{"id":140326,"date":"2026-01-19T17:54:10","date_gmt":"2026-01-19T17:54:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/140326\/"},"modified":"2026-01-19T17:54:10","modified_gmt":"2026-01-19T17:54:10","slug":"rachel-turner-on-nachmo-la-l-a-dance-chronicle","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/140326\/","title":{"rendered":"Rachel Turner on NACHMO-LA | L.A. Dance Chronicle"},"content":{"rendered":"

The popular New York program, NACHMO (National Choreography Month), has set down roots here as NACHMO-LA<\/a> and on February 6 and 7 brings 30 choreographers to the Stomping Ground<\/a> stage. The 2026 NACHMO-LA choreographers, each night\u2019s show details, and ticket link are below.<\/p>\n

NACHMO-LA producer Rachel Turner<\/a> took time from show preparations to talk with LADC writer Ann Haskins about NACHMO-LA and wrangling more than two dozen choreographers.<\/p>\n

Haskins:\u00a0 What exactly is NACHMO-LA?<\/p>\n

Turner:\u00a0 NACHMO is a shortened version of National Choreography Month which is January. It\u2019s also the name of the program that began in New York that offers choreographers a creative challenge to create something in a short time period, to create a new work during January\u2019s 31 days for performance in February. I participated in NACHMO when I was in DC and it was a way to find community. When I moved here, the program wasn\u2019t out here yet. Since I had participated, I thought I would start it here.<\/p>\n

\"2020<\/a><\/p>\n

2020 \u2013 \u201cMirage 2\u201d by Kelly O\u2019Connor \u2013 Photo by Gregory M. Kasunich.<\/p>\n

Haskins:\u00a0 What is involved?<\/p>\n

Turner:\u00a0 NACHMO is pretty simple.\u00a0 It\u2019s meant to kick off the year getting an old idea out of the back of your head and trying something new. Choreographers sign up to create something during the month of January for a showing in February.\u00a0 They sign up, but there isn\u2019t a formal application, except to say \u201cThis work is new. I haven\u2019t started it before January.\u201d There is a $45 earnest money deposit that is refunded after the show unless they fail to show up for the rehearsal or the shows. After the performance, choreographers get photos and a video of their work, plus audience feedback.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been doing this for eight years and I\u2019m proud of our track record of selling out every show as we have grown, and especially our recent years being at Stomping Ground. We want to encourage dance lovers to come and be part of this special program. We have our choreographers for this year, but I want to reach out to choreographers who might not be aware of how NACHMO works and the different styles of dance involved, not just contemporary and modern, but also hip hop, ballet, jazz, experimental dance.<\/p>\n

\"2020<\/a><\/p>\n

2020 \u2013 \u201cfixation\u201d by Jose\u0301 Argueta \u2013 Photo by Gregory M. Kasunich.<\/p>\n

Haskins: In past years, NACHMO-LA had 15 or more choreographers in each show.\u00a0 How do you keep things from becoming a marathon into the wee hours?<\/p>\n

Turner:\u00a0 There is a time limitation, no more than seven minutes. It used to be eight minutes, but we found most people doing longer works were about seven minutes, but most do shorter, three to four minute pieces. Also, choreographers are only guaranteed one night, but they may get both nights. Right now, I think about 30 choreographers have signed up. The time limit and guarantee of a spot in one night has been a way of keeping it from becoming a marathon. Also, for those getting a second show, we do a lottery, and only like five or six people get to perform both nights. That is another way to ensure that the shows don\u2019t go on forever.<\/p>\n

\"2023<\/a><\/p>\n

2023 -\u201cNutrition\u201d by Saryh Deadmon \u2013 Photo by Gregory M. Kasunich.<\/p>\n

Haskins:\u00a0 Why a lottery?<\/p>\n

Turner:\u00a0 Opting for the lottery system, rather than trying to choose the best works, is something that comes from NACHMO in New York. Actually in New York City, there\u2019s so much dance, it\u2019s a lottery to even get to show your work. And not everyone does. So the randomness of a lottery, making sure that no one is adjudicating the best works to show both nights, is another hallmark of NACHMO.<\/p>\n

\"2023<\/a><\/p>\n

2023 \u2013 \u201cstill here\u201d by Stephanie Mizrahi \u2013 Photo by Gregory M. Kasunich.<\/p>\n

Haskins:\u00a0 You mentioned that the choreographers get audience feedback.<\/p>\n

Turner: The audience and its participation are another thing that makes it special. We give the audience several feedback cards. In between each piece, we raise the lights in the house part way so that audience members can write any thoughts and comments. I always encourage the audience to provide feedback, especially if they are not a dancer. We\u2019ve had people write things like, \u201cOh, I\u2019m a costume designer and this is something I thought specifically about the costume design.\u201d With the entertainment and music industries here, we get an audience that is not just looking at the dancers and gives feedback in other areas of expertise like costumes or music or staging techniques. I think the ability and opportunity to give feedback shouldn\u2019t be a gate kept to those claiming expertise.<\/p>\n

