ARABESQUE DANCE COMPANY

VII COMPETITION FOR CONTEMPORARY CHOREOGRAPHY

BASED ON BULGARIAN MUSIC

FOR MARGARITA ARNAUDOVA AWARD

FIRST INTERNATIONAL EDITION

ON THE OCCASION OF THE 40^TH ANNIVERSARY

OF THE FOUNDATION

OF ARABESQUE DANCE COMPANY

SOFIA

NOVEMBER 2007 

REGULATIONS

THE COMPETITION  

“Margarita Arnaudova” Competition was founded by assoc. prof. Kalina Bogoeva in 1996. The international edition of the Competition is organized together with Arabesque Dance Company and “Kalina Bogoeva” Foundation with the support of the Bulgarian Ministry of Culture. 

The Competition is an expression of the creative necessity of Arabesque Dance Company to seek interaction between Bulgarian composers and contemporary choreographers. The Competition encourages the quest for original ideas expressed in authentic, natural, contemporary dance language and style.

Margarita Arnaudova (1941-1994), which name the Competition bears, is a whole epoch in contemporary dance in Bulgaria and her spirit is still perceived in Bulgarian culture – it is like a bridge connecting the best from the past with tomorrow. 

Choreographers and dancers with professional experience in the sphere of contemporary dance can participate in the competition. The competitors must be up to 40 years of age (i.e. born after December 31^st, 1967). The competition takes place every two years.  

Five musical compositions by Bulgarian composers are offered, each with duration about 20 minutes, and every competitor has to choose one of them (information at www.margaritaarnaoudova.org) and make choreography including three to six dancers. The choreographers selected in the final round of the competition will perform their production with the professional dancers from Arabesque Dance Company. 

AWARDS  

There are two awards:

“Margarita Arnaudova” Award – EUR 1000 and Work of Art – is awarded by the audience by voting with the tickets and it is presented by assoc. prof. Kalina Bogoeva, the founder of the award and president of “Kalina Bogoeva” Foundation. 

The International Jury Award - EUR 2000.  

Encouraging awards:

- Encouraging award for original idea – presented by “Kalina Bogoeva” Foundation.

- Encouraging award for original interpretation of a musical composition – presented by Gega Music Company

- Encouraging award for original dance language – presented by International Jury  

The award-winners grant the rights of presenting their production to Arabesque Dance Company for one year. 

The choreographers have to be available for pictures and interviews in the media, for free; also they may not have any financial claims when parts of their productions are shot by TV companies for the purpose of advertising the event.

I STAGE –PRELIMINARY SELECTION 

For the preliminary selection you have to send us the following materials: 

- Application form – you may download it form the site or via e-mail (www.margaritaarnaoudova.org, www.sofiamusicmark.com/arabesque; arabesque@sofiamusicmark.com). The form must be sent via e-mail to Arabesque Dance Company (arabesque@sofiamusicmark.com) till July 25^th, 2007.

- Applicant’s CV containing detailed information for his/her professional experience in the sphere of dance as well as feedback information.

- Choreographer’s photo

- Preliminary design of the production that is to be presented at the Competition (participants: 3 to 6 dancers)

- Video or DVD containing 3-minute fragment of a choreography based on one of the offered music compositions by Bulgarian composers.

- Video or DVD containing fragments of former productions by the choreographer made during the last three years  

Deadline for sending these materials: July 25^th, 2007, the postal stamp is to be taken into consideration. 

Selection Committee chosen by the Management of Arabesque Dance Company and the award founder will evaluate the materials sent paying special attention to the originality of the concept, music interpretation and dance lexis demonstrated in the fragment. 

Deadline for announcing the participants admitted to II stage: The participants chosen will be informed via e-mail or fax (if given) till August 14^th, 2007. 

Confirmation of participation in the final stage sent by the applicants chosen and negotiating the time necessary to work with the group – till August 20^th, 2007  

II STAGE – FINAL  

- 3-4 selected projects participate in the second stage

- The choreographers chosen will perform their productions with the professional dancers from Arabesque Dance Company – from 3 to 6 dancers

- The choreographers are to be available for practicing with the group 20 days for the period from September 14^th, till November 14^th, 2007

- All choreographers will have equal number of rehearsal hours depending on the duration of their music

- Travel expenses – once in both directions – and health insurances for the period of their stay in Sofia are on the account of the applicants.

- Accommodation and daily expenses of the finalists for their stay in Sofia are on the account of the Competition.

- Each choreographer will have certain budget at his/her disposal for non-complicated costumes, and probably for minimal décor and requisite necessary for the scenic performance of the production.

- All choreographers will have at their disposal and on the account of the competition a professional Bulgarian artist for the costumes and décor as well as a lighting designer, they both will work together with the choreographers to form the whole vision of the Competition evening helping choreographers with their requirements and ideas.

- The copyright over the music played at the final evening is settled by the competition.

- For the final evening the stage provided will have size of 12 х 15 m, black background and black dance floor.

- The final evening will be between November 10^th – November 20^th, 2007 in front of an audience and international jury.

Arabesque Dance Company

3 Panajot Volov str.

1504 Sofia, Bulgaria

Tel: +359 2 988 6115

Fax: +359 2 988 6116

e-mail: arabesque@sofiamusicmark.com