IOTPD News

The IOTPD has decided to re-open the grant opportunity with a deadline of 1st November 2022.

We recognize the impact of COVID-19 on professional dance careers. We will therefore accept applications from dancers who have performed as a dancer at some point with the 24 month period before March 2020.

The Board and Associates of the International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD) have voted unanimously to appoint Jennifer Curry, Executive Director of Dancers’ Career Development, as President.
Jennifer succeeds Paul Bronkhorst, who also serves as the Executive Director of the Omscholing Dansers. Paul has served as President of the IOTPD for over a decade, succeeding Founding President Philippe Braunschweig. During his tenure, the IOTPD has grown from six organizations supporting dancers through career transition to a community of 10 countries, spanning Europe, North America, Canada and East Asia. Since 2015 the IOTPD has awarded six Philippe Braunschweig grants each worth 3000 euro directly to professional dancers around the world. The IOTPD has also produced a toolkit for new transition programs and hosted numerous successful global conferences.
Paul has worked tirelessly as an advocate for career transition for dancers and has pioneered the development and growth of the IOTPD. Paul will remain on the IOTPD Board as Executive Director Omscholing Dansers, based in the Netherlands, a founding IOTPD member country.
Paul says: “Leading an organization like the IOTPD has always felt as a huge privilege. And, although slowly, it is encouraging to see the growing number of countries that understand the concept and benefits of support to dancers facing the inevitable end of their performing careers. International collaboration expands the possibilities to empower dancers worldwide”
Jennifer Curry is a senior leader in the dance sector with over a decade’s experience working with and for professional dancers. She has been Executive Director of Dancers’ Career Development in the UK, the first transition programme for dancers worldwide, for over seven years. Jennifer will take up the role on 1st June 2022.
Jennifer says: “I am honoured and humbled to have been voted to serve the IOTPD as President. I look forward to working with colleagues around the world to continue to advocate for and directly support professional dancers throughout career transition. Through many years of dedicated service, Paul Bronkhorst has positively impacted the lives of thousands of dancers worldwide and on behalf of all Board and Associates at IOTPD we thank him wholeheartedly for his commitment and many achievements”

Despite the huge impact of the Corona virus on the dance community, the International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD) remains committed to supporting dance artists around the world.

All eleven IOTPD associates (http://www.iotpd.org/members) are responding swiftly and adapting their support programs for professional artists navigating career transition. The current situation illustrates how vulnerable a dancing career can be and how important it is to help those who are navigating this difficult and uncertain time.

To ensure the best practice programs to dance artists worldwide, the associates of the IOTPD continue to support each other as a collective of world leading career transition experts. We are working closely together to ensure the dance communities we serve continue to be supported through impactful interventions and innovative digital programs. This support has never been so critical.

The IOTPD encourages any dancer in need of support to contact the associate most relevant to them, or if not, the IOTPD directly.

The IOTPD will continue to offer the Philippe Braunschweig grant of up to € 3000 to a dancer who qualifies for this support. The deadline is 1st May 2020. For more information please click here: http://www.iotpd.org/IOTPD-Philippe-Braunschweig-Grant

Do you want to make an application for the 2020 Philippe Braunschweig Grant?
The deadline is May 1, 2020.
Go to: http://www.iotpd.org/IOTPD-Philippe-Braunschweig-Grant top download the application form and other info.

Go to http://www.iotpd.org/downloads for details and program 25th anniversary conference November 16, 2018

Have a look at our flyer: https://www.paperlesspost.com/flyer/go/Zb67J4ruAXn5mWhRk6Ja

Save the date !!!
You can find details and program in 'Downloads': http://www.iotpd.org/downloads

IOTPD 25TH ANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE,
Hosted by the International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers and Danse Transition
SAVE THE DATE! FRIDAY NOVEMBER 16TH 2018. A FREE EVENT, INCLUDES EVENING RECEPTION. LIVE STREAMED!
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16TH, 2018
10:00AM – 4:30PM
STUDIO 2, ARSENIC THEATER
RUE DE GENÈVE 57, 1004 LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND

The IOTPD has extended the deadline for applications to the 2018 IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig Grant. The new deadline is September 30, 2018. The application form may be found on the IOTPD website: www.iotpd.org

This educational grant, named in honour of the IOTPD's Founder, is meant for professional dancers who have had an international career and who do not qualify for retraining support from any one of the countries where they have danced.

