ARENA DANCES is excited to announce an open call for early-career choreographers to apply for a new choreographic commission. This opportunity invites talented choreographers to create and showcase their work as part of the 10th annual CANDY BOX Dance Festival (CBDF), May 4-9, 2026, at the Southern Theater in Minneapolis.
Eligibility:
- Open to early-career choreographers of all backgrounds and dance styles. Early career is defined as having more than 2 and less than 10 years of experience generating their own creative work outside of a degree-granting program.
- Applicants must have completed their own original work.
- Applicants must provide 1-2 open rehearsal sessions for feedback.
Benefits:
- $1000 commission fee for selected choreographers in addition to suggested donations received upon artists performance date.
- 30 hours of free rehearsal studio space.
- Opportunity to collaborate with a professional production team.
- Exposure through our promotional channels and media partners with supplied graphic design promotion.
- Wide-angle video documentation of the choreographer’s showing.
Important Dates:
- Application Deadline: 4:30pm CST on Friday, August 15
- Announcement of Selected Choreographers: October 1
- Rehearsal Period: January-April, 2026
- Performance Dates and Times: One evening from 5:30-6:30pm on either Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday (May 6-8, 2026)
Application Requirements:
- Choreography Proposal: Submit a proposal outlining your choreographic concept, including the theme, style, and artistic vision for your piece.
- Feedback/Mentorship Sessions: Provide a brief narrative of dialogue expectations/hopes from open rehearsal feedback sessions within process of creation and identify 2-3 mentors to be involved within these feedback sessions.
- Previous Work: Provide a link to video excerpt(s) showcasing your previous choreographic work.
- Availability: Confirm your availability for performance dates.
Submission Guidelines: Email your application to arenadances@gmail.com with the subject line “CANDY BOX Commission Application – [Your Name].” Applications must be received by 4:30pm CST on Friday, August 15.
Selection Process: A panel of judges will review all applications based on creativity, artistic merit, and feasibility of the proposed choreography to select 3 choreographers to participate.
Contact Information: For inquiries and application submission, please contact Mathew Janczewski at arenadances@gmail.com.
We look forward to receiving your creative proposals and collaborating with talented choreographers to create an unforgettable performance experience.