Hulloo! My name is Gabrielle Samuel. I am a dancer and choreographer whose work deals with themes of nature, the divine, morality and responsibility, home, and place. In my newest choreographic work, I willl be building a dance around the stars. I am asking for your help to give this work its cosmic birth. From July 20th to 31st, seven friends and I will work intensively on making: "Everyone, a moment for the stars." Over two weeks we will train together, create, and then submit our finished work to the CoCo Dance Festival, in hopes of being selected to perform in the 2026 Contemporary Choreographers' Collective show this October. I would be deeply grateful if you’d consider supporting our endeavour by contributing towards the costs of dancers’ compensation, the rehearsal space, recording services, and costumes. And I’ll tell you why all of this matters! 1. Dancers’ Compensation - Your contribution will allow each dancer to commit to the project without worrying about logistical costs, so that we can focus on the art and build an environment where creativity flourishes. Rather than being paid per performance, dancers will be paid an honorarium for rehearsals. This will help cover their costs for transport, as well as honour the skill, effort, risk and vulnerability they bring to this project, and the immense amount of time and money they have invested in their craft.

2. The Intensive format - Your contribution will allow us to meet consistently in a safe, spacious facility conducive to hard work and creativity! Similar to a Summer Intensive or a Choreographic Residency, this is an intense, concentrated choreographic endeavour. From July 20th to 31st, we will meet for four hours each day. Each day will consist of an Intermediate Fagan Technique warmup/class to sharpen our minds and strengthen our bodies, followed by two hours of creation and rehearsal. This condensed format presents an opportunity to immerse ourselves in a collective effort to invest in our practice and then to make something beautiful.

3. Recording services - Your contribution will allow us to afford recording services to include film in the work, and to document out process of making it. Videography will be done for a film component of the work. Additionally, small-scale documentary photography and videography will allow us to record not just the product of our work, but the process. As this intensive method is a relatively new approach for most of us, I’d like to keep record of the events, developments, challenges and mistakes involved, and track the evolution of the dance over the short period.

4. Costumes - Your contribution will allow us to make costumes that create stunning visuals onstage. This work calls for costumes that interact light in a specific way. Quality materials and construction will be costly.
Even seeds are made from stardust. Beginning my art at this seed level, I am simultaneously reaching for the stars. Will you have the audacity to invest in the stellar potential beneath this soil? Take a step with me; help me to create a moment for the stars. And I will keep you all updated as we continue the process of doing the work!