Due to the very nature of the profession many of dancers have international careers. They are not bound by borders and although transition centers may exist in the country where they have worked, some dancers may not be eligible for support when they face their professional transition. Due to their scattered careers they may not meet the eligibility criteria of any one country in order to receive a retraining grant.

Canada’s national organization devoted to dance transition, Dancer Transition Resource Centre (DTRC), welcomed members of the International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD) for the foundation’s Annual Meeting on November 13th and 14th. Members of the IOTPD and observers from countries with newly formed transition programs met at DTRC’s National Office in Toronto immediately following Leap Together: Career and Life Transitions in Dance and Sport, an international conference devoted to exploring the intersection of transition issues for professional dancers and athletes.

DTRC Executive Director and IOTPD Board Member Amanda Hancox remarked “It was an honour to host this important international meeting in Canada. As the importance of addressing the issue of dancer transition continues to gain significance around the world, it has been rewarding to watch the IOTPD grow. The presence and contribution of delegates from ten countries to the IOTPD meetings and the preceding LEAP conference provided a vibrant international perspective.”

On the topic of collaborating with the sports community, and IOTPD’s presence at Leap Together, members agreed that reaching across disciplines is necessary work. The partnership between sports and dance was truly appreciated. Transition programs can certainly benefit and have more impact around transition issues if they can work with other sectors.

Every year the IOTPD Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for representatives from transition organizations around the world to share learning, discuss challenges and examine trends on the topic of career transition for professional dancers. During their two days together, delegates shared updates from their respective transition organizations, and collectively planned the IOTPD’s actions in coming years, all with an aim to increase visibility of transition as a uniquely challenging period in dancers’ careers, and to advocate for the creation of transition programs and resources in countries where none exist.

New to the table in 2016 were observers from the Institute for Music and Dance in Poland, and Dance Career Endowment Fund in the Czech Republic. We were also joined by Jeongyeon Lee, the IOTPD’s first intern recruited through a global internship program supported by Dancers’ Career Development Centre in South Korea.

In 2017, the IOTPD Annual Meeting will take place in Berlin.

Communiqué de presse

Bourse IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig attribuée à trois danseurs
Amsterdam, 13 juillet 2016

L’organisation internationale pour la reconversion des danseurs professionnels (IOTPD) a le plaisir d’annoncer l’attribution de la bourse IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig 2016 à trois danseurs. Cette bourse annuelle permet d’accompagner dans un projet de reconversion des danseurs ayant eu une carrière internationale. Cette année, les trois lauréats sont:

Naiara Mendioroz poursuit un Master en Danse Thérapie à Codarts, Université pour les Arts à Rotterdam. Elle est honorée de recevoir cette bourse internationale: “Le soutien de la bourse IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig me donne l’occasion d’avancer dans ma carrière. Je vais ainsi pouvoir me créer un meilleur avenir et construire une deuxième profession espérée."
Madame Mendioroz est une danseuse freelance. Elle a créé et dansé à travers l’Europe et aux Etats-Unis. Elle est convaincue que son expérience personnelle de la danse apportera une valeur supplémentaire au processus thérapeutique. Elle prévoit de poursuivre son travail avec des réfugiés, de même qu’avec des femmes victimes de violences domestiques.
Mark Biocca a dansé durant 12 années pour des compagnies au Canada, en Angleterre, au Portugal et en Hongrie. La pratique sur plusieurs années du GYROTONIC® lui a permis de développer sa passion pour cette méthode et de découvrir combien cette approche du mouvement peut être d’une grande aide pour les danseurs en termes de prévention des blessures et de récupération. Il commence la formation de GYROTONIC® Trainer afin de compléter son travail de danseur. "L’IOTPD m’a aidé à être fier de mon parcours artistique et de construire un futur solide, dans une période pourtant pleine d’incertitude."

