Bridge Project 2026 Application

BRIDGE PROJECT 2026

APPLICATION DUE: 9/1/25 @11:59PM PST
Application for Choreographers / Deadline September 1, 2025, 11:59pm

Velocity invites Seattle-based choreographers to apply for Bridge Project 2026.

NEW THIS YEAR: Velocity adopts an expansive definition of the word emerging. For us the word encapsulates emerging relationships between artist and institution, new choreographic partnerships, re-emerging into the scene, emerging into their first choreographic work in their professional career, and more. Whether you are new to Seattle, new to dance making, or are a well known or seasoned Seattle artist who wants to explore a new idea and connect with new audiences, we’d love to hear from you. Reach out if you’d like to talk about how this program reframe could mean Bridge is for you!

Velocity’s Emerging Creative Incubator, Bridge Project, is a platform where Seattle based choreographers are able to build or re-establish a relationship with Velocity and its audiences. Every year, this five week residency offers three choreographers up to 50 hours of rehearsal space each to research and present a new 20 minute dance work at 12th Ave Arts. Velocity provides each choreographer with an artist stipend, rehearsal space, creative mentorship, and administrative support during the research and presentation processes.

We will be selecting three movement-based artists who have not made choreographic work in Velocity’s incubator programs (Bridge Project, OUT THERE, Co-Productions, Made in Seattle, CAiR) in the last five years. Ideal applicants are interested in connection, mentorship (both as mentor and mentee), and challenging/deepening their choreographic process towards local emergence or re-emergence. One of the three positions in the cohort is reserved for an Emerging Artist who has been making choreographic work for three years or less.

This program aims to expand their skills on the following:
- Artistic mentorship: mentorship and community support to make artistically innovative projects.
- Financial resources: fees to pay yourself, your collaborators, and your project expenses
- Reciprocal Relationship building: understanding your part in the larger ecology, and how to work collaboratively to connect and sustain your career within your ecosystem of artistic collaborators, local and national presenters, funders, and audiences.
- Business development: how to manage projects and undertake long-term collaborations and career planning.
Public Application Workshops

Fri, JUL 18 | 12-1pm | Application Workshop #1 (highly recommended)
Thu, AUG 14 | 6-7pm | Application Workshop #2 (highly recommended)

Selected choreographers will receive:
- 50 hrs of rehearsal space (Valued at $1500)
- Artist Stipend of $1500
- Lighting design by Velocity technical staff
- Mentorship and production support from Velocity staff and Curating Artist in Residence
- 4 in-person performances that are fully produced
- Documentation + Photos of the new work
Important Dates [selected choreographers must be available for all of the following]:
- Fri, OCT 10 | 12-1:30pm – Production Meeting about Budget, Funding, Rehearsal/Audition Collaboration
- Fri, OCT 24 | 12-1:30pm – Production Meeting- Framing, talking about your work and contextualizing.
- JAN 6-FEB 1 | Artists will schedule their own times with Creative Producer no less than 50 hours for the 4 weeks of rehearsal (12.5 hours a week)– Intensive residency @ 12th Ave Arts
- Wed, JAN 14 | 5-7PM – Art Talk Meeting @ 12th Ave Arts
- Wed, JAN 21 | 5-7PM – Art Talk Meeting @ 12th Ave Arts
- Sat, JAN 24 | 12-4PM – Production showing @ 12th Ave Arts
  1 hour for each artist - showing and then discussion with designers
  All artists present for each artist
- Wed, JAN 28 | 5-7PM – Art Talk Meeting @ 12th Ave Arts
- FEB 2-3 | TBD – 2-hr tech rehearsal @ 12th Ave Arts
- Tues, FEB 3 | 6pm – 3-hr tech run @ 12th Ave Arts
- Wed, FEB 4 | 6pm – 3-hr dress rehearsal @ 12th Ave Arts
- FEB 5-7 | 7:30pm [Saturday 2pm + 7:30pm] – Performances @ 12th Ave Arts
Art Talk Meetings - These are casual meetings with the artists in the Bridge Cohort and Velocity Staff. These are moments to ask questions about their work and generally get to know each other better.

