When Choreographers Mind the Gap: Houston’s Favorite Dance Showcase Hits Forty

It’s been almost ten years since the heads of Dance Source Houston, the Bayou City’s diligent and committed resource organization for the local field of dance, hatched an inspired plan. Executive Director Mollie Miller and then Board President Stephanie Todd Wong recognized a need for performance opportunities for the city’s dance-makers, as well as production training so that these artists could utilize the newly opened Midtown Arts and Theater Center Houston (MATCH).

For the uninitiated, MATCH was christened in late 2015 and offered Houston’s small- and mid-size arts organizations four distinct theater spaces, a gallery, rehearsal rooms, and office space at subsidized rates. “Mind the Gap started as a way for both MATCH and Dance Source Houston to get more dance into Matchbox Two,” says Miller, “specifically those artists that were not ready to rent and do their own full evening.”

Matchbox Two happens to be the facility’s designated dance space, and was designed with the art form in mind, from the lighting plot, to the sprung floor, to the raked proscenium seating. Prior to the MATCH, small dance companies and independent choreographers relied on the beloved Barn, a black box space founded as the Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex by Suchu Dance.

“Mind the Gap created a program that helped artists understand the capacity of Matchbox Two,” says jhon r. stronks, Dance Source Houston Production Manager. “Choreographers learn to maximize the theatrical capacity of the space, as well as learn how to prepare ahead in order to be effective with their time.”

Mind the Gap is more of a local showcase than a traditional festival format. For starters, it’s uncurated and is open to member companies and choreographers on a first-come, first serve basis. And it occurs between four and five times a season, making it a valuable resource for makers looking to introduce their work to an audience beyond their immediate network.

To date, the program has served more than 160 Houston-based artists, and on Sept. 15 will see its fortieth edition with a roster that includes Keeley Dunnam, NMLY.Dance, Rachel Redding, Riddles Three, Paty Lorena Solórzano, as well as stronks. One half of collective NMLY.Dance, Lori Yuill, has been participating in the format since its inception in January 2017.

“I regularly participate in Mind the Gap as a way of sharing and capturing landmarks in the trajectory of a creative process,” says Yuill. “Performance is part of my process because it unlocks portals – meanings, structures, feelings, essences, and residues – that are different and aren’t always accessible in rehearsal.”

Without the high-stakes element of curation, the Dance Source Houston team is able to focus on skillsets that are not aesthetically driven. While established dance/choreographers frequently make use of the program to showcase their latest creative evolution, it’s also proven to be a valuable resource for artists at the beginning of their creative lives.

Emilie Anne was a Choreography Diploma student in 2022 when she utilized Mind the Gap to create “Voice of the Swan,” a twelve-minute work inspired by a story from the Buddha’s childhood. She later performed the piece in both Nepal and France, and over the next three years used Mind the Gap to develop additional sections of her exploration of the Buddha’s life.

“I learned so much from the Dance Source Houston staff about production management, how to write a lighting cue sheet, and how to communicate effectively with lighting technicians to bring my artistic vision to life,” says Anne. “What began as learning a practical skill quickly grew into a genuine creative passion that brings me immense joy.”

This multi-year cycle of work culminated this past June when Emile Anne, under the banner of her Wu Wei Company, premiered the evening-length The Lion’s Roar in Matchbox Two, the very theater where her journey began.

As a working choreographer, I can attest that the uncurated platform allows for a great deal of experimentation without the high financial stakes of self-production. My community-driven practice, which blends non-traditional movers with professional dancers, made its premiere in the final pre-pandemic Mind the Gap in early 2020, launching a series of community ensemble works over the next several seasons.

When I returned to Houston from a choreographic residency in 2023 with a newfound interest in pantomime and expressive facework, I used the opportunity to signal a new direction in my choreography. For me, as the head of a local dance company, Mind the Gap has been instrumental in developing a full season, allowing me to present commissions by Houston-based Ashley Horn and South Texas College Dance Lecturer Jose Zamora.

Mind the Gap performances now include a post-reception component, magnifying the community spirit that has emerged from the platform. “The artists in the program always end up learning a lot from each other during production meetings and backstage chats,” says Anne. “We trade stories, share our experiences, and root for each other.”

Dance Source Houston has proven that for new choreography to proliferate, a little bit of opportunity and camaraderie goes a long way.

—ADAM CASTAÑEDA