Danseur au Royal Ballet de Flandres, Tom de Jager suit un Bachelor de Management événementiel: Musique et Spectacles, à VIVES (Kortrijk, Belgique). Très volontaire dans la mise en place de son plan de reconversion, Monsieur de Jager a suivi des formations en communication et gestion afin de se préparer à ces études et à sa deuxième carrière.
“Aucun mot ne peut exprimer la gratitude que j’ai de recevoir non seulement le soutien financier de l’IOTPD grâce à la bourse IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig 2016, mais aussi pour le travail assidu, l’implication et l’exemple que l’IOTPD génère tous les jours pour soutenir des danseurs comme moi. Malheureusement, cette zone d’ombre existe encore pour de nombreux danseurs à travers le monde : même si la transition a bien été organisée, cela reste une période très difficile dans la vie des danseurs. C’est pour cela que l’IOTPD est si importante à mes yeux.”

Le délai annuel de dépôt des demandes de la bourse IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig est fixé au 30 avril. Cette bourse est attribuée en hommage au Président fondateur de l’IOTPD et s’adresse aux danseurs professionnels à la carrière internationale, et qui ne peuvent prétendre à une bourse dans aucun des pays où ils/elles ont dansé. Plus de détails concernant la procédure de demande sur le site de l’IOTPD www.iotpd.org







L’Organisation international pour la Reconversion des Danseurs Professionnels - IOTPD
L’IOTPD a été créée en 1993 avec pour objectif de faciliter internationalement la reconversion professionnelle des danseurs. Elle cherche à sensibiliser et développer des méthodes pérennes pour le soutien aux danseurs sur les cinq continents. L’IOTPD est une organisation internationale qui réunit des centres de reconversion partout dans le monde. Elle soutient, promeut et coordonne des démarches de recherche, de sensibilisation et d’accompagnement afin que chaque danseur soit préparé pour une vie après la scène réussie.


Media Contact:
Paul Bronkhorst
IOTPD Président
T: +31 6 11 30 22 30
E: PhBGrant@iotpd.org
www.iotpd.org

The International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD) is pleased to announce the 2016 IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig Grant recipients. The annual competitive grant is awarded to a dancer or dancers, at or near the end of their performance careers, to help defray the costs associated with retraining for a second profession. This year the IOTPD was able to provide three dancers with retraining assistance from the IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig Grant.

Naiara Mendioroz is pursuing a Master in Dance Therapy at Codarts University for the Arts in Rotterdam, and is honored to be a recipient of this international grant. “The support of the IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig Grant has given me the opportunity to go one step further in my career. I will therefore, be able to create a better future for myself and to build up a desirable parallel profession”. Ms. Mendioroz is a freelance dance artist who has created and performed across Europe and in the USA. She feels her personal experience of what dance is and what dance can offer will bring added value to the therapeutic process. She plans to continue developing her work with refugees, as well as with women who are victims of domestic violence.

Mark Biocca has spent 12 years dancing with ballet companies in Canada, the UK, Portugal and Hungary. Over the years his own study of GYROTONIC® gave him a passion for the method and enabled him to see how its approach to movement could be of tremendous benefit to dancers in terms of injury prevention and improved recovery. Therefore he is embarking on studies to become a GYROTONIC® Trainer as a parallel career to compliment his other dance work. "The IOTPD has helped me in a time of uncertainty, allowing me to be proud of my artistic life and build a solid future."

