2026 COMMISSION FOR DEVELOPING CHOREOGRAPHERS
OPEN CALL FOR CHOREOGRAPHY COMMISSIONS NOW OPEN.
Applications are due by Sunday, February 2, 2025 at 11:59 PM ET.
BalletCollective’s Commission for Developing Choreographers, now in its seventh year, offers choreographers the chance to partner closely with a composer and a “source artist” (any non-performative artist) to produce an original dance work and score. Two choreographers will be commissioned to make works that will premiere with live musical accompaniment during BalletCollective’s annual fall season in New York, NY in 2026, which also has the honor of being BalletCollective’s 15th Anniversary Season.
Previous recipients include Gabrielle Lamb (2017), Preston Chamblee (2019), Bryn Cohn (2022), Omar Román De Jesús (2023), and Houston Thomas (2024). The 2025 recipients will be announced in March 2025.
The name for the Commission for Developing Choreographers speaks not to the career stage of choreographers it hopes to engage—both emerging and established professional dance makers are encouraged to apply—but rather to both the hope and the lived experience that closely collaborating with artists across disciplines within the framework of The BalletCollective Process will inspire and develop unique artistic growth in participants.
BalletCollective’s central premise is the exploration of how interdisciplinary collaboration can advance the creation of new, dance-driven works that reflect the world we live in. The BalletCollective Process assembles a choreographer, a composer and a “source artist” (a non-performative artist) in a structured, monthslong process to ultimately produce an original dance-based work and original score. Founder and Artistic Director Troy Schumacher created and continually refines the Process, maximizing opportunities for creative growth and ultimately presenting unexpected pathways into the form both for the participating artists and the audiences who receive their work.
Expert panelists who will help select the 2026 Commission for Developing Choreographers recipients include:
Troy Schumacher (BalletCollective Founder & Artistic Director, choreographer, director, and New York City Ballet dancer)
Michael Sean Breeden (BalletCollective Rehearsal Director, former Miami City Ballet dancer, co-founder of the “Conversations on Dance” podcast, and répétiteur for Justin Peck)
Preston Chamblee (New York City Ballet dancer, répétiteur for Lauren Lovette, and recipient of the 2019 BalletCollective Commission for Developing Choreographers)
Gabrielle Lamb (Choreographer, Director of Pigeonwing Dance, 2024 Hearst Choreographer in Residence at Princeton University, and recipient of the 2017 BalletCollective Commission for Developing Choreographers)
Kristen Segin (BalletCollective Artistic & Administrative Manager and New York City Ballet dancer)
“Immersing myself in the creation process of new music and other art forms through BalletCollective’s signature process has expanded my ability to choreograph in ways I could never have foreseen. I am incredibly proud to offer this opportunity to others for the seventh time.”
ABOUT THE COMMISSION for Developing Choreographers
BalletCollective’s Commission for Developing Choreographers is open to any member of the dance community with prior professional choreography experience.
Choreographers will be asked to commission, with BalletCollective’s support and guidance, a composer to create an original score for their piece. These two collaborators will then be tasked to work together to identify a “source artist” (any non-performative creator or thought leader) to create or curate a piece of “source art”—a contemporary work of art in any medium—that will serve as the starting reference point for their work. Past source artists have included photojournalists, board game designers, visual artists, architects, and more, and it is through the interpretation, exploration of, and response to the source art that the dance-based work and its score ultimately arise.
The two selected choreographers will each be offered a commission fee ranging from $9,000-$18,000 based on commission length. Additional fees are paid by BalletCollective to the choreographer’s selected composer and source artist. BalletCollective will also provide to the choreographer:
dance studio space during creative residencies in New York, NY and Millbrook, NY
assistance with travel and housing during creative residencies in New York, NY and Millbrook, NY
the chance to work with an ensemble of exceptional dancers and musicians
mentorship, guidance, and support
2026 COmmission for developing choreographers - KEY DATES
Application opens: Wednesday, January 15, 2025
Virtual Office Hours (optional): Monday, January 20, 2025 from 1:00 PM - 1:30 PM ET (register here) and Monday, January 27, 2025 from 5:00 PM - 5:30 PM ET (register here)
Please note, due to software limitations, participants must be located in the USA to take part in the virtual office hours. Applicants located elsewhere are encouraged to reach out to Kristen Segin at info@balletcollective.com with any questions.
Application is due by: Sunday, February 2, 2025 by 11:59 PM ET
Interviews with applicants who make the shortlist will take place virtually March 15, March 16, and March 17, 2025 between 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM ET.
Applicants will be notified of their submission status Tuesday, April 1, 2025
The New York, NY residency will take place over two weeks in June 2026. Travel and housing support is available for choreographers who are not New York residents.
The Millbrook, NY residency will take place two weeks in July 2026. Housing, travel, and transportation for choreographers is provided.
The New York, NY premiere will take place in late October or early November 2026. Travel and housing support is available for choreographers, composers, and source artists who are not New York residents.
FOR APPLICANTS
Please apply via the form linked below. You will be asked to provide the following:
Full name, current place of residence, and email
Resume/CV in PDF format
A minimum of one (1) and maximum of three (3) work samples, all via link; we recommend Vimeo or YouTube. While you are not required to follow this order, below is the suggested order of work samples. Panelists will begin with Work Sample #1.
Work Sample #1 = A link to a video excerpt that you feel best represents your voice as a choreographer. Panelists will watch 2-3 minutes right when the link begins. *required
Work Sample #2 = A link to a video excerpt that you feel demonstrates your use of music.
Work Sample #3 = A full work or work excerpt that you would like the panel to review; ideally, this work would be recent (no more than three years old).
A short note explaining (1) why you are applying and (2) why collaborating with BalletCollective and in particular, utilizing The BalletCollective Process, would be meaningful and/or beneficial to you at this stage of your career. (200 words or less)
Please note:
A knowledge of music or musical training is helpful, though not required, for choreographic applicants.
A strong desire to collaborate with others is paramount.
Applicants are required to be a minimum of 21 years of age by June 1, 2026.
Prior applicants are encouraged to reapply with updated work samples! Several choreographers who have ultimately been commissioned were repeat applicants.
Please reach out to Artistic & Administrative Manager Kristen Segin at info@balletcollective.com with any questions or if you encounter technical difficulties.
You will need to log in with a Google Account to open and submit the form. This can be a Gmail account or a separate email you enroll as a Google Account. You may find instructions on how to do so here.
BalletCollective’s programs are made possible in part by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.
