Dance is one of the performing arts disciplines where digital visibility has the least tradition. But festival programmers and venues now search online first. When they receive a submission, the first thing they do is look up the company’s name in a browser. What they find in the next thirty seconds determines whether they keep reading the dossier.
A contemporary dance piece can be extraordinary and never reach any programme because the professional materials accompanying it are insufficient, outdated or impossible to find.
Who is looking for you and where
Every opportunity comes with someone who has to make a quick decision about whether your proposal fits. These are the profiles that search for you:
Dance festival programmers
Mercat de les Flors, FIRA de Tàrrega, Théâtre de la Ville, TANZMESSE, Spring Dance: each circuit has its own selection process, but they all start the same way — by reviewing the company's digital materials. They look for a technical rider, a video of the piece and an artistic dossier that explains the proposal in under two pages.
Theatres and venues
Theatres with stable programming need to know whether they can technically accommodate the proposal before discussing anything else. The technical rider with stage dimensions, rigging requirements and set-up time is the first document the technical manager of any venue will read.
Artistic residencies
Creation residencies select projects in progress. They need to understand the research phase, the residency objectives and who makes up the team. A residency dossier is different from a programming dossier: it explains the process, not the result.
Journalists specialising in performing arts
They look for high-resolution downloadable stage photos, a short synopsis and a narrative angle. If they have to contact you to request materials, most move on to the next project. A press section on the website, with photos cleared for editorial use, removes that friction entirely.
The specific tools for dance
Company EPK. A dance EPK is different from a musician’s EPK: it includes a complete technical rider (stage dimensions, rigging requirements, set-up and strike times, personnel needed), an artistic dossier, a synopsis in two formats (short and long), a team profile and the full rider. All accessible from a single link. Read the guide: EPK for dance and circus companies.
High-resolution stage photos. The key distinction for dance: they must be action shots, not posed photos. A posed shot of performers on an empty stage communicates nothing about the piece. What a programmer needs is to see the movement, the lighting, the relationship between bodies and space. Ressona works with Pocallum for stage photography during rehearsals and premieres. Read: press photos for artists.
Video of the specific piece. Not a company showreel: the video of the piece being proposed. A programmer needs to see what the work looks like from start to finish (or the best fifteen minutes), with proper sound and framing that allows them to read the stage space. A well-shot phone video is better than a professional video from seven years ago of a different piece.
Company website with downloadable technical rider. The website is the permanent centre of a company’s digital identity. It must include a downloadable PDF technical rider, a stage photo gallery, videos, touring history, team bios and direct contact. Ressona works with LinuxBCN to build performing arts company websites optimised for search engines and easy to update.
Presence on European circuits. Circostrada, Aerowaves, On the Move: directories and networks of European programmers working specifically with contemporary performing arts. Appearing in them guarantees nothing, but not appearing systematically eliminates opportunities. Presence is the first step towards international distribution circuits.
The first filter is visual
A dance festival programmer receives hundreds of submissions. The first filter is visual: if you don't have quality stage photos, your dossier won't make it past the first click. It's not a question of aesthetics — it's a question of professional credibility.
Related articles
- Pitching a project to a festival: how to prepare your submission
- Promoting a show: the minimum communication plan
- Contemporary dance festivals in Europe
- Press photos for artists
- What is an EPK and what is it for
- EPK for dance and circus companies
Ressona supports dance companies and artists in building the professional materials programmers need: EPK, website, stage photos and presence on distribution circuits. Ressona works with Pocallum for stage photography and with LinuxBCN for digital infrastructure. Tell us about your project.