City of Edmonton Dance Prize
A partnership between the Edmonton Arts Council and DTRC
The Edmonton Dance Prize recognizes the diversity of dance forms and practices in the City of Edmonton dance scene and the unique ways in which they are practiced. The Prize also acknowledges that professional dance artists may practice in non-theatrical contexts and at times with non-professional dancers. The Edmonton Dance Prize embraces an expansive understanding of dance works and invites potential nominees, if uncertain, to reach in and discuss their eligibility.
Edmonton Arts Prizes
Coordinated by the Edmonton Arts Council
The Edmonton Arts Prizes celebrate artists from a range of art forms and practices, recognizing their work and investing in their continued experimentation and creation. The prize program is coordinated by the Edmonton Arts Council, in collaboration with the City of Edmonton and community partners, to enhance Edmonton’s reputation as a hub for extraordinary creation in the arts.
The 2027 Edmonton Arts Prizes
Robert Kroetsch – City of Edmonton Book Prize
In partnership with Audrey’s Books & Writers’ Guild of Alberta
City of Edmonton Dance Prize
In partnership with Dancer Transition Resource Centre
City of Edmonton Music Prize
In partnership with Alberta Music Industry Association
City of Edmonton Film Prize
In partnership with Alberta Media Production Industries Association
The Eldon + Anne Foote Edmonton Visual Arts Prize
In partnership with the Eldon and Anne Foote Fund at the Edmonton Community Foundation & CARFAC Alberta
The partners are committed to their shared vision for the Edmonton Arts Prizes as a program that is inclusive of a wide range of artistic practices and welcomes the contributions of artists from multiple communities, backgrounds and traditions. We envision the arts prize categories growing in future years to include a greater diversity of arts disciplines.
Shared eligibility and assessment criteria
- Eligible artists/recipients must be a resident of the greater Edmonton region / amiskwaciy-waskâhikan. The greater Edmonton region is defined as the City of Edmonton, the Counties of Sturgeon, Parkland, Leduc and Strathcona, and the communities of Enoch Cree Nation, Alexander First Nation, Paul First Nation, and Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation.
- By the submission deadline, nominated artists must have a current profile (with all required fields completed) with the Edmonton Arts Council: eac.smartsimple.ca. Contact support@edmontonarts.ca or 780-424-2787 if you have questions or need help creating a profile.
- Prize recommendations in each discipline will be based on an evaluation of the artistic merits of the Nominee’s recent work (as defined by each discipline) by a knowledgeable group of peer assessors.
- Assessors will be charged with basing their decisions on the work’s merits, including originality, creativity, relevance, and technical excellence. In all cases, the prizes will attempt to recognize the highest standards of artistic achievement, regardless of the artist’s particular mode of expression or style within the genre.
- An individual or company/collective/group can win an Edmonton Arts Prize in a discipline more than once, BUT they are not eligible for nomination again for two subsequent years (i.e. a top prize winner in 2026 is not eligible for nomination again until 2029). Runners-up may be nominated again in consecutive years and may be recognized in consecutive years as runners-up.
In the case of equivalent merits, the assessors will be encouraged to consider the work in the context of the (in order):
- Artist’s career;
- Relevant tradition(s), and arts practice in Canada;
- Representation of the demographic diversity of Edmonton’s population;
- Representation of the diversity of artistic expression or styles within the discipline.
Prizes will be awarded in the spring of 2027.
The primary prize recipient in each category will be awarded $15,000, and two secondary prizes of $5,000 will be awarded to the runners-up.
Edmonton Dance Prize: Specific Eligibility Criteria & Commitments
The Edmonton Dance Prize recognizes the merits of a specific work, or collection of works in dance, realized in Edmonton or elsewhere, in a professional context, in the previous 2 calendar years, by a professional dance artist, company, collective or group, based in Edmonton (see Definitions for all bolded terms).
Example: The 2027 prize will recognize a work, or collection of works, realized within the 2026 or 2025 calendar years.
IMPORTANT:
It is essential that the nominator and nominee review all the Definitions to understand their eligibility and the nomination process before preparing their submission.
In addition to the shared criteria for all Edmonton Arts Prizes and the specific eligibility for the Edmonton Dance Prize (see above), the following commitments must be met by the nominee to be considered in the competition.
- The dance artist, or the company/collective/group, must have been active professionally in dance for at least 3 years, not necessarily in Edmonton.
- The dance artist, or the company/collective/group must be living on the date of the nomination deadline.
