a member of the Hope College Department of Dance [Chair from 2004-2015]. A graduate of the National Academy of Arts, she received her BFA [Theatre] and MFA [Choreography/Performance] from the University of Illinois. A former member of Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, she co-founded and co-directed Aerial Dance Theatre until 2005. She set works on the Joffrey Ballet [Arpino Apprentices], Dayton Contemporary Dance Company and the Grand Rapids Ballet, among others. Her choreography has been produced in the USA, Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, Mexico & France and for the Emmy Award winning children’s television program “C’mon Over.” She also co-created, choreographed, and produced community events such as Global Water Dances (Holland), flash mobs (i.e., Tulip Time, West Michigan Petapalooza), and choreographed musicals, operas, and 100+ original works. A recipient of a Michigan Dance Association Choreographer's Award, Michigan Dance Council Maggie Allesee New Choreography Award, National Association of Regional Ballet Monticello Fellowship for Young Choreographers (2 times),"Partners In Dance" award from the Grand Rapids Ballet, she also received a Creative Artist Grant (1997) from ArtServe Michigan. In January of 2019 she was honored with the Provost’s Award for Academic Service from Hope College. In 2015 she 
Joy Guarino has been the Chair of daCi USA from 2020-23. She is the Director of Global Engagement and a Professor of Dance at SUNY Buffalo State University. Working in higher education for the past thirty-five years, she coordinates experiences that bring creative curricula and engaging opportunities to benefit faculty, staff, students, and local, national, and international community organizations with the goal of forming meaningful partnerships and collaborations. Joy has presented her research on kinesthetic learning, global learning for all, service-learning, and civic-engagement nationally and internationally. She impresses upon her students that a culture’s values are embodied in its dance forms and guides them to embrace dance as a conduit to cultural humility and an empathetic global perspective. Joy views international experiences as a pathway to cultural awareness, civic engagement, and mutual respect. She embeds local and international service-learning partnerships into the curriculum and has led numerous short-term study abroad experiences.
Steven Iannacone, dancer/choreographer/teacher, performed and toured internationally as a company member of Nikolais Dance Theater (NYC) and the Phyllis Lamhut Dance Company (NYC). He also worked for Murray Louis, Louis Falco, George Faison, Talley Beatty, Vinette Carol and was an active guest artist and solo performer. His teaching and faculty appointments include Ballet Akademien (Gotebory, Sweden), the Catholic University L.N. (Brussels, Belgium), Vlaamse Dansacademie (Brugge, Belgium), escuela de la Ballet Folklorico (Mexico City, Mexico) and Hope College (Holland, MI) as Associate Professor of Dance since 1995; and also at “stage”, workshops and residencies throughout Europe and North America. He founded “InTheBody”, an international collaborative choreography project, and was Artistic Director of dANCEpROjECt, a resident company of the Knickerbocker Theatre and Hope College.
Joshua Yago Mora received a BA in Modern Dance at Brigham Young University after which Joshua co-founded Triptych Figures and collaborated in the launch of Speakers’ Corner--a platform for art and discussion based on activism. Joshua was a part of several project based works, and most recently was a company member of Jacksonville Dance theater. Joshua was recently awarded the Educator in Excellence Award in January of 2023 by Utah Dance Education Organization (UDEO). Currently an MFA candidate in Modern Dance at the University of Utah, Joshua is passionate about the effect of both personal intersections and the intersections of powers on the body and how the relational (self to self, self to others, and self to community) might aid in a collective healing. Art and dance as a way of healing, sensing, and activism fuels a lot of the guiding questions of Joshua’s artistic research.
Rachel Swenson is a licensed Idaho K-12 teacher serving as a dance teaching artist for Idaho Commission on the Arts and the Utah Arts Council as well as a dance specialist and the Creative Director at Idaho Fine Arts Academy, a grades 6-12 public arts school of choice in West Ada School District. She teaches both the art-of-dance and how to incorporate dance as an integrative learning tool through project-based choreography with students that focuses on connections to dance history, current events, life skills, environmental issues, and social issues. Swenson is the co-director/co-founder and curator of the Idaho Screendance Festival. She has performed professionally in various venues in Utah and was a guest performer for Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company. She has also performed for choreographer Meghan Durham Wall for the Paradigm Dance Project and Jim Moreno's Proving Ground Dance Company. Performing the works of Hanya Holm and Alwin Nikolais have been highlights of her professional experience. 
