Bridge Fund for Dance
Purpose
The Bridge Fund for Dance Program is designed to support the local dance ecosystem and broader dance community by investing in Minneapolis and Minnesota-based choreographers, dance companies, event producers, and performing arts organizations for the creation of new and existing creative dance & choreography projects in downtown Minneapolis. This Program aims to energize Minneapolis’ internationally recognized dance scene while attracting artists, audiences, and creative experiences to downtown.
2025 Bridge Fund for Dance Awards Announced
Abdo Sayegh Rodriguez
TU Dance
Collaboration with EVIDENCE
This award supports collaborative performances at Northrop Auditorium, expanded rehearsals, and community engagement with Minneapolis students.
Location: Northrop Auditorium at University of Minnesota
(Tech support)
Ananya Chatterjea
Ananya Dance Theatre
PREM: STORIES OF LOVE
Supports the creation and (Presentation support) of a new work exploring love, connection, and intimacy, fostering curiosity and closeness across differences.
Location: The Southern Theatre - OR - Luminary Arts Center
(Presentation support)
Anat Shinar
Centered
Transforming an abandoned ice cream space into a gallery and performance venue, this project focuses on themes of attention-seeking and includes workshops, performances, and community engagement.
Location: 1100 S 2nd St, Minneapolis, MN 55415
(Presentation support)
April Sellers
Revolution Dance Works DBA April Sellers Dance Collective (ASDC)
Perfume of the Pearl
Residencies focus on exploring resilience and unity through queer cultural dissent, with community engagement via showings and a video blog.
Location: Hennepin Center for the Arts, River Towers, Pride Cultural Arts Center
(Development and Research Residency)
Arwen Wilder
APARTMENT
A 10-month development and research residency for a fully improvised duet dance, emphasizing improvisation as a survival skill and genuine real-time listening.
Location: Zenon at Hennepin Center for the Arts
(Development and Research Residency)
Averie Mitchell-Brown
The Chef’zKitchen
A queer Black-led HipHop and urban dance intensive, providing space and opportunity for dancers to develop choreographic and film skills, culminating in a film premiere.
Location: 2303 NE Kennedy St
(Development and Research Residency)
Berit Ahlgren
HoneyWorks
Showing
An immersive dance/theater experience in a vacant building, reflecting on urban history, gentrification, and impermanence through site-responsive choreography.
Location: Dayton's, Nicollet and 7th Street
(Presentation support)
Carlo Antonio Villanueva
Wayfinding
Developing a new dance work that synthesizes previous research streams and collaborative practice with local artists.
Location: Red Eye Theater
(Development and Research Residency)
Danielle Cheng
Borealis Dance Theatre
What We Carry
Supports youth dance production about displacement, with rehearsals, art installations, and performances at Mixed Blood Theatre, fostering empathy through the arts.
Location: Mixed Blood Theatre
(Presentation support)
Danielle Robinson-Prater
Northrop
American College Dance Association North-Central Festival
Funds a festival and welcome performance celebrating regional dance and fostering community engagement, with full venue support to ensure accessibility.
Location: Northrop Auditorium
(Presentation support)
Deborah "Jinza" Thayer
From Tokyo to Brooklyn: A Jagged Journey
Supports a site-immersive dance installation exploring mixed-race consciousness, utilizing Northrop's backstage spaces and innovative technical elements.
Location: Northrop Auditorium
(Tech support)
Deja Stowers
The Ceremony
A multi-sensory performance exploring Black culture, ritual, and community, with dance, music, and immersive experiences to amplify cultural impact.
Location: Northrup King Building, Body Prayers
(Presentation support)
Elizabeth Flinsch
From the Sediment
Site-specific work at Gold Medal Park using dance and community processions to explore connection and the logic of rivers, elevating LGBTQIA+ and local artists.
Location: Gold Medal Park
(Presentation support)
Emily Gastineau
0, 1, group, ∞
A contemporary dance (Development and Research Residency) turning the theater into a terrarium for collective study, focusing on ensemble improvisation and transformation of knowledge.
Location: Tek Box, Hennepin Center for the Arts
(Development and Research Residency)
Emily Michaels King
MAGIC GIRL
Supports the expanded production of a one-woman show exploring nostalgia, self-love, and personal history, enhancing technical artistry and emotional impact.
Location: Red Eye Theater
(Presentation support)
Fode Bangoura
Duniya Drum & Dance
Fakoly Drum and Dance Conference
Funds an immersive West African drum and dance conference and class series, increasing accessibility and sustaining culturally grounded programming.
Location: Barbara Barker Center For Dance
(Presentation support)
Jillian Kramschuster
Untitled
Explores the spark of passion, burnout, and hope, culminating in a workshop and informal showing for community engagement and learning.
