Midday Movement Series | Rough Drafts Application Form

Midday Movement Series | Rough Drafts Application
Rough Drafts is a choreographic development lab and teaching residency in support of the development of new and reimagined work for Massachusetts based movement artists. Produced by Midday Movement Series (“MIDDAY”), Rough Drafts values iterative creative processes, with a focus on bolstering potential for success and career longevity, especially for BIPOC, low-income, and other marginalized artists. With local funding often prioritizing new and/or finalized work, and with rising costs of living and artistic resources, dance artists are often pushed to focus on product, letting incubation fall by the wayside. Long-term, this pattern shrinks and homogenizes our local field, depriving us of cultural and creative diversity, not to mention equity.

New This Year:

We plan to support 3 movement artists from mid March through late October who identify as Advanced Emerging through Mid-Career artists through a four-pronged approach:

1. A teaching residency. Each artist will have the opportunity to teach 7 classes, where artists learn to use their class space as a laboratory to deepen their relationship to their own material.

2. An in-studio informal showing with a moderated post-show discussion. The artist can show up to 20 minutes of a work-in-progress at any stage of development to glean audience feedback, build audience relationships, and view their material in a low-stakes environment for the purpose of re-investigating, deepening their research, and continuing to develop their piece.

3. In September of 2026, the artist cohort will participate in production visioning meetings with co-program leads Caitlin Canty and Amelia Rose Estrada, along with the production team.

4. The program culminates in a final showcase, where each artist will present up to 30 minutes of material in a semi-produced split-bill show. The shows will occur in Mid October, 2026. While the final showcase is semi-produced and will include some production elements such as a theater, lights, and sound, the showcase is meant to platform works-in-progress, and not present a final product.

Application deadline: February 5, 2026 at 11:59pm

Eligibility
- The proposed work should be a project the artist plans to develop into an evening length work. The work may be new or re-imagined project.
- Artists must have produced either an evening length work, or created collectively 40 minutes of work publicly through multiple smaller pieces either in live performance settings or video
- Artists may not be enrolled in an undergraduate program
- Artists must be available for all of their allotted classes which will take place between March and September, 2026, the work-in-progress showing, and the Final Showcase
- Artists who have participated in RD previously are not eligible for the 3 following years, but are welcome to apply after that three year period has passed
- Collectives and duo choreographers are welcome to apply together
- Artists must be dedicated to cohort based learning and growing alongside an artistic community. This includes availability to attend at least one class from each participating artist’s teaching residency and availability to attend all of the cohort’s informal showings.
PROGRAM DETAILS

Teaching Residency + Informal Showings
MIDDAY will host one selected artist/company per 8 week period from March 16th to August 31, 2026. Each choreographer/company will lead 7 weekly open, advanced-level classes, receiving coaching from MIDDAY staff to hone their movement vocabulary, identify and/or clarify their artistic values, and improve their ability to communicate these principles to others. Class fees will be $12 and artists will earn 60% of their class fees. Artists are encouraged to invite their project/company dancers to take their classes for free so they may deepen their training in the artist’s movement. Classes will take place on Mondays from 6:00-8:00 PM.

In the final week of their 8 week teaching residency, the artist will host one in-studio, informal showing, presenting up to 15 minutes of work-in-progress. MIDDAY staff will moderate a post-show audience discussion for the artist to obtain feedback. Program leads Caitlin Canty and Amelia Rose Estrada will consult with each artist to process this information, helping them apply their learnings artistically and/or administratively in a highly individualized strategy.
Informal showings will take place the final Monday of each teaching residency from 7:00-8:00 PM.

Rough Drafts Showcases
The program will culminate in October 2026 with two Rough Drafts Showcases. Program dance-makers will have the opportunity to show 30 minutes of work-in-progress material from their informal showing in a semi-produced theater setting, with a focus still on process. Rather than showcasing finalized works, MIDDAY’s goal for the showcases is for artists to see their works with higher production quality so they can continue deepening their creative incubation while continuing to cultivate their audiences and visibility. Anticipated date for the showcase is still TBD.
Name*

First NameLast Name
Email*
example@example.com
Website
Social Media Handle(s)
I identify as... (please select all that apply)*

Trans ManTrans WomanNonbinary or Gender NonconformingCis ManCis WomanLGBTQIA+Black, Indigenous, and/or Person of ColorImmigrantDisabledNeurodivergentLow-Income ($30k annually or less)Other
What is your racial / ethnic identity?*
Pronouns
Name of co-choreographer(s) / co-director(s), if any.
Collective / Company Name, if applicable.
Please write "Independent Artist" if you (and your collaborators, if applicable) do not have a name for your company or collective.
Have you participated in Rough Drafts in a previous cycle? If so, what year?*
Artistic Resume / CV:*

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Photo: Please upload a headshot and/or dance shot of yourself (and your co-choreographer, if applicable) that best represents your work. This may be used for marketing purposes.*