This application will close on September 1, 2025 at 11:59pm, and we are not able to accept late applications.

If you have questions or would like to speak to someone about your application, please contact Shane Donohue: shane@velocitydancecenter.org

All received applications will be reviewed through a panel process. The panel will be comprised of Velocity Curating Artist in Residence Amy O’Neal, Creative Producer Shane Donohue, Tracey Wong, and Velocity’s incoming Curating Artist in Residence. Panelists will review each application and score proposals using the below criteria, with scores from strongly meets criteria - somewhat meets criteria - does not meet criteria.

The highest scoring applications will be advanced to a discussion stage, where the panel will curate three projects to select for this year’s cohort. Velocity staff + CAiR will be available to provide feedback on unsuccessful applications upon request.
Within Criteria 1 -

“emerging” - Velocity adopts an expansive definition of the word emerging. For us the word encapsulates emerging relationships between artist and institution, new choreographic partnerships, re-emerging into the scene, emerging into their first choreographic work in their professional career, and more.
“Greater Seattle Area” - For the Bridge Project, we mean Greater Seattle Metropolitan area, which includes King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. This project is specifically aiming to benefit residents of this region, so you must live and/or work in this area to be eligible for the Bridge Project.
“available for all dates” - We mean that you are available to be present either physically or in some cases virtually for the entire duration of the dates listed. Selected applicants will set their rehearsal schedule during the residency, but they must be available for all meetings, technical/dress rehearsals and performances.
Within Criteria 5 -

“Feasibility” - Bridge Project is a 5-week opportunity to create a short work to be presented alongside two other short works within a live theater context. We encourage you to stretch the limits of what is possible, but your proposal will be strongest if you help us understand how this proposal will exist within this context, and consider what is achievable given the resources and time available to you. We see the Bridge project as a catalyst for ideas, and many alums go on to expand their work beyond the original scope of the first performance, so keep in mind that this first iteration does not need to be the final product, but just the first premiere of your larger idea.
Name*

First NameMiddle NameLast Name
What are your pronouns?
E-mail*
example@example.com
Mobile Number*
I agree to sign up for Velocity Dance Center Marketing about shows, classes, and opportunities:*

YesNo
Is your main residence in the Greater Seattle Area?*

YesNo
Are you over the age of 18?*

YesNo
Are you eligible to work in the USA?*

YesNo
Are you available for the important dates listed above?*

YesNo
Please list if any of the above dates do not work with your schedule.
Are you applying for the Emerging Artist Position in the cohort? (been making work for 3 years or less?)*

YesNo
ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WORK

USE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS TO INFORM THE PANEL ABOUT YOUR PROPOSED WORK
Who are you? (150-500 words) *
Introduce yourself to us. This section pertains to the criteria of "eligibility". Tell us about your choreographic and movement perspective. How do you relate to the word emerging?
What is the working title of the work?*
What work are you proposing? (500-750 words)*
In this section, along with the work sample, we are scoring the criteria of “artistry”. Your answer could address the following: What do you want to research/make? How is your work part of a movement based art? What are you curious about in your work? What would your creative process look like in Bridge Project? How does your process translate into a fully produced performance?
What are the possible brass tacks of the work? (300-500 words)*
In this section we are looking at the feasibility of your project. We understand that this piece is not made yet. Please touch on potential technical needs: sound, projection, lights. How many dancers are there? What is the general cost of your work? If the scope of your work is larger than Velocity’s stipend for this project how will you work with Velocity and your community to ensure equitable pay for the collaborators on your project?
How would making work through Bridge Project benefit you? (300-500 words)*
In this section, we are looking at the impact this project has on you. Your answer could address the following: What do you want to learn about making and producing dance through this project and by working with Velocity?
Who is your work for? (300-500 words) *
Your answer could address the following: How do you dream of your work engaging in larger, communal contexts: i.e. societal or political? How do you hope your work impacts the communities you work within? How does your work serve this community and engage with audiences? What are your influences and/or lineages? How have these perspectives guided your past work and how do you see this guiding your future work?
Work Sample: *
Please provide up to 2 videos that total to a maximum of 5 watched minutes for the panel (provide timestamps below). These samples can be fully produced or rehearsal videos. and should be clearly connected to your proposed work. If the online video is password protected, remember to provide the password.
Work Sample Description including work title, year premiered, collaborators, and their roles.*
Give the panel insight into what they are watching and how it connects to your proposal for Bridge Project (question 2). Provide any time stamps needed. If a clip is a fully produced, past work, let us know what is related to the proposed work. If the clip is from a rehearsal, let us know where you could see the idea going. (300 words max)
Any other thoughts?
A note on work samples:

The goal of this work sample is to give panelists a chance to see some of what you write about expressed through your work. Your work sample can be a fully produced recording of a live performance, but it can also be a rehearsal video or other in-process footage. If you feel like your work sample isn’t representative of your current practice, we encourage you to create content that does feel connected to where you are and what you would create now, even if it’s filmed in your living room. Panelists will be looking more at your ideas and expression, and less at the production value of the performance or video. Work samples can be dance film, documentation of live performance, other video content, spoken word, visual art, diagrams, sound or music, or any other sample that would help us to better understand you and your proposal.
PROGRAMATIC IMPACT QUESTIONS

(this section will not be scored as part of your application)
These questions are asked at the beginning and end of the program and are a way for us to measure the program’s impact on the participants.

Rate the following categories from strongly disagree to strongly agree in relation to the skills and connections you have at this moment regarding your art making... I have access to...

	Strongly Disagree	Disagree	Neutral	Agree	Strongly Agree
Artistic Mentorship
Local Relationships
National Relationships
Information on Business in the Arts
Financial Resources

DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS

(this section will not be scored as part of your application)
All demographic questions are OPTIONAL and will not be considered by the committee during the selection process.

These questions help Velocity better understand the make-up of our community and how we can best serve you. They also help us represent our community to grant-making organizations and donors in order to raise funds necessary to continue running programs like Next Fest NW and more.

All responses to this section will be kept confidential. All response data is stored in a password protected electronic format. The demographic responses in this survey may be publicly shared, as outlined above, but will never disclose your personal identity. By continuing with this section, you acknowledge you've read and agree to these terms.
Please select your age group.

17 or younger18 to 2425 to 3435 to 4445 to 5455 to 6465 to 7475 and above
With which gender identities do you identify? Check all that apply.

AgenderCisgenderFemaleGenderfluidGenderqueerMaleNon-binary/third genderTransgenderTwo-SpiritA gender not listedPrefer not to answerOther
With which of the following racial designations do you identify? Check all that apply.

Black or African AmericanEast AsianIndigenous/Native American or Alaska NativeNative HawaiianPacific IslanderSouth AsianWhiteMixedMulti-racialPrefer not to answerOther
Do you self-identify as Hispanic/Latino?

YesNoPrefer not to answerOther
Do you identify as LGBTQ+?

YesNoPrefer not to answerOther
Do you identify as BIPOC?

YesNoPrefer not to answerOther
Do you identify as a person living with a disability?

YesNoPrefer not to answerOther
If you answered "Yes", would you like to share the nature of your disability? We are asking this question solely to best understand how to hold a safe space for all. All answers are held strictly confidential.
What is your total household income?

$100,000+$80-99,999$75-79,999$50-74,999$40-49,999$20-39,999< $19,999Prefer not to say
Should be Empty:

BRIDGE PROJECT 2026

ABOUT YOU AND YOUR WORK

PROGRAMATIC IMPACT QUESTIONS

DEMOGRAPHIC QUESTIONS