Location: Hennepin Center for the Arts
(Development and Research Residency)
Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts
Dunham Residency Program
To expand residency and performance reach, bringing Dunham technique to area schools and the public, with live percussion and collaborations with local artists.
Location: Lundstrum Center for the Performing Arts
(Presentation support)
Karen 'Kaz' Sherman
Personal Leave
A dance/installation work exploring dementia, hospice, and bodily intuition, using personal and familial experience as creative inspiration for improvisation and liberation.
Location: Ivy Building
(Development and Research Residency)
Kitty Margo
Minnesota Dance Theatre
2025 Winter Showcase
Funds the development of a new holiday dance tradition, engaging choreographers and youth dancers to continue the legacy of the Twin Cities’ beloved holiday performances.
Location: Tek Box, Hennepin Center for the Arts
(Presentation support)
Laura Sukowatey
Hothouse Studios
Fall Forward Festival
Revives a beloved dance festival, presenting diverse dance performances, workshops, and community events to broaden and strengthen the Twin Cities dance scene.
Location: Luminary Arts Center
(Presentation support)
Leila Awadallah
After the Last Red Sky
Supports a home performance and tour, with reimagined choreography and live music, including public workshops and community engagement.
Location: Westminster Church, Ivy Building
(Presentation support)
Leslie ONeill
Dance Rec Pickup League
A new work in The Commons Park, blending performance and participatory park experiences to create inclusive, improvisational dance.
Location: The Commons
(Presentation support)
Leslie Parker
Leslie Parker Dance Project
LoverRoot
To research Black improvisation and feminist principles, including collaboration with musicians and dancers in a creative, experimental process.
Location: Northrop Dance Studio
(Development and Research Residency)
Lillian Conforti
Line of Scrimmage
A dance-theater performance subverting masculinity and power through football themes, featuring female and non-binary dancers in a satirical, athletic production.
Location: Mixed Blood Theater
(Presentation support)
Lisa Berman and company members
BRKFST
Supports the creation and (Presentation support) of a site-specific, cross-genre dance performance, fostering community engagement and inclusivity through breaking and improvisation.
Location: Mill Ruins Park
(Presentation support)
Maija Garcia
Guthrie Theater
SOMEWHERE Choreographic
For developing movement language for the Guthrie’s season production, blending partner dances and community events to spotlight dance within theater.
Location: Guthrie Theater
(Development and Research Residency)
Malia Cole
Rhythmically Speaking
Groovers & Makers 2026
Supports the annual summer dance production celebrating jazz and American social dance, emphasizing African diasporic roots and artistic exchange.
Location: Hothouse, The Southern Theater
(Presentation support)
Marcela Michelle
Untitled
The (Development and Research Residency) funds research integrating choreography with technical elements to explore themes of simultaneity, movement, and inherited performance qualities.
Location: Red Eye Theater
(Development and Research Residency)
Marciano Silva dos Santos
Contempo Physical Dance
Maharu Adaptation
A two-week (Development and Research Residency) to adapt the play Maharu into a contemporary dance work, blending Afro-Brazilian and Zambian folklore, culminating in a public showing.
Location: Hennepin Center for the Arts
(Development and Research Residency)
Masanari Kawahara
Degenerate Matter
Funds the outdoor performance and community lantern procession of a butō dance meditating on impermanence, featuring public workshops and river ritual.
Location: Graco Park, The River Hub
(Presentation support)
Mathew Janczewski
Arena Dances
Repertory Company Residency and Performance Series
Supports the creation and (Presentation support) of new repertory works, with community classes and collaborative performances to deepen public engagement and dancer stability.
Location: Luminary Arts Center
(Presentation support)
Megan Mayer
Resurrection Fern
(Development and Research Residency) for researching a new dance with seasoned performers, focusing on interruption, middle-age, and nervous system care, with public showing in a downtown studio.
Location: Hennepin Arts
(Development and Research Residency)
Nic Lincoln
LGBTQIA+ Movement Research
Explores a century of gay culture and history to inform movement vocabulary and foster a sense of community and unity through dance.
Location: Marcy Holmes, Performance Hall, A-Mill Artist Lofts
(Development and Research Residency)
Nieya Amezquita
Amez Dance
Comfort and Growth
Choreographic work examining how comfort can limit growth, using confined space to explore adaptability and the tension between safety and transformation.
Location: Lundstrum Performing Arts
(Development and Research Residency)
Priscila Ferreira
Brazilian Dance Performance
Supports the professional production of a vibrant Brazilian dance event, celebrating culture through Samba and Forró, with outreach and live music.