Vincent E. Thomas, dancer, choreographer and teacher, received his MFA in Dance from Florida State University and a BME in Music from the University of South Carolina. He has danced with Dance Repertory Theatre (FSU), Randy James Dance Works (NY/NJ), EDGEWORKS Dance Theater (DC), and Liz Lerman Dance Exchange (MD). His choreography has been presented at various national and international venues including DUMBO Festival (NY), Velocity Festival (DC), Modern Moves Festival (DC), Philly Fringe (PA), Edinburgh Fringe Festival (UK-Scotland), Barcelona and Madrid, Spain, Avignon, France, Athens, Greece, Bari, Italy, Copenhagen, Denmark, Shanghai, Taipei, and Singapore. He received rave reviews for his performance of “Come Change” (2012) and “iWitness” (2014) in the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland. Vincent was the Movement Coach/Choreographer for Everyman Theater’s 
Teresa VanDenend Sorge, EdM is a dancer, dance educator and Founding Director of Koresh Kids Dance. An outreach initiative of Koresh Dance Company, Koresh Kids Dance serves nearly 500 Philadelphia public school children each week. For nearly a decade she was a full-time lecturer at Muhlenberg College in the department of Theatre and Dance specializing in dance education and developing a dance education laboratory. She remains a part time lecturer at Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia using creative dance and choreographic practices to encourage empathy and kinesthetic awareness for medical students. Teresa recently moved to Cincinnati where she teaches dance at NKU and Miami Valley Ballet Theatre. Teresa has created a dance collective with collaborator Rowan Salem and they were recently awarded an Artswave grant for their upcoming project, Synergy Series. Teresa’s choreography and scholarship has been shared at multiple venues and in many community settings, including the Philadelphia Fringe Festival, The Cincinnati Art Museum, the Mayo Clinic, Northern Kentucky University, National Guild for Community Arts Education, Arts and Literacy Conference at UPenn, and National Dance Education Organization. Teresa attended Anne Green Gilbert’s SDIT, as well as the Institute for Restorative Arts with Buildabridge International, where she served as teaching faculty and Artist on Call. Teresa holds a BA in Dance Education and Dance Performance/Choreography from Hope College in Holland, Michigan and a Master of Education in Dance degree from Temple University. She is a 2023 candidate for Master of Fine Arts in Dance at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the mother of two dynamically creative children.
Maribeth Van Hecke is a mover, producer and loves collaboration and problem solving. After graduating from Hope College with degrees in Dance and Creative Writing, she studied with Inlet Dance Theater in Cleveland, OH, and performed with Talespinner Children's Theater. She has collaborated with StrikeTime Dance Theater on the creation and choreography of their work each year since 2015, and traveled to Adelaide, AUS for DaCI International with the company as a choreographer. Maribeth is the current Producer for Mason Street Warehouse and Performance Manager at the Saugatuck Center for the Arts. Check out the summer season here: Options Teachers
Elizabeth Kattner Ph.D. is a dance educator, scholar, and choreographer. She performed widely in the US and Europe in both ballet and Baroque dance. Currently, she serves as Assistant Director of the School of Music Theatre and Dance at Oakland University and coordinates the Dance Education program. She has given professional development workshops for K-12 teachers at Michigan Dance Festival, SHAPE Michigan, Baltimore County Schools, and for the Detroit Public Schools Community District. Her research has been presented internationally in Berlin, Dublin, Manchester, and Toronto, and has been published in Ballet Review, Dance Research Journal, Journal of Dance Education, and the program notes of the Grand Rapids Ballet, and the State Ballet Berlin. She serves on the editorial board of Dance Education in Practice and International Journal of Education and the Arts. Her book, Finding Balanchine’s Lost Ballets was released by University Press Florida in November 2020.