- If a work wins the Edmonton Dance Prize, a remount of that work will not be eligible for a future Edmonton Dance Prize.
- Works-in-progress are not eligible.
- The Edmonton Dance Prize will accept a single nomination package per nominee in a given year.
- If a company/collective/group should win any of the prize amounts, the nominee agrees that the funds will be distributed equally among the dance artists comprising the company/collective/group unless otherwise specified and agreed upon.
Submission Deadline:
- Nominations open on November 1.
- Intent to Apply forms must be received via online submission by Nov. 15.
- Complete nomination packages must be received via online submission by January 8.
You must submit an Intent to Apply declaration in order to receive a code to the full nomination form.
- Information Sessions (up to 2) may be hosted by the prize delivery partner (DTRC) via Zoom in October/November.
- An Intent to Apply declaration must be submitted online to the prize delivery partner (DTRC) by Nov. 15 by either the nominee or the nominator.
- Intent to Apply declarations support the prize delivery partner in convening a peer assessment committee with an appropriate range of knowledge and experience to adjudicate the specific nominees.
- Declaring Intent to Apply does not commit the nominator/nominee to an actual submission and can be withdrawn at any time.
Accessibility:
The Edmonton Dance Prize is open to all professional dance artists according to the eligibility criteria. If you have a question about your eligibility, or if you need assistance preparing your application, please reach out to the prize delivery partner and we will do our best to support and accommodate you.
Assessment Criteria
Assessment Criteria
From EAC shared assessment criteria: Assessors will be charged with basing their decisions on the work’s merits including originality, creativity, relevance, and technical excellence. In all cases, the prizes will attempt to recognize the highest standards of artistic achievement, regardless of the artist’s particular mode of expression, or style within the genre.
*See Definitions for clarity on what constitutes a “work” for the purposes of the Dance Prize.
*See also Definitions: Principle of Expansiveness for what constitutes “merits” for the purposes of the Dance Prize.
All nominations will be considered through the same assessment criteria with explicit and equitable consideration of the type of work, its form, context and intention, as demonstrated through the unique support materials provided.
The work will be assessed on the following weighted criteria:
Merit (weighting 60%)
- Originality /15
- Creativity /15
- Relevance /15
- Technical excellence /15
Contribution to Artistic Ecosystem (weighting 10%)
- The work’s contribution toward a more equitable, diverse and inclusive artistic ecosystem /10
Impact (weighting 30%)
- The work’s impact on or significance within the development and advancement of the artist’s body of work /15
- The work’s impact on or significance within the development and advancement of the artist’s community of practice /15
Nomination Process
Nomination Process
It is essential that the nominator and nominee review all the Definitions before preparing their submission.
- The Edmonton Dance Prize is a nomination-based prize program.
- A nominator may initiate the nomination process by approaching a potential nominee.
- A dance artist, or company/collective/group, may initiate the nomination process by approaching and securing a nominator to steward, compile, and submit the nomination package.
- The Nominator must undertake the process entirely voluntarily and must not receive a fee or compensatory benefit of any kind from the nominee for doing so.
- The Nominator need not be a dance professional but must be able to make a case for recognition in the context of dance.
- The Nominator must not be a family member, relative or close, personal friend of the nominee.
Responsibilities of the Nominator
- Secure the nominee’s consent and signature acknowledging and agreeing to the nomination.
- Communicate an Intent to Apply by the appropriate deadline to the Dance Prize delivery partner via the webform provided.
- Complete the application form.
- Work with the nominee to compile all relevant material for the nomination package.
- Write a statement describing the nominee’s work and why it is deserving of the Edmonton Dance Prize (max 1000 words).
- Solicit 2 letters of support/recommendation from professionals in dance (or related arts) who are familiar with the nominee, the nominee’s dance form and practice, and the work being nominated (see Definitions for further details).
- Submit the completed nomination form and package by the deadline.
Required Support Materials
Required Support Materials
The following support materials are required with the nomination package.
- Individual Nominee’s CV*
- Company/Group/Collective Nominee’s 3-5 year list of achievements
- Individual Nominee’s bio (150 words)
- Nominee’s headshot or group shot and 2 images of the work (high resolution required for print-ready publication)
- 2 letters of support/recommendation (see Definitions)
*CV & general artistic/career statement can demonstrate commitment to the field and point to context in the field, but the prize is specifically for the named work being nominated.
Sample of the Work:
Please choose at least one item (required) from the list below. You may submit more than one sample item.
This may be the only contact an assessor has with the work, so consider including complementary material that provides insight from different angles or perspectives.
