The Healthy Dancer Canada BIPOC Emerging Dance Artist Scholarship is an initiative created to support emerging BIPOC artists engaged in professional dance careers. 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. This opportunity is open to BIPOC artists ages 18 - 30 who self-identify as emerging/early-stage professional dance performers and/or choreographers 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 aspires to offer professional guidance, advice, resources, and emotional/social support to early-career BIPOC dance artists. The Mentorship Program aims to pair emerging dance artists (mentees) with established professionals (mentors) based on relatable scope of career and lived experience. Mentee applicants will have the potential to work with an HDC mentor for six, hour-long meetings over a six-month period, pending an appropriate match is available, and the mentor-mentee pair are able to schedule meetings at mutually agreed upon times.
For more information on the Mentorship Program, please click here.
The HDC BIPOC Emerging Dance Artist Scholarship is open to two types of applications:
Eligibility Requirements:
*Dancers currently enrolled in a training program or school are NOT eligible for this scholarship but may consider applying for HDC's Dancer's Necessity Fund or Financial Assistance Program.
Scholarship amount for 2025 is $1,200.
One scholarship of $1,200 is available. In the event of a tie, two scholarships of $600 will be awarded.
2025 Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
Successful candidates will be contacted by May 20, 2025.
Application Format:
Selection criteria:
The selection committee is made up of a panel of community leaders committed to supporting diverse dance artists engaged in diverse dance genres. The scholarship will be awarded based on the following criteria:
CLICK BELOW TO APPLY:
BIPOC Emerging Dance Artist Scholarship Application
Mentorship Program Application (optional)
Contact/Questions: [email protected]
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 aspires to offer professional guidance, advice, resources, and emotional/social support to early-career BIPOC dance artists. The Mentorship Program aims to pair emerging dance artists (mentees) with established professionals (mentors) based on relatable scope of career and lived experience. Mentee applicants will have the potential to work with an HDC mentor for six, hour-long meetings over a six-month period, pending an appropriate match is available, and the mentor-mentee pair are able to schedule meetings at mutually agreed upon times.
For more information on the Mentorship Program, please click here.
The HDC BIPOC Emerging Dance Artist Scholarship is open to two types of applications:
- Independent Submission
- Nomination
Eligibility Requirements:
- Professional dance artist - performer and/or choreographer (all genres)
- Ages 18 - 30
- Early stages of career*
- BIPOC individual
- Canadian citizen/permanent resident
*Dancers currently enrolled in a training program or school are NOT eligible for this scholarship but may consider applying for HDC's Dancer's Necessity Fund or Financial Assistance Program.
Scholarship amount for 2025 is $1,200.
One scholarship of $1,200 is available. In the event of a tie, two scholarships of $600 will be awarded.
2025 Application Deadline: May 1, 2025
Successful candidates will be contacted by May 20, 2025.
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)
- Application statement (Indicate why are you applying/nominating this person?)
- For Independent Applicants: Specify with as much detail as possible how this scholarship will support your health and wellness as an artist, with specific reference to Healthy Dancer Canada’s vision, mission, and values. What are the specific steps you will take to work towards your professional goal(s)? How do you expect to allocate the scholarship funds ($1,200) to support these steps? What is your anticipated or aspirational timeline for this action plan? (Max. 500 words)
- For Nominators: Specify with as much detail as possible how this scholarship will support the nominee's health and wellness as an artist, with specific reference to Healthy Dancer Canada’s vision, mission, and values. How will the scholarship funds ($1,200) support the realization of the nominee's professional 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)
- Provide 1-2 links to videos and up to 3 links to additional supporting material (e.g., website, photo, social media, reviews). To ensure that all applicants get the same viewing by our jury, only one minute per link will be viewed. If you wish our jury to see a specific section, provide us with the timecode of this section in the application.
- 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)
Selection criteria:
The selection committee is made up of a panel of community leaders committed to supporting diverse dance artists engaged in diverse dance genres. The scholarship will be awarded based on the following criteria:
- Professional dance artist - performer and/or choreographer (all genres)
- Ages 18 - 30
- Early stages of career*
- BIPOC individual
- Canadian citizen/permanent resident
- Relevance of application to HDC’s vision, mission, and values
- Coherence of application statement and professional pursuits
- Alignment of funds with professional pursuits and HDC’s vision, mission, and values
CLICK BELOW TO APPLY:
BIPOC Emerging Dance Artist Scholarship Application
Mentorship Program Application (optional)
Contact/Questions: [email protected]
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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