Why You Should Know About the Joffrey’s Winning Works Competition

For aspiring dancemakers who dream of seeing their work performed in a professional setting, the Joffrey Ballet’s seventh annual Winning Works competition is an opportunity you’ll want to take note of.

Jeffrey Cirio in Paul Taylor’s Company B. Photo by Rosalie O’Connor.

The award recognizes promising African, Latino(a), Asian, Arab and Native American artists with a $5,000 stipend, at least 30 rehearsal hours and a group of dancers from the Joffrey Academy Trainee Program and Joffrey Studio Company to set their work on. Winners will premiere their completed original works at a performance in March 2017.

This past year, American Ballet Theatre principal Jeffrey Cirio was one of the winning choreographers. His work, Chapter 1, Chapter 6, included elements of step dancing, and was presented at the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art in March.

As part of the application, artists must submit a video clip with a short excerpt of their choreography, and a letter describing the kind of work they plan to create. If they choose, this year’s applicants can also draw inspiration from the poet Gwendolyn Brooks (the first African American to receive the Pulitzer Prize), whose centennial the Joffrey is celebrating.

The full application is available online, and the deadline is October 1. Start getting those creative wheels turning!

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