The Healthy Dancer Canada BIPOC Emerging Artist Scholarship is an initiative created to support emerging BIPOC artists pursuing careers in dance. This scholarship aims to address existing barriers faced by BIPOC artists, and improve access to supports that will further racialized artists in their professional pursuits (e.g., education, cost of living, start-up capital, healthcare services, production costs, etc.). This opportunity is open to BIPOC artists ages 18 - 30 who self-identify as emerging/early-stage professional dance artists in any and all genres.
The discrepancy between opportunities available for white versus BIPOC artists is not only evidenced in the lived experience of these artists, but one further evidenced by rigorous scholarly research. According to 2016 research by Data USA, approximately 79.5 percent of female-identifying ballet dancers are white, while only 6.72 percent are African American. Data USA also found that among post-secondary ballet students, white students earned 90.7% of Bachelor’s degrees and 75% of Master’s degrees awarded in this field in 2019. Another recent study by Hill Strategies on the Demographic Diversity of Artists in Canada in 2016 found that Indigenous artists make a median income of 68 cents for every $1 for non-Indigenous artists, while racialized artists make a median income of 72 cents for every $1 for non-racialized artists. These numbers not only clearly demonstrate the lack of diversity in the professional ballet world, but also exemplify concerning trends in the dance world at large (e.g., lack of funding and residencies given to BIPOC dancers, barriers to accessing higher education among marginalized groups, etc.) that are in urgent need of addressing.
Applicants may express interest in HDC’s Mentorship Program, which pairs emerging artists with established professionals in a mentoring relationship for six, hour-long meetings over a designated six-month period (six sessions total). The Mentorship Program aspires to offer professional advice, guidance, resources, and emotional/social support to BIPOC artists in the early stages of their dance career.
The HDC BIPOC Emerging Artist Scholarship is open to two types of applications:
Eligibility Requirements:
Deadline: CLOSED
Application Format:
Contact/Questions:
[email protected]
Print version of call
The discrepancy between opportunities available for white versus BIPOC artists is not only evidenced in the lived experience of these artists, but one further evidenced by rigorous scholarly research. According to 2016 research by Data USA, approximately 79.5 percent of female-identifying ballet dancers are white, while only 6.72 percent are African American. Data USA also found that among post-secondary ballet students, white students earned 90.7% of Bachelor’s degrees and 75% of Master’s degrees awarded in this field in 2019. Another recent study by Hill Strategies on the Demographic Diversity of Artists in Canada in 2016 found that Indigenous artists make a median income of 68 cents for every $1 for non-Indigenous artists, while racialized artists make a median income of 72 cents for every $1 for non-racialized artists. These numbers not only clearly demonstrate the lack of diversity in the professional ballet world, but also exemplify concerning trends in the dance world at large (e.g., lack of funding and residencies given to BIPOC dancers, barriers to accessing higher education among marginalized groups, etc.) that are in urgent need of addressing.
Applicants may express interest in HDC’s Mentorship Program, which pairs emerging artists with established professionals in a mentoring relationship for six, hour-long meetings over a designated six-month period (six sessions total). The Mentorship Program aspires to offer professional advice, guidance, resources, and emotional/social support to BIPOC artists in the early stages of their dance career.
The HDC BIPOC Emerging Artist Scholarship is open to two types of applications:
- Independent Submission
- Nomination
Eligibility Requirements:
- Dance Artist (all genres)
- Ages 18 - 30
- Early Stages of Career (Student or Professional)
- BIPOC Individual
Deadline: CLOSED
Application Format:
- Full Name of Applicant/Nominee
- Age of Applicant/Nominee
- Email Address/es (If you are nominating an artist, please include email addresses of both nominator and nominee)
- Applicant/Nominee Short Biography (Max. 250 words)
- Why are you applying/nominating this person?
- For Independent Applicants: Specify with as much detail as possible how this scholarship will support the realization of your artistic goal(s)? What are the specific steps you will take to work towards your goal(s)? What is your anticipated or aspirational timeline for this action plan? (Max. 500 words)
- For Nominators: How will the scholarship support the realization of the nominee's artistic goal(s)? What artistic aspirations does the nominee have that you would like to see them continue to work toward or achieve in the coming months/years? (Max. 500 words)
- Please provide 1-2 links to videos and up to 3 links to additional supporting material (e.g., website, photo, social media, reviews)
- Attach CV of Applicant/Nominee, if applicable
- Are you/Do you think your nominee would be interested in our Mentorship Program? If so, what would you/they hope to gain from a dance mentor at this time in your/their career? (Max. 250 words)
- Submit to [email protected]
Contact/Questions:
[email protected]
Print version of call
2024 Scholarship Winners
Dancer: Jia Yi (Judy) Luo. Photographer: Gregg Jann Autillo
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Dancer: Sarah Hin Ching Yu. Photographer: Choe Lam
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Thank you to TAB Fitness and Allegro Performance + Wellness for supporting the 2024 scholarship winners!
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