In line with Dance/USA’s mission to champion an
equitable and inclusive dance field, Dance/USA administered a special program
in 2019 to address the lack of female choreographers working in ballet. Male choreographers still create the majority
of main-stage, even length works for large budget ballet companies. To help raise the visibility of female
choreographers working in mid and large budget ballet companies, Dance/USA
partnered with the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation to award grants to member
ballet companies that have both a proven track record of supporting female
choreographers and have commissioned new works by female choreographers for the
2019-2020 season. A peer panel reviewed
and selected the final six grantees* during the summer of 2019. The grant recipients are: Ballet Memphis, Charlotte Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Grand Rapids Ballet, Kansas City Ballet, and Nashville Ballet.
The female choreographers whose new work will be presented by the above mentioned grantees are:
Julie Niekrasz and Crystal Michelle Perkins | Ballet Memphis
Chelsea Dumas | Charlotte Ballet
Heather Britt, Sarah Van Patten, Melissa Gelfin, and Andrea Schermoly | Cincinnati Ballet
Penny Saunders and Dani Rowe | Grand Rapids Ballet
Melissa Gelfin, Emily Mistretta, Courtney Nitting, and Melody Walsh | Kansas City Ballet
Jennifer Archibald and Erin Kouwe | Nashville Ballet
*Eligible grantees were member ballet companies, with budgets between $1 million and $14.9 million, who had commissioned new works by at least one female choreographer in the 19-20 season, had a track record of presenting works by female choreographers, and had not received a grant by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation in the past five years.
Click HERE for more information on the works being presented in the 2019 - 2020 season by the Virginia B. Toulmin Foundation award grantees and their featured choreographers.
Click HERE for more information on member performances featuring female choreographers in ballet by non-grantees in the 2019 - 2020 season.