Currently a dancer with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, Tom de Jager’s program of study is a Bachelor of Event Management: Music and Entertainment at VIVES in Kortrijk, Belgium. A strong advocate for transition planning, Mr. de Jager has completed courses in communications and business to prepare for his further studies and a second career. “Words cannot express how grateful I am, not only for the IOTPD’s financial support through the 2016 Philippe Braunschweig Grant, but also for the hard work, dedication and inspiration which the IOTPD commits on a daily basis to help dancers like myself. Unfortunately, the big black gap still exists for many dancers around the globe and no matter how well a dancer’s transition is organized it remains a very difficult period in our lives, and that is why the IOTPD is so important to me.”

The annual application deadline for the IOTPD Philippe Braunschweig Grant is April 30. This grant, given to honour the IOTPD’s Founding President, is meant for professional dancers who have had an international career and who do not qualify for transition support from any one of the countries where they have danced. Further details and the grant application are available through the IOTPD website www.iotpd.org.

It is with great sadness that the International Organization for the Transition of Professional Dancers (IOTPD) announces the passing of Alexander J. Dubé on May 19, 2016. Alex led the USA’s Career Transition For Dancers, first as Executive Director and then as President, from 2001 – 2015. A former dancer, manager, and advocate for better working and socio-economic conditions for dancers, Alex’s concern and compassion for dancers was at the forefront of all he did.

As an IOTPD Board member (2001 – 2015) Alex was a driving force and brought insight, energy, and extraordinary passion to the organization. As IOTPD President Paul Bronkhorst expressed, “What I remember from our first meeting was his overwhelming enthusiasm and determination. He knew what he wanted or felt was needed and followed his heart. In doing so he was able to convince people in a more than charming way. He has been of enormous importance to Career Transition for Dancers and to the dancers and dance community in the US. I admired Alex for his enviable skill to solve problems and I appreciated his commitment and contributions to the IOTPD. I will miss his enthusiasm, dedication, charm and his sense of humor.”

Alex will be greatly missed by all his IOTPD colleagues.

For further information on Alex Dubé’s life and career, please see the obituary from the Actors Fund http://www.actorsfund.org/others/alexander.dube.obituary.html

Performing artists in the field of danceand associated disciplines are offered the services of a newly founded Dance Career Endowment Fund. Under the patronage of the reputed arts mercenary Prof. Dadja Altenburg-Kohl, the Fund shall provide services that will help artists manage the start of their new career path, once their active dance career is over.
The fund shall offer expert support through coaching, personal counseling, psychological assistance and continuing education in the form of workshops.
Besides offering counseling services, the Endowment Fund shall be in charge of establishing a saving system with financial support from the state that will allow performing artists to invest their savings into a second career project, be it business, studying or retraining. The Dance Career Endowment Fund is based at the Arts Institute

For further information, please contact: Jana Návratová, chairwoman of the Fund’s administrative board:
jana.navratova@tanecnikariera.cz

Dance Career Endowment Fund
www.tanecnikariera.cz
residence Arts Institute, Celetná 17, Prague 1 – 110 00

Sabrina Sadowska, Founder and Chairwoman of the dancer transition centre in Germany, Stiftung TANZ, has been honoured with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany by the Federal President Joachim Gauck.
The IOTPD wants to congratulate her with this wonderful achievement. This is certainly a thoroughly well-deserved award in recognition of Sadowska's exceptional contribution to dance and culture in Germany.

On November 3 and 4 2015 a delegation ofinternational dancers' career transition organizations visited the Polish Institute for music and dance In Warsaw. They were invited for an informative meeting and exchange of expertise on career transition for dancers. The Polish Institute for music and dance was recently assigned to set up a career transition support program for dancers in Poland.
The representatives of Centre National de la Danse (France), Omscholing Dansers Nederland (the Netherlands), Association pour la Reconversion des Danseurs Professionnels (Switzerland) and Stiftung Tanz (Germany) met for two days with the Polish program leaders and newly appointed team of counsellors and psychologist for dancers. They shared their experience on the specific topic of career support for dancers in a supportive atmosphere. IOTPD wishes the best to this new program dedicated to help dancers in Poland retrain after their performance career, and supports this initiative.