March NYC Residency RECAP
A five-day creative lab with Danielle Diniz, connecting audiences to the creative process while celebrating distinctive voices in dance.
Dear reader,
Our first One-Week Choreographic Residency was an absolute success! My name is AvaRose, a Dancer and Marketing Coordinator with Pointeworks, and I'd love to share the recap of this incredible week with you:
Creation:
Choreographer: Danielle Diniz
Dancers: Ella Titas, AvaRose Dillon and Chandler Proctor
Starting her work, Danielle Diniz drew inspiration from her Mexican and Portuguese heritage, selecting a rich soundscape of Latin music that weaves together Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, and English, alongside moments of instrumental clarity.
Guided by the music, the piece begins with a slow, longing solo performed by Chandler. As the rhythm deepens and expands, a pas de deux unfolds between Chandler and Ella, while AvaRose moves through the work as a consistent, uplifting presence.
Danielle approached the creative process with the intention that each dancer be not only a body in the space, but a thinking, contributing artist. She invited each dancer to share three words that define joy for them, then wove those ideas into the choreography. This level of intention fosters a sense of ease, connection, and authenticity within the work.
Over the course of the residency, the piece evolved from learning steps into discovering the deeper meaning and intention behind each movement.
Filming:
The week of creation culminated in the development of a dance film. On Monday, March 9, Danielle and the dancers mapped the film’s structure and collaborated with Pointeworks videographer Alexander Sargent to bring the work to life on camera.
Filmed at Baryshnikov Arts Center, the studio’s natural lighting created a moody, intimate atmosphere that beautifully complements the piece. Sargent graduated from Juilliard with studies in dance and film, making his work in digital capturing unmatched by other videographers due to his knowledge of what is in front and behind the camera in a dance studio. We are thrilled to share the final work with a wider audience through film.
The film will premiere first for our Ballet Society members, offering an exclusive first look before its public release to subscribers and our broader digital community. Ballet Society membership is open year-round and includes a full year of perks, discounts, and access to exclusive content and events.
Support:
This One-Week Choreographic Residency Program provides paid, off-season creative opportunities for one choreographer and 2–3 dancers—offering studio access, artistic freedom, and a supportive environment focused on process rather than product.we aim to bring care and resources to artists for creation periods wherevery day, your support allows us to grow our impact and improve more and more lives.
At Pointeworks, we know that change starts with people like you. Together, we can create a brighter, more compassionate future for all.
Here's how you can take part:
Donate: Every dollar counts. Your gift helps us reach our goals and fund our mission.
Share: Spread the word with your friends, family, and community. Your voice can amplify our impact including following and engaging on social media.
Attend: Experience the work firsthand—your presence connects you to the artists and helps shape what we create.
POINTEWORKS
Workshops and Classes:
Over the course of the week, we offered three open company classes, providing pay-what-you-can ballet training for NYC-based professional dancers. These classes created space for artists to maintain their technique, connect with one another, and experience Pointeworks’ approach to teaching.
We also hosted two pay-what-you-can Company Repertoire Workshops—held at Gibney Studios and Alvin Ailey Studios—where dancers learned excerpts from Danielle’s new work. These workshops are designed to introduce dancers to choreography being created today, moving beyond traditional repertoire. We believe it is essential to make new choreographic voices, especially those of women, accessible to dancers, fostering deeper artistic growth and connection to the evolving landscape of the art form.
Open Rehearsal:
We held an audience of 40 guests in the Alvin Ailey Studio 1 (the "fishbowl" studio) on Sunday March 8th for an intimate look at Danielle's new piece. This open rehearsal landed on International Women's Day and felt like the perfect way to celebrate the day by supporting and accelerating female artists today like Danielle Diniz, and the female-forward mission of Pointeworks.
At this event, we showed attendees an inside look into the rehearsal process, an authentic showcase, not a performance. Danielle worked with dancers on timing, clarity, and emotion. Audiences were able to be exposed to her positive energy that she brings to the rehearsal studio, something yo don't get to see when you see a main-stage performance. The evening culminated in a full run of the work and then a Q&A with Danielle, the Dancers, and Artistic Director Sophie Williams.
We were so pleased to receive such amazing questions during this section of the event. One question I especially remember came from a gentleman who prefaced that this was the first live dance event he had ever attended. From my memory he asked the question:
"How do you as dancers trust the process when you begin a project like this with someone you don't know and a piece you don't know what will be like?"
The dancers answered with the most manful responses that shared how the supportive and healthy environment to work in helps generate trust and the way Danielle was open and welcoming to two-way-dialogue from the dancers ensured that the dancers felt safe and seen throughout the process.
We thoroughly enjoyed this evening and appreciate all who attended!
To all of our subscribers, artists, collaborators, and patrons, a big thank you for helping make this residency possible. I personally feel the love of dance spread to more people with every initiative Pointeworks takes and I am thrilled to share this residency, its amazing reaches, and exciting future with you!
Warmly,
AvaRose Dillon
Dancer and Marketing & Outreach Coordinator