The festival is curated by a selection panel from an open call process and by individual invitation. The team at Elevate Chicago Dance 2022 will identify the proposals for festival participation by consensus through a one-round process, guided by the criteria below. Elevate Chicago Dance 2022 team members: festival programming staff, local dance artists, and festival venue representatives. Note that diversity and equity will be factors in the festival selection; curation of Elevate Chicago Dance may take into consideration a balance of race, ethnicity, local geography, identities, age, and dance discipline/form.

In 2015-2017, Chicago Dancemakers Forum led the way, in partnership with the New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), to produce the local Regional Dance Development Initiative (RDDI) which culminated in the first Elevate Chicago Dance, held at 11 venues over four days in October 2017. The following year, Elevate Chicago Dance 2018 was a one-day festival of performances plus installations, workshops and discussions by 45 Chicago dancemakers, attended by over 2,500 Chicagoans, at the landmark Chicago Cultural Center. After the pandemic forced the cancellation of Elevate Chicago Dance 2020, Chicago Dancemakers rescheduled the festival for 2022 to coincide with the Year of Chicago Dance. 

Elevate Chicago Dance 2022 is open to individual dancemakers, companies, collectives, crews, and collaborations demonstrating dance/movement as a significant part in their work. A competitive proposal demonstrates the following…

• DISTINCTION (40%): The proposed dance presentation and/or activity (as evidenced by the proof of concept) effectively communicates. Successful communication can be evaluated by the applicant’s use of time, space, body, and senses in concert with a clear concept. Application demonstrates a combination of an original and clear artistic vision, distinctive artistic voice, and defined area of artistic inquiry. For proposed workshops, battles, cyphers, jams, etc. priority will be given to activities demonstrating a generosity of sharing and aiding individual and collective resources that contribute to healthy dance ecologies and community wellness.
• CAPACITY (30%): The artist(s) demonstrates both readiness and the capacity to produce the proposed performance and/or activity. The proposal demonstrates the ability to meet venue parameters in order to ensure the project’s successful presentation.
• TIMING (30%): The proposal resonates with the current moment in which we are living and/or is a compelling example of dance being made in Chicago today. In addition, the applicant establishes being at an important juncture or catalytic moment in their artistic trajectory, and conveys how being part of Elevate 2022 may advance them in their chosen path and goals.

Chicago Dancemakers Forum and Elevate Chicago Dance hold a broad definition of dance  (including improvised, communal, and/or choreographed forms) and welcome applicants working in all movement forms. Note: The festival venues may not be able to accommodate all technical elements of your work, i.e. fire, water, high ceilings, fly loft, aerial dance rigging.

All participating artists will be paid an honorarium that meets Working Artists and the Greater Economy (W.A.G.E.) requirements. The festival budget is limited; even though we would love to, we are unable to program all applying dancemakers in this event.  

Elevate Chicago Dance recognizes that there are many accomplished dance/movement artists who do not identify themselves as “professional artists” and/or do not earn their living solely from their art-making. By “professional” the applicant is able to demonstrate a record of artistic recognition and sustained artistic practice that contributes to the dance/movement field.

Note that there are no word count limits or minimums, nor are there time constraints for the proof of concept / work samples. This does not mean that we are looking for lengthy descriptions of your work, process, or artistic point of view. The absence of word counts or character limits is to give you the freedom to write as little or as much as you feel is necessary to convey your ideas. It is advised to submit your proposal a day or more before the deadline in case of technical difficulties. For support in the application process, please contact info@chicagodancemakers.org. Info Sessions were offered May 2 on Zoom and May 5 at Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center; a recording is available here.