Katy Van Soest is currently an elementary visual arts teacher for Zeeland Public Schools in West Michigan. She teaches over 400 students weekly ages young fives through fifth grade. After receiving her BA from Hope College, she began teaching 3rd grade, kindergarten and young fives in Grandville in 1998. After not having art in elementary school, Katy developed a passion for the arts as a young child. On Saturday mornings, she fell in love with visual art when she began drawing and painting still lifes in her first sketch book. Throughout her career, Katy has helped plan Fine Arts festivals, art shows, created art for the Little Read and helped develop 3rd grade arts collaboration that connects art with live dance with Hope College’s Strike Time Dance. You may contact her at kvansoes@zps.org
Dorothy is a certified yoga instructor and is currently designing yoga and wellness 
Jessica’s purpose is to inspire people to live wildly satisfying and healthy lives. Through movement we find health, is her motto. Jessica is a movement educator and she loves to help her clients find joy in their bodies through the modalities of Nia® and Pilates. She has a unique ability to help you get out of your head and into your body, leaving judgment and comparison at the door so that you can learn to move your own Body’s Way, find your most optimal health and smile while doing it.Perspectives Teachers
Juliana Azoubel (Juliana Amelia Paes Azoubel) 
Enya-Kalia Jordan is a choreographer, researcher, scholar, teaching-artist, and multiple award recipient from Brooklyn, New York. She received a Bachelor of Arts from SUNY Buffalo State in 2017. Enya-Kalia received a Master of Fine Arts from Temple University and founded the college's chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts in 2019. In 2023, she was named an “Artistic Visionary” honored as Temple University’s 30 under 30 distinguished Alumna. In 2020, she began her doctoral studies at Texas Woman’s University, researching the decolonization of dance studies writing, Black embodiment, and Black womanhood. In 2023, she was awarded doctoral candidacy. She was also awarded the 2022-2023 Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Spouses Education Scholarship for high academic and leadership potential for her Ph.D. work and community activism. In 2022, she presented her research at the Collegium of African Diasporic Dance at Duke University, National Dance Education Organization’s Professional Development Day and Annual Conference, Dance and the Child International conference, and the Decolonizing Tertiary Dance Education conference hosted by Stockholm University. Jordan is a teaching-artist with Dancewave, Amanda Selwyn's Notes in Motion Outreach Theatre, Abron’s Center for the Arts, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music's Dance Africa program. Currently, she is the Manager of Dancer Development & Diversity at MSG Entertainment. She has also been invited to teach at Bates Dance Festival, been an assistant professor at SUNY Erie, and lecturer at the University of Virginia. Enya-Kalia has performed with Buffalo State's Dance Theatre Company, Kariamu & Company, Kimmel Center's Philadelphia Festival of the Arts, Carlos Jones, Merian Soto, Camara Arts West African Dance Company, and dances with RACHEL: dancers. She has performed and/or presented work at the University of West Indies International Dance Conference in Barbados, Pennsylvania State at Abington, Collegium of African Diasporic Dance at Duke University, Dance For the Child International conference in Salt Lake City, Kun-Yung Lin’s Inhale Performance Series, Temple University’s Conwell Dance Theater, BAAD! Ass Women in Dance Festival, EstroGenius Festival, Bates Dance Festival, Dancewave, and many more.
Rachel loves sharing her passion for dance with others. Rachel has been dancing since the age of 3 years old. It all started with Ballet, then she took Pointe for many years and also did liturgical dance. She has been line dancing for over 18 years. Rachel has been teaching Zumba® for over 12 years, she also teaches Yoga, Line Dancing and BOSU. Rachel is a Community and Alumni Dutch Dance Director and a Dutch Dance Costume Director. Rachel also loves teaching others about holistic wellness whether that be with essential oils or hemp oil products. She is also a Certified EarSeeds Practitioner. When she isn't found dancing she loves spending time with her husband and their two sons. Her hobbies also include dressmaking, sewing, cooking, baking, and canning. 