CONSIDER: A video of the entire work may be appropriate, or not at all. Alternatively, several short video excerpts along with some still images and audience feedback may represent the experience more effectively. It may be useful to include video and still images that capture the context for the work as well, such as the site or venue, public interaction before and/or after a performance, excerpts of an artist talk, etc.
It is understood that budget, capacity, and the type of work (i.e. community activation versus theatrical performance) will impact the nominee’s ability to generate various kinds of support material. The peer assessment committee will be guided explicitly to consider this to ensure as equitable a process as possible.
- Private/passcoded video link (on Vimeo or YouTube) of the work, edited or unedited, as the nominee believes best represents the realized work
- Image gallery (considered 1 item if compiled as a single file, maximum 10 images within the gallery)
- Other audio-visual material
- Multi-media material
- Text/Writing
- Other as determined by the nominator or nominee
Optional Support Materials
Optional Support Materials
In addition to the Required Support Materials noted above, nominators and nominees are encouraged to provide relevant optional material that best represents the unique work being nominated.
*May include any or all of the following items (not required).
- Compiled PDF file of any promotional materials, programs, or other ephemera associated with the work (up to 5 pages)
- Copies of audience feedback/testimonials (written or video), if available. Video submissions must be provided through a private/passcoded video link (on Vimeo or YouTube) of up to 5 minutes, or in a compiled PDF file (up to 3 pages)
- If available and relevant, copies of any earned media* or independent critical reviews* (*see Definitions for further details) about the work, if available and relevant to the nomination package. It is understood that these materials are not frequently available and are therefore not required.
- Up to 2 other items as determined by the nominator or nominee
Peer Assessment Committee
Peer Assessment Committee
The Edmonton Dance Prize peer assessment committee will comprise a minimum of 3 peer assessors and a maximum of 5. Peer assessors will be engaged by Letter of Agreement, which will include the list of peer assessor responsibilities and commitments (see below) and an honorarium for their participation in the process.
Peer assessors will be chosen for their expertise in the field of dance, their knowledge (and ideally lived experience) of diverse dance forms and practices, and their ability to understand a wide variety of contexts for the realization of dance.
- A majority must be from the defined region of the City of Edmonton.
- Up to the total minority may be from outside the City of Edmonton, including from outside Alberta, but must be from within Canada; (Ideally one assessor will be from outside the region in order to allow exposure for the nominees to individuals in the field elsewhere in the country.)
- A majority must be dance professionals (not necessarily dance artists) with collective experience across a diversity of dance forms*.
- The peer assessment committee must comprise a group of individuals with a diversity of dance experiences, lived experiences, and identities.
The previous year’s Edmonton Dance Prize winner may be invited as a peer assessor in the first or second year after receiving the prize.
*The peer assessment committee composition will be informed by the range of dance forms and practices represented in the pool of nominees as communicated through the nominator’s Intent to Apply form. An individual may have experience and expertise in more than one dance form. Consider the following:
- Afro-diasporic dance practices
- Ballet
- Commercial dance
- Contemporary dance
- Flamenco dance
- Hip-hop, street, breaking and related dance
- Indigenous dance practices
- Integrated, inclusive, mixed ability, and/or disability dance
- South Asian dance practices
- Ukrainian dance
- Etc.
**In the case where no peer assessment committee member has sufficient familiarity with a dance form or practice represented in the nomination pool, an expert advisor in that dance form may be engaged to provide either a written (3 page) or video recorded (5-7 minute) discussion of core principles, aesthetic values and specific practices of that dance form.
Peer Assessment Committee
Peer Assessment Committee
The Edmonton Dance Prize peer assessment committee will comprise a minimum of 3 peer assessors and a maximum of 5. Peer assessors will be engaged by Letter of Agreement, which will include the list of peer assessor responsibilities and commitments (see below) and an honorarium for their participation in the process.
Peer assessors will be chosen for their expertise in the field of dance, their knowledge (and ideally lived experience) of diverse dance forms and practices, and their ability to understand a wide variety of contexts for the realization of dance.
- A majority must be from the defined region of the City of Edmonton.
- Up to the total minority may be from outside the City of Edmonton, including from outside Alberta, but must be from within Canada; (Ideally one assessor will be from outside the region in order to allow exposure for the nominees to individuals in the field elsewhere in the country.)
- A majority must be dance professionals (not necessarily dance artists) with collective experience across a diversity of dance forms*.
