Since 2011, the SKETCH series has served as ASI’s home season. The series has a mission to foster innovation in ballet-based choreography by encouraging risk and embracing “failing-forward.” Each year SKETCH explores new challenges that push the artists out of their comfort zones and into the frontier of innovation in contemporary ballet. To date, SKETCH has presented 27 world premieres by 16 choreographers, performed by 38 dancers to more than 5,600 audience members.

In 2020, with in-person performances canceled, we pivoted our SKETCH Series and launched SKETCH FILMS, commissioning four choreographers to each create a dance film responding to an aspect of the pandemic. Like the SKETCH Series, the choreographers were given a specific task and challenge, encouraging them to make a film unlike any previous works. Dance on film is not a new genre for ASI, and we have produced several dance films that have been shown internationally. SKETCH FILMS is a natural evolution of our SKETCH Series. It’s our goal to make SKETCH FILMS a part of our annual programming.

ASI launched an Artistic Fellowship Program in 2018. This multi-year leadership program provides emerging dance leaders with mentorship, guidance, and hard skills in artistic and administrative operations. In fall 2020, we created the position of Writer in Residence, welcoming long-term collaborator Sarah Bukowski to go beyond the non-verbal communication of ballet to express and investigate pressing issues in the field to help frame ASI’s work.