Lianna Norris is an experienced dance professor and choreographer with a passion for Hip Hop Dance and Hip Hop Culture. With over 10 years of experience, she has worked with dance teams, studios, artists, and individuals, providing high-quality choreography and instruction.Hope College Campus
Housing and Meals
Standard Residence Hall
These buildings offer a traditional residence hall ambiance and are well equipped with lounges and laundry facilities. The rooms are double occupancy with shared bathrooms on every floor. Standard residence halls are non-air-conditioned. Linens are provided.
Chaperones are required for all groups which involve youth participants (18 and under). Groups must provide 1 adult chaperone for every 10 youth participants. Adult chaperones are responsible for the supervision of participants from arrival to departure, and must be housed with the participants.
- Double occupancy: $30/night
- Single occupancy: $48/night
- Linens: $25 (includes sheets, pillow, blanket)
- Meal plan (9 meals): $105/week (12+) or $50/week (11 & under)
There is an option to arrive on Tuesday, July 25th, but not to stay Sunday evening. Contact Nicki Flinn for more details.
Haworth Inn and Conference Center
(225 College Avenue Holland, Michigan 49423)
The Haworth Hotel (located on Hope College Campus) has a limited number Single King Rooms held for the daCi USA Gathering at $299.00 per night
With the group code, guests can go to www.haworthhotel.com and make their reservations online www.haworthhotel.com and make their reservations. The group code should be entered as the group code when prompted.
You can also call 616-395-7200 and speak to a guest service representative to make a reservation. Group Code: 2307DACIRB. Rooms must be booked no later than April 15, 2023.
Marriott Downtown Holland and City Flats are a short walk to campus.
Local Airbnb’s within walking distance may be an option.
There are several hotels in the greater Holland area, but they will need transportation, they are not in walking distance.
Dress Recommendations
For most classes, participants should be prepared with comfortable clothing that gives them access to their full range of motion. The clothing should be appropriate for higher temperatures and close contact and weight sharing with other dancers.
It is a good idea to travel with a pair of dance socks as some studio floors are stickier than others. You will want a good pair of walking shoes for traveling around Holland and Hope College campus as well.
All dancers should wear coverups to and from class and when on the Hope College campus and in town. Your daCi T-Shirt is a perfect option for that!
Shoes or special footwear are only required for select options and perspectives classes. Check the schedule when it is released to determine if specific clothing or shoes will be required.
Call for Performances
The National Gathering schedule includes evening performances by individuals and groups who are daCi members and registered for the conference. To accommodate as many groups as possible, we ask that solos be no more than four minutes and group performances no longer than six. Groups will be given priority over solos. However, we will strive to accommodate all requests.
Groups and individuals must submit electronically using the google form linked below. In the submission form, you will be asked to provide the following:
- Link to a video of the dance
- Photo of costumes (if the video performance doesn't include them)
- Music file with the best sound quality possible (MP3 or MP4 files)
- Concert registration information
- Technical requirements
Acceptance Criteria for Group/Solo Performances
- Performers must hold a daCi individual or group membership and must register for the National Gathering.
- Movement, content, style, and costumes must be age-appropriate.
- Content connects to the National Gathering theme of “Anchored in Hope: Expanding Horizons” in some way.
- Choreography should demonstrate an inclusive, process-oriented approach (i.e. children’s thoughts and contributions have been incorporated throughout the choreographic process, thus staying true to daCi’s objectives).
- Solos will be a maximum of 4 minutes and group pieces a maximum of 6 minutes.
- We will try to accommodate all performance requests.
The submission deadline is February 15th. Performers will be notified on March 1.
Registration and Pricing
| Early Bird
Jan 1 – April 30 |
Regular/Full
May 1 – June 30 |
Non-Member Pricing
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood (0-6 years) | Free | Free | Free |
| Youth/College Students | $200.00 | $245.00 | $295.00 |
| Adults | $275.00 | $325.00 | $375.00 |
| Chaperone | $100.00 | $125.00 |
Adult participants can hold an individual membership or be one of the adults listed on a group membership registered for a family ($75), dance group ($75), or organization/institution ($100).