- The peer assessment committee must comprise a group of individuals with a diversity of dance experiences, lived experiences, and identities.
The previous year’s Edmonton Dance Prize winner may be invited as a peer assessor in the first or second year after receiving the prize.
*The peer assessment committee composition will be informed by the range of dance forms and practices represented in the pool of nominees as communicated through the nominator’s Intent to Apply form. An individual may have experience and expertise in more than one dance form. Consider the following:
- Afro-diasporic dance practices
- Ballet
- Commercial dance
- Contemporary dance
- Flamenco dance
- Hip-hop, street, breaking and related dance
- Indigenous dance practices
- Integrated, inclusive, mixed ability, and/or disability dance
- South Asian dance practices
- Ukrainian dance
- Etc.
**In the case where no peer assessment committee member has sufficient familiarity with a dance form or practice represented in the nomination pool, an expert advisor in that dance form may be engaged to provide either a written (3 page) or video recorded (5-7 minute) discussion of core principles, aesthetic values and specific practices of that dance form.
Notes on Nominees and Individuals
Involved in the Realization
Notes on Nominees and Individuals Involved in the Realization
Nominees:
- Where the nominee is an individual, they must satisfy the definition of professional dance artist.
- Where the nominee is a company/collective/group, all members of the company/collective/group must satisfy the definition of professional dance artist, and a 75% majority must live in the defined City of Edmonton.
- A company/collective/group may be nominated for performance in a work for which the choreographer is NOT nominated.
Individuals Involved in the Realization:
- Where the nominee is an individual or a company/collective/group, the work must be realized by professional dance artists, and a 75% majority of the group members must be age 18+, except as described in the exception below.
- Exception: Where the nominated work is a community activation/engagement, the nominee must be a professional dance artist but the work need NOT be realized by professional dance artists; however, a 75% majority of the group members must be age 18+.
Definitions:
Principle of Expansiveness
For the purposes of the Edmonton Dance Prize, in order to embrace a diversity of dance artists and practices, a principle of expansiveness will prevail in interpreting what is meant by “merits”.
Definition of “work”
For the purposes of the Dance Prize, a “work” shall be understood to be any of the following, with dance always being the primary artistic practice:
- Choreographic/movement work (or a collection of works)
- Performance/interpretation in a work (or in a collection of works)
- Dancefilm/video work (or a collection of works)
- Performance/interpretation in a dancefilm/video work (or in a collection of works)
- Community activation/engagement of an artistic nature (see definition below) by a professional dance artist, company, collective or group of a publicly presented choreographic/movement work (or a collection of works). In the case of community activation/engagement, the performers need NOT be professional dance artists.
*A “work or collection of works” outside of the defined terms (such as artistic curation of a season, collection or festival) may be nominated for consideration by the peer assessment committee provided it meets all eligibility criteria. In their nomination statement, the nominator must outline why the work should be considered. The peer assessment committee’s decision to accept or decline the nomination is final and may not be appealed.
Definition of “realized”
The term “realized” shall be understood to mean: the presentation to a public (in person or virtually) of the work in its original or remounted, final, completed form.
Definition of “remount”
A remounted work is substantially the same as the original and may include minor changes, including changes to the cast, but must be realized under the same name as the original work.
Remounted works are eligible provided they meet all the criteria and so long as the original work has not previously won the Edmonton Dance Prize.
Definition of “elsewhere”
A nominated work may be realized in Edmonton or elsewhere, meaning anywhere in the world provided it is a professional context. It is understood that opportunities for dance presentation are limited; the prize is intended to include as many eligible nominees as possible.
For a work realized elsewhere, the nomination package should indicate how many professional dance artists involved in the work are also based in the City of Edmonton.
Definition of community activation/engagement of an artistic nature
Professional dance artists often work in artistic contexts (that are NOT teaching), in which they may work in a non-theatrical context and/or with non-professional, potentially intergenerational, dancers to create an artistic work and realize it for a public. Because some professional dance artists make their primary artistic work in these community activation/engagement contexts, it is important that these are included in the Edmonton Dance Prize. If you are uncertain whether a specific work qualifies, we welcome you to reach out to the prize delivery partner to discuss the interpretation.
For example: A choreographer may work with non-professional community dancers through a community centre to create a work that is realized in a local professional arts/dance festival. Because the choreographer is a professional dance artist, this work is eligible for the Edmonton Dance Prize.
Definition of “professional context”
A professional context is open to the general public (free or for a fee) and is one in which the general public may reasonably assume the work is created by professional artists.
