Joffrey Ballet to Launch 17th Annual WINNING WORKS Choreographic Competition

The Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet, Official School of The Joffrey Ballet, is seeking emerging artists to submit applications for the Grainger Academy's Seventeenth Annual Winning Works Choreographic Competition. A mission-driven, access-oriented initiative, Winning Works upholds The Joffrey Ballet's core values of Joffrey for All, providing opportunities for everyone, regardless of background, to experience, support, and participate in dance. The award recognizes talented, emerging choreographers whose unique perspectives will inspire creativity in the form of original works of dance. Through Winning Works, the Joffrey aims to broaden access for artists who have been historically excluded from the art form and empower those who embody its values to shape the future of dance. The deadline for application is July 31, 2026. 

The five winning choreographers will be awarded a $5,000 stipend, given a minimum of 30 rehearsal hours, and travel and accommodations for the duration of their residency. The choreographic work must be original and developed by the applicant. The finished piece must be at least 10 minutes long (a maximum of 12 minutes) and include a cast of at least 10 dancers.

Four of the choreographers will set their piece on the members of the Joffrey Studio Company, the Ballet Trainee Program, and the Contemporary Ballet Trainee Program, and a selected fifth Chicago-based emerging choreographer will set their piece on the students of the Conservatory Program. The selected choreographers will also have the opportunity to seek guidance from Ashley Wheater MBE, The Mary B. Galvin Artistic Director of The Joffrey Ballet, and Abbott Academy Director Suzanne Lopez. Additional details can be found in the application.  

The Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet's Winning Works program will be presented in nine performances at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Joffrey's hosting partner, at MCA's Edlis Neeson Theater in March 2027. The full online application form is available at joffrey.org/winningworks. Questions can be emailed to winningworks@joffrey.org.  

To apply, interested choreographers must submit an online application form, including: 

• Video clip containing two or more choreography excerpts (please include original sound/music), along with a brief written description. Each choreography excerpt should not exceed 5 minutes. Submitted excerpts must include a work containing at least 8 dancers in the piece. In-studio rehearsal footage is also encouraged. Excerpts may be combined into one video or submitted in separate video clips. 
• A letter of intent (500-1,000 words) describing your interest in the competition and the kind of work you will create.
• Curriculum Vitae 
• Three References