College students can be affiliated with an individual student membership ($30) or as part of their university/college institutional membership ($100), which provides membership status to five individuals with each membership.
Youth participants should be affiliated with a daCi USA family or dance group membership ($75).
Chaperones do not need to have membership in daCi USA to register for the conference as a chaperone.
Cancellation Policy: $75 of registration is non-refundable. The last day to cancel and receive a refund for the remaining registration amount is Friday, June 16th. If you cancel later than Friday, June 16th you will have to work with conference organizers to find out if any refund for dorms/meal plans is available. Cancellations should be requested in writing and emailed flinn@hope.edu. If the Gathering is canceled, a full refund will be given. daCi USA cannot be held responsible for any cancellation or change in charges assessed by airlines, travel agencies, or other institutions in the event of program cancellation.
Scholarships
The daCi USA Board of Directors is delighted to announce a grant from the Cooper-Newell Foundation to support scholarships for the 2023 daCi USA Gathering in Hope, Michigan. The Board is committed to assisting as many attendees as possible who apply to the scholarship fund. To meet this goal, the scholarship will cover the Gathering Registration Fees, as described above. Scholarships will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis so it is advisable to apply as early as possible.
The scholarship fund is available to all participating members of daCi USA, or those affiliated through group/family or institutional memberships, who register to attend the Gathering. This includes Youth/College Students, Adults (19+), and Chaperones. One-to-one dance partners of participants with disabilities are eligible to apply for scholarships.
Application Process
Fill out the google form at the link below to submit your application. The priority deadline for applications is January 1st. The final deadline is March 1. Applicants will be notified about the awards on January 1 and April 1.
Completing the application takes about 10 minutes if you have the following items ready.
- Personal Contact Information
- Knowledge of the status of your daCi USA Membership
- If traveling with a group, you need knowledge of whether your studio, school, or teacher has a current daCi USA Membership
- Statement of financial need (200 words or less)*
- Description of how the applicant’s attendance at the gathering will enhance the applicant’s broader life experiences. (200 words or less)
*Chaperones need only complete the statement of financial need on the application. They do not need a description of how the Gathering will enhance their broader life experience.
Contact Mady Cantor at mcantor@brynmawr.edu and Carol Day at Carolanneday@gmail.com if you have further questions about scholarships or need any assistance.
Participating as a Chaperone
There should be at least one chaperone for every 10 youth participants at the National Gathering. Chaperones take responsibility for responding to youth participants' needs throughout the conference. Chaperones help young dancers find their classes and navigate the dorms, dining hall, and campus.
The chaperone fee includes the following:
- Opening Performance and Ice Cream Social on Wednesday evening
- Class Observations
- Thursday & Friday evening performances
- Gathering Showing on Saturday
- Closing Dance Party on Saturday evening
Things to do in Holland!
Plan to arrive a day or two early or stay after the conference to experience all that Hope has to offer, including brilliant mountains, hiking trails, museums, libraries, theatres, and restaurants. Browse the Holland Chamber website for information about activities in and around Holland.
White sandy beaches on Lake Michigan – Holland State Park and Tunnel Park, berry picking, dune rides in Saugatuck, and parks galore.
Explore Hope College Campus
Pool, basketball courts, exercise equipment, and racquetball courts in the Dow Physical Education Center Central green area for informal gatherings or to relax and unwind
Contact Us
- General Questions: Nicki Flinn - flinn@hope.edu
- Scholarships: Mady Cantor - mcantor@brynmawr.edu & Carol Day carolanneday@gmail.com
- Performances: Cally Flox - cally_flox@byu.edu
- Registration/Payments: Nicki Flinn - flinn@hope.edu
- Membership: Sean Guymon - webmaster@daCiUSA.org
*dance and the Child international (daCi) is a nonprofit organization aiming to promote growth and development in dance for children and youth internationally, irrespective of race, color, sex, religion, and national or social origin.