I feel like people shy away from their opinions with dance. I\u2019ve gone to shows with people who aren\u2019t dancers, and they\u2019re like, \u2018Oh, well, I don\u2019t know dance.\u2019 People are very willing to have opinions on movies and music albums but feel like dance is on this pedestal and feel they can\u2019t talk about it without expertise. They bought a ticket to see the dance and choreography, so they get to voice an opinion about what they\u2019re seeing. Then we give the cards to choreographers so they are getting very raw feedback.<\/p>\n

\"2024<\/a><\/p>\n

2024 \u2013 \u201cConvergence\u201d by Rachel Turner \u2013 Photo by Gregory M. Kasunich.<\/p>\n

Haskins:\u00a0 You participated in NACHMO as a choreographer in Washington DC before moving to LA.\u00a0 When you came, how did you get drawn into starting NACHMO here?<\/p>\n

Turner:\u00a0 I had only lived here for like three months, and I just kind of started it. I was pleased to find the interest was here to have this low stakes way to create without an adjudication process. I found Studio A which is a great, affordable space. I knew a few people. I posted the event on Facebook and other social media. That first year we had, maybe 12 to 15, choreographers, and maybe a total of 30 dancers. As we grew, we moved to a larger theater, and during the pandemic the 2020 show was in a park. This is our fourth year at the Stomping Ground, and we have grown to about 30 choreographers and around 100 dancers. We hold dancer auditions so that people who don\u2019t have dancers lined up to dance for them can meet people, and dancers can find a chance to take part in a short term project.<\/p>\n

\"2025<\/a><\/p>\n

2025 \u2013 \u201cGirl\u201d by Taylor-Anne Murray \u2013 Photo by Gregory M. Kasunich.<\/p>\n

Haskins:\u00a0 Does anyone get paid?<\/p>\n

Turner:\u00a0 No. It is basically self-funded.\u00a0 We don\u2019t receive any money from the national NACHMO. As I mentioned, the choreographers pay a $45 refundable deposit, sort of like earnest money, that they\u2019re going to actually do this. That helps us with making the deposit for the theater and the other upfront costs. In the end, the choreographers get their deposit back, unless they drop out or miss deadlines or theater rehearsals.<\/p>\n

Haskins:\u00a0 Have you had choreographers return?<\/p>\n

Turner:\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 We have a number who come back every year. I feel like there\u2019s some people for whom it is their once-a-year choreography thing, that they are maybe more active in dancing or in a totally different career. And then there are people who have used this to start work that they later expanded and finished elsewhere. We have\u00a0 people who\u2019ve done it a few times and some who\u2019ve done it almost every year.<\/p>\n

\"Rachel<\/a><\/p>\n

Rachel Turner \u2013 Photo courtesy of the artist.<\/p>\n

Haskins:\u00a0 Anything else you would like folks to know?<\/p>\n

Turner: I think for the audience having the opportunity to give feedback, and also, the choreographers getting that type of feedback, are things that make NACHMO special.<\/p>\n

NACHMO-LA Performance lineup<\/p>\n

Fri., Feb. 6:\u00a0\u00a0Alondra Perez, Celine Voskanian, Jill Gregory & Zara Fuerstein, Katarina Smouse, Kristine Dimter, Lindy, Marissa Mahoney, Matthew Kane, Nadine Tran, Nicole Davis, Rachel Turner, Rebecca Aguilar, Sami Flores, Santiago Rivera, Sarah Gibson, and Yari Rivera<\/p>\n

Sat., Feb. 7:\u00a0Alice Lousen,\u00a0Alondra Perez,\u00a0Amanda Lizarraga,\u00a0Ayden Grace,\u00a0Gianna Joudi,\u00a0Jacob Bowers,\u00a0Jazz Hayes,\u00a0Jessica Koe,\u00a0Jill\/Zara,\u00a0John-Pierre Cardenas,\u00a0Marissa Mahoney,\u00a0Nadine Tran,\u00a0Nicole Craft, Rachel Turner, Rebecca Aguilar, Sami Flores, and Silas Rowland.<\/p>\n

NACHMO-LA at The Stomping Ground, 5453 Alhambra Ave., El Sereno; Fri.-Sat., Feb. 6-7, 7:30 pm, $19.36 (includes fees)\u00a0\u00a0NACHMO-LA<\/a><\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note:\u00a0 In full disclosure, among her other endeavors, Rachel Turner is a contributor to LA Dance Chronicle.<\/p>\n

Written by Ann Haskins for LA Dance Chronicle.<\/p>\n

Featured image: 2023 \u2013 Our Wonderful Storm by Sean Greene \u2013 Photo by Gregory M. Kasunich.<\/p>\n

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