Artist Application
Greetings from Dance Chicago. This is our 29th Season.
The deadline for the submission of your application with links to view your work is September 1, 2023. The development of new choreography of the highest artistic quality remains a major focus of the festival.
Dance Chicago 2023-24
Athenaeum Main Stage Shows
Dance Transformations 11/11/23
Dances from the Heart 2/10/24
Nichols Concert Hall
Music Institute of Chicago, Evanston
Duke it Out! 12/9/23 @ 10 am & 2 pm
This application will apply to all shows. A $25 application fee must accompany the application for all new applicants. If you appeared on stage in Dance Chicago 2021-22, we are waiving that fee this year. We will review up to 5 works. Works viewed should be labeled: Company, Choreographer, Title, Length, number of dancers. I will be curating each work on each program, via video links performance or latest rehearsal footage. REMEMBER TO REMOVE VIEWING RESTRICTIONS!
I must see your proposed work. Deadline to view work is September 1, 2023. I do not view works on DVD’s. A short texted rehearsal video will also suffice. We are interested in seeing quality work from anyone, but the dances must fit into our programming structure and stages.
We are designing programs for the Athenaeum mainstage (985 seats), and Nichols Concert Hall (500 seats) in Evanston and the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts. If you wish to create dances for more than one program, remember that the perfection of one dance is more important than the creation of two or more average ones. In addition, shorter dances are more versatile and can often be used on multiple programs. Dances longer than 6 minutes have to be exceptional to hold up to audiences and critics. The optimum time for a dance is 3 to 6 minutes. The most successful works (i.e. good reviews, audience appeal, etc.) are generally in this time range. If you are a dance school, you should only be sending your best, most advanced work.
You organization, dancers and their families must promote the shows in which you are appearing. We will issue you discounts for dancers, families and your entire data base. We require that you promote this show as you would your own production. Dance Chicago’s audience is built by all companies doing their part. Dance Slam is the oldest dance competition in Chicago. Unlike other pricey competitions THERE ARE NO LARGE ENTRANCE FEES!
Unique to dance slam: the entire audience votes in three categories: Choreography, Production, Technique which are then totaled. This is valuable audience input from over 900 viewers. Works cannot exceed 5 minutes under any circumstances. There will be as many as 24 companies/acts, so it is critical to keep your time less than 5 minutes so that all will have an opportunity to perform. Online voting will premiere this year.
Once accepted, you will be allowed 15 minutes of tech time on stage to perfect your lighting, sound and staging. We supply all the production crew. Be prepared to arrive 30 minutes prior to your tech time and check in with the production manager – the back row of the first floor in the house.
Your UNFORMATTED playbill copy for all shows is due 7 days prior to your performance, emailed in this order:
REMOVE EMAIL TEXT FORMATTING AND SINGLE SPACE ONLY
Name of Company
Name of School
Artistic Director
Title of Work
Choreographer
Music Composer
Dancers
Number of Dancers
Length of work
website
BEGIN ARTIST APPLICATION BELOW