The following are considered professional contexts:
- Powwows as found in Indigenous dance practices, provided they do not substantially overlap with the ineligible contexts noted below.
- Competitions and battles, specifically as found in various street dance and breaking practices, provided they do not substantially overlap with the ineligible contexts noted below.
The following are not considered professional contexts:
- Private showings.
- Pay-to-perform works in which the performers themselves must pay a fee to participate in the creation, rehearsal and/or performance opportunity.
- Works made on or by students.
- Youth-focussed (ages 12-18) dance competitions, conventions, concerts, showcases or recitals, the primary purpose of which is to train or to culminate a period of training, and which are, effectively, part of the youths’ training.
Definition of Professional Dance Artist*
*This definition of Professional Dance Artist is intended to encompass practitioners of diverse dance forms and practices, from diverse cultures, practicing in ways that are aligned with their respective contexts. The definition has been provided by the prize delivery partner. If you think you should qualify for the prize, but feel this definition does not describe you, we welcome you to reach out to the prize delivery partner to discuss the interpretation.
For the purpose of establishing eligibility for the Edmonton Dance Prize, a professional dance artist is one who meets at least four of the following criteria, one of which must be 1, 3, or 5:
- Has a history of public presentation including, but not limited to, live, digital, filmed, and/or live-streamed performance. The dance artist actively practices their art and aspires to devote more time to artistic activity.
- Has received specialized training and/or acquired knowledge and experience appropriate to the dance artist’s chosen discipline. This includes, but is not limited to, educational institutions, apprenticeship training with a practitioner or teacher recognized within the relevant dance tradition, and/or self-directed training within the established practices of the person’s cultural traditions. The dance artist continues to further their skills through practice and ongoing artistic development.
- Identifies as a professional and is recognized as such by peers in the relevant dance tradition (artists working in the same artistic practice).
- Devotes a reasonable proportion of their professional time to promoting or marketing including, but not limited to, auditioning, seeking sponsorship and engagements, or similar activities appropriate to the nature of their artistic practice.
- Has received compensation for their artistic work at a level consistent with other professionals working in a similar artistic practice. Compensation may include, but is not limited to, fees, salaries, sales, royalties, commissions, barters, in-kind exchanges, grants, honoraria, and/or prizes that reasonably can be considered an integral part of the remuneration that the dance artist receives from professional activity.
- Has a record of income or loss relevant to the history of their work and appropriate to the span of their dance career.
- Has a membership in a professional association appropriate to their dance practice, whose membership and categories are limited under standards established by the association.
Definitions of Earned Media & Independent Critical Reviews
Earned media is coverage by media outlets that is assigned by an independent editor and is not solicited, sponsored, or paid for by the nominee or nominee’s associated company/host/producer/festival or other.
Independent critical reviews are created by authentic humans (not AI) and are not solicited, sponsored, or paid for by the nominee or nominee’s associated company/host/producer/festival or other.
NOTE: It is understood that these materials are not frequently available and are therefore not required.
Letters of Support/Recommendation
Letters of support should speak directly to the specific work being nominated, include a brief description of the work, outline the “artistic merits” of the work, and situate the work within the nominee’s overall career.
- Recommenders must be professionals in dance (or related arts) who are familiar with the nominee, the nominee’s dance form and practice, and the work being nominated.
- Recommenders may be mentors or colleagues of the nominee but must not be direct students, family members, or relatives. Close, personal friends of the nominee may write recommendation letters provided they can offer a critical perspective on the work. They must also disclose, within the letter, how long they’ve known the applicant and in what contexts.
- Recommenders do not need to be residents of the City of Edmonton as defined in the shared eligibility criteria.
- The nominee may suggest individuals to the Nominator, but the letters of support/recommendation must be sent directly to the Nominator.
Nominees and Individuals Involved in the Realization
Nominees:
- Where the nominee is an individual, they must satisfy the definition of professional dance artist.
- Where the nominee is a company/collective/group, all members of the company/collective/group must satisfy the definition of professional dance artist, and a 75% majority must live in the defined City of Edmonton.
- A company/collective/group may be nominated for performance in a work for which the choreographer is NOT nominated.
Individuals Involved in the Realization:
- Where the nominee is an individual or a company/collective/group, the work must be realized by professional dance artists, and a 75% majority of the group members must be age 18+, except as described in the exception below.
- Exception: Where the nominated work is a community activation/engagement, the nominee must be a professional dance artist but the work need NOT be realized by professional dance artists; however, a 75% majority of the group members must be age 18+.