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Program Participation

We want to hear what you hope to gain from this program, learn a little about your artistic voice, and about your proposed work. If you are applying in collaboration with another choreographer(s), please respond to these questions as relates to your creative team rather than to you as an individual.
Artistic Statement (250 words)*
Please provide your artist statement, company mission statement, or description that best captures your artistic focus, movement language, and brief history.
Please describe the new or work-in-progress piece you hope to develop in this program (250 - 500 words): *
Please include the title of the work (if applicable), main themes, any questions you are exploring, movement vocabulary, and number of dancers. Is the choreographer performing in the piece? What props or technical elements do you imagine for this piece? If this work has been presented before, explain what you would like to change or accomplish by revisiting this work through Rough Drafts. What are you imagining?
How many years of professional choreographing experience do you have? (Number of years creating work for the public outside of an academic environment)*

1-23-56-89-10Other
Work-in-progress History: when did you begin working on this piece? What is its current stage of development, in your opinion? Have you shown this work in any other venue, or do you have plans to show it anywhere before October, 2026? (100 - 200 words)*
Completely new works are acceptable. Please let us know if you have not yet begun developing the work and when you plan to start your choreographic process.
What kind of financial and in-kind resources do you have at your disposal currently to support this artistic work? *
It is not a requirement of this program that you have any outside financial support. The purpose of this question is for us to orient ourselves towards the needs of each artist. For example, what (if any) grants have you received? Do you have access to free or subsidized rehearsal space? Etc.
Video

Please provide at least one video of your choreographic work. You may optionally provide a second link as well, though only one link is required.

If you are proposing to re-imagine or continue to develop a work already in development, provide a link(s) with up to 5 minutes of your proposed work.

If you are a proposing to develop a work not yet in development, provide a link(s) with up to 5 minutes of your choreography from the last 3 years, and a brief description of the piece(s).

Videos may be of a formal presentation or rehearsal footage. However, please be sure the content shows continuous unedited choreography. Please do not submit edited reels.

Links MUST be to either Youtube or Vimeo. We will not accept Google Drive links or other file transfer platforms.

Please Note:

We will watch a cumulative total of 5 minutes of choreography. If video(s) provide over 5 minutes of choreography total, please list viewing ranges for each link or we will watch from the beginning. Be sure to provide passwords for any private videos.
Video link 1 (required): *
MUST be a link to Youtube or Vimeo. If videos are private, please provide passwords in the box below.
Video 1 description (required) *
Please list time stamps for viewing range, and any required passwords if your links are private. Include a brief description of the video. What are we looking at and how does it relate to your proposed work for Rough Drafts?
Video Link 2 (optional)
MUST be a link to Youtube or Vimeo. If videos are private, please provide passwords in the box below.
Video 2 Description
Please list time stamps for viewing range, and any required passwords if your links are private. Include a brief description of the video. What are we looking at and how does it relate to your proposed work for Rough Drafts?
Who will lead class in your teaching residency?*
Applicants may propose co-teaching class with their collaborator(s). Artists outside of the choreographic team are not eligible to teach class in this program.
Please briefly describe any teaching experience you and/or your co-facilitators have, of any age group and/or style.*
Applicants are not required to have teaching experience of any kind. Please let us know if you have no teaching experience.
Will you be inviting any company/project dancers to attend your classes?*

YesNoOther
Which date ranges are you available to participate in this program? Check all that apply, then use the 'other' field to rank your choices (for example, 1: Option A, 2: Option C, 3: Option B)*

Option A: March 16 - April 20 (with the informal showing on April 20)Option B: April 27 - June 15 (with the informal showing on June 15. We will not hold class on Memorial Day.)Option C: June 22 - August 10 (with the informal showing on August 10)Other
Program Agreements
Program Requirements
By participating in this program, I and my co-choreographer(s) agree to be involved in the following:
- teaching 7 open, advanced-level contemporary dance classes on Monday evenings, 6-8PM;
- holding one in-studio Rough Draft Informal Showing the final Monday (7-8PM) of the teaching residency, showing up to 20 minutes of work-in-progress;
- participating in up to 4 coaching sessions with a MIDDAY staff member;
- Rehearsing consistently and hosting 2 rehearsal visits with either Caitlin Canty or Amelia Rose Estrada;
- Attending at least one class led by each of the other 2 artists or collectives in your cohort;
  • participating in the Rough Drafts Showcases (anticipated in October, 2026), showing at least 20 and up to 30 minutes of work.
Do you agree to these requirements?*

I agree.
Program Limitations: Rough Draft Informal Showings
I understand that, in the Rough Draft Informal Showing:
• I will only be able to present up to 20 minutes of material that I intend to further develop or deepen following the showing;
• I will not have access to lighting outside of the overhead studio lights;
• I will not have any support for projections, live music, props, or any technical elements beyond simple recorded sound, (however artists might be able to use these materials if they are solely responsible and discuss with Amelia and Caitlin in advance)

I acknowledge these limitations and agree to plan my presented material accordingly.
Do you agree to these requirements?*

I agree.
Program Limitations: Rough Drafts Showcases
I understand that, in the Rough Drafts Showcases:
• I agree to bring at least 20 minutes and a maximum of 30 minutes of work;
• I will be solely responsible for any props I may use, and I will not be able to keep or store any props in the space overnight
• I will not have access to scenic, sound, or costume designers through Rough Drafts programming

I acknowledge these limitations and agree to plan my presented material accordingly.
Do you agree to these requirements?*

I agree.
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Midday Movement Series | Rough Drafts Application

Program Participation

Program Agreements