The Dance City Festival (DCF) is an annual community-building event designed to cultivate, promote, and celebrate the art of dance in its various forms and disciplines. Originally held within the great city of Detroit, DCF has now expanded to Chicago and New York, drawing participants from an ever-expanding local, national, and international community. DCF strives to educate diverse audiences about the impact of dance, provide opportunities for artists to share their work, and create an artistic network linking the greater US and the world. DCF is spearheaded by ArtLab J, a non-profit organization founded in 2012 with the aim of building a stronger and more connected dance community, encouraging unity between the metro area's companies, studios, and performing artists by providing opportunities for artists to present their work and contribute to the cultivation of the arts in Detroit. 

Application link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScOhrkLX4wqc_4_VjNqYrlM13IZaGK5Q6MLFOpjK1UOyZqpfg/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=105763780587175603072

The dates for Dance City Festival Chicago are August 21-22, 2026.
The date for Dance City Festival New York are August 28-29, 2026.
The dates for Dance City Festival Detroit are September 4-6, 2026.

ABOUT DCF's CHOREOGRAPHERS SHOWCASE:
The Choreographers Showcase is one of DCF's most highly anticipated performance events, providing a platform for choreographers to present their work on the majestic Detroit Film Theatre stage in Detroit, Ruth Page Theater in Chicago and Dixon Place in New York. DCF's Choreographers Showcase is an opportunity to bring together artists and dancers from around the world to share their current projects with each other, and with DCF audiences alike. From among the diverse body of works submitted by our applicants, pieces will be thoughtfully selected to showcase an inclusive representation of local, national, and international talent. 


THERE ARE 2 STEPS REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION PROCESS:
1) Fill out and submit this application form.
2) Submit your application fee payment.

APPLICATION FEES & DEADLINE:
- Early Bird Application: $55.00 per work if your application is received by January 31, 2026.
           -Multi-city discount: $30 for each additional city
- Regular Application: $65.00 per work if your application is received between February 1 and February 28, 2026.
           -Multi-city discount: $50 for each additional city

**The final deadline to apply is February 28, 2026.
TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION FEE(S):
- Payment is accepted online by credit card. 
- To pay, please visit our Artists payment portal at: https://www.dancecityfestival.com/artists/applicationfee-c5kyn
Be sure to select the "Choreographers Showcase" option from the drop-down menu to ensure you are applying for the correct program.

APPLICATION GUIDELINES:
1) Length of your submitted work: 
         - Group pieces must be 10 minutes or less (including set-up and strike).
         - Solos must be 6 minutes or less (including set-up and strike).
2) Choreographers/Companies may submit up to 2 works. Each individual work submitted requires a separate application form and fee. 
3) A complete application includes one application form, and one application fee per work submitted. Your application will be considered complete only after the form has been submitted and the application fee is received.
4) All application fees are non-refundable.
5) All materials must be received by the final deadline, February 28, 2026.

ACCEPTED APPLICANTS WILL RECEIVE: 
- A performance opportunity in our beautiful performance venues.
- Technical support (lighting, sound)
- Marketing support 
- Professional photography and videography of your performance
- Consideration for the DCF Festival Exchange Program (details below)*

*ABOUT THE DCF FESTIVAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM:
All accepted participants in the 2026 Choreographers Showcase will automatically be considered for the DCF Festival Exchange Program. This unique initiative gives presenters at the Showcases the opportunity to be selected to perform their work again the following year at one of DCF's partnering festivals, listed below. Festival Exchange Program recipients will be selected from among our Choreographers Showcase presenters by a panel of adjudicators who represent excellence and expertise in the field. 


New York and Chicago Opportunities:
- One Choreographer from each city will be selected for the opportunity to return as a guest performer at the 2027 Dance City Festival Detroit.
More opportunities to be announced!
     
Detroit Opportunities:
- One Choreographer will be selected for the opportunity to return as a guest performer at the 2027 Dance City Festival Detroit.
- One Choreographer will be selected for the opportunity to perform at the 2027 Midwest RAD Fest in Kalamazoo, Michigan
- One Choreographer will be selected for the opportunity to perform at the 2027 ArtsinTank Dance Festival in South Korea.
- One Choreographer will be selected for the opportunity to perform at the 2027 ATLAS in Puerto Rico.

For more on DCF's Festival Exchange Program, please visit: 


ACCEPTANCE NOTIFICATIONS AND NEXT STEPS:
- Successful applicants will be notified by April 1, 2026.
- For all successful Choreographers Showcase applicants who choose to accept the opportunity to perform, a Production Fee will apply, covering full technical support for sound and lighting design, as well as professional photography and videography of your work.     
- Please note: While DCF does not provide funding for transportation and accommodation, past applicants have been successful in using their DCF acceptance to apply for funding or sponsorships through outside sources.
- Accepted applicants will eventually be required to provide: 
1) Tech sheet with lighting cues
2) Music file in mp3 or mp4 format
3) 2-4 high-quality photos representing either the work you intend to present at DCF, or your/your company's work in general (these will be used for promotional purposes)
4) High-quality video clip of around 10 seconds representing the work you will be presenting or your company's work in general (again for promotional purposes).
5) Short bio