Thank you for your interest in New Dances 2025! Thodos Dance Chicago and DanceWorks Chicago are excited to collaborate on New Dances 2025 and continue a shared tradition of serving Chicago’s dance community. New Dances has been part of Chicago’s dance history for over four decades, originating with the Chicago Repertory Dance Ensemble in 1983. New Dances continues to offer a platform for early career choreographers to create new work with artistic, logistic, and financial support. ATTENTION DANCEMAKERS: Chicago and Chicagoland-based emerging and mid-career choreographers working in any dance genre(s) are invited to apply to create new work to be produced in New Dances 2025. Classes, rehearsals, and performances will take place from June 2-21, during Chicago Dance Month. BONUS: New Dances 2025 performances will be offered while Dance / USA is hosting its National Conference in Chicago, creating opportunities for local artists to enjoy national exposure! Application DO DATE: noon (Central time) on Friday, February 28. No exceptions. - As New Dances is focused on supporting artists who have made a commitment to the Chicago community, please respect the residency requirement: Choreographer must reside in Chicago or a suburb of Chicago as of February 28, 2025. - There is no fee to apply. - Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered. QUESTIONS? Check out the Call for Choreographers FAQ Guide! ! New Dances 2025 Choreographers will be given: - 20 hours of creative time and mentorship at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago and The Ruth Page Center for the Arts in addition to tech/production time at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts. - Access to the New Dances Company artists (including DanceWorks Chicago dancers) for casting for the purposes of creating a NEW Dance. - Complimentary Open Company Classes and access to PT provided by Athletico Physical Therapy. - Feedback and mentoring from a panel of seasoned members of Chicago’s dance community. - Opportunity to receive guidance regarding costumes. - An honorarium of $550 to cover the creation of the work from studio to stage and teaching of one company class during the creative period. - Archival video. - 2 complimentary performance tickets. CLICK HERE TO APPLY New Dances 2024 venue partners are The Dance Center of Columbia College and The Ruth Page Center for The Arts. Commitments Include: - Saturday, April 12: 5pm-7pm, New Dances 2025 Kick Off Party - Sunday, April 13: 10:30am-2:30pm, Dancer Audition and Choreographer Meeting at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts - Monday - Thursday, June 2 - 5: 9:30am-4:00pm, Classes and rehearsals at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago (*Please note that rehearsals will end at 3:30 pm on M/T/Th/F. Only Wednesday’s rehearsal will go until 4:00 pm.) - Friday, June 6: 9:30am-3:30pm, Classes, rehearsals, and Mentorship Panel Showing at The Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. - Monday - Friday, June 9 - 13: 9:30am-4:00pm, Classes and rehearsals at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts (*Please note that rehearsals will end at 3:30 pm on M/T/Th/F. Only Wednesday’s rehearsal will go until 4:00 pm.) - Monday – Saturday, June 16 – 21: (times TBA, Days and Evenings) Tech Week and Performances at The Ruth Page Center for the Arts. Please note that choreographers and dancers will be off on Thursday, June 19th in honor of Juneteenth. Performances, including post-performance Meet the Artist talks, will be held Wednesday, June 18; Friday, June 20; and Saturday, June 21 at 7:00 pm. The final performance on Saturday, June 21 may include a post-performance celebration near site. Melissa Thodos, Artistic Director Thodos Dance Chicago, and Julie Nakagawa, Artistic Director DanceWorks Chicago, will assess applications, and invitations will be extended to a select group of choreographers. Each applicant will hear back regarding the status of their application by Monday, March 17. We look forward to getting to know you and your work!