Location: Cedar Cultural Center
(Presentation support)
Ranee Ramaswamy
Ragamala Dance Company
Ananta, The Eternal
Funds public performances and extensive community engagement exploring the deity-devotee relationship in Bharatanatyam, expanding cultural access and depth.
Location: Luminary Arts Center, Sunna Mind + Body, FAIR School for Arts, Khazana Gallery, Northrop, Minneapolis Institute of Art
(Presentation support)
Rosy Simas
Walker Art Center
A:gajë:gwah dësa’nigöëwë:nye:' (i hope it will stir your mind)
Supports the world premiere and community (Presentation support)s of a Walker-commissioned dance-theater work honoring Haudenosaunee ancestors, with comprehensive accessibility measures.
Location: Walker Art Center
(Presentation support)
Sam Aros-Mitchell
Juya Nokakamea
Twelve-day (Development and Research Residency) to develop an immersive Indigenous dance work rooted in Yaqui cosmology, with public showings, dialogue, and accessible interpretation.
Location: Red Eye Theater
(Development and Research Residency)
Taja Will
Disability Justice Technical Residency
An advanced technical residency to design accessible, sustainable performance processes, enhancing creative decisions and performance quality.
Location: Red Eye Theater
(Tech support)
The Great Northern Festival
Pride of Place
Commissioning original dance works for a large-scale outdoor silent disco, celebrating Minnesotan identity and belonging through participatory winter dance.
Location: Father Hennepin Bluff Park
(Presentation support)
Projects must align with one of the following three categories:
Development and Research Residency Support ($5k – $15K):
Funding can be used for Choreographers, independent dance artists, companies, and collectives, to host 1–3-week creative development and research residences to incubate new dance ideas, innovation and collaboration.
Examples:
Choreographer X would like to book one week of creative research time with five dancers to work on idea about climate change.
Choreographer would like to create a two-week site-specific residency on the river to develop new ideas for site specific work.
Opera Company X would like to incorporate 20 dancers into the next production and is seeking one week of dance residency to develop the choreographies.
Choreographer would like a two-week residency to explore movement possibility with puppetry and the workplace environment.
Production & Tech Week Support ($15k – $30k):
Funding can be used for expanding / adding additional, final production elements to a confirmed future public presentation. Applicants must submit proof of actual plans and agreements for presentation in their proposal. Minneapolis-based touring project development is eligible for funding, but the applicant must mount a minimum of a one-week tech residency and presentation of a showcase in advance of the tour.
Examples:
Festival X would like to provide additional tech support and research for dance company to incorporate complicated new digital lighting and production elements.
Company X has been invited to perform in Duluth and is requesting a one-week tech residency to mount, rehearse, and bring together artistic elements before touring.
Dance Company X would like to present their latest production at a theater and is requesting more time for rehearsals and tech staff to incorporate a non-traditional seating arrangement.
Presentation Support ($15k – $30k)
Funding can be used to incentivize new or expand existing fully-produced dance showcases / presentations / events in Minneapolis.
Examples:
Dance Educator X would like to offer a Butoh intensive for two weeks followed by Dunham technique ongoing weekly class for five weeks.
Festival X would like to present a large-scale electronic dance event and incorporate dancers for pop up performances.
Choreographer would like to self-present a range of dance activations in the skyways, galleries, dive bars, and public squares to take audiences on a journey through the historic district of downtown.
Eligible Locations
Projects must take place within the following Minneapolis neighborhoods:
Cedar Riverside, Downtown East, Downtown West, East Isles, East Phillips, Elliot Park, Logan Park, Loring Heights, Loring Park, Lowry Hill, Lowry Hill East, Marcy Holmes, Midtown Phillips, Nicollet Island – East Bank, Near North, North Loop, Phillips West, Seward, St. Anthony East, St. Anthony West, Stevens Square, Sumner-Glenwood, University of Minnesota, Ventura Village, Whittier, Willard Hay.
Check the neighborhood boundaries on this map link: https://cityoflakes.maps.arcgis.com/apps/mapviewer/index.html?webmap=687b83365dd34e48b759ce3121ff4497
Project spaces can include traditional settings, such as theaters, venues, and dance studios, and non-traditional spaces, such as restaurants, bars, galleries, museums, public parks, plazas, storefronts, skyways, festivals, pop-ups, schools, churches, senior homes, parking structures, community gatherings, parades, and more.
Venue Examples: (Site specific spaces in all the neighborhoods below)
Hennepin Arts Theater/Tek Box
Hennepin Center for the Arts
Luminary Arts Center
The Luminaire
Lundstrom Performing Arts
Capri Theater
Northrop / University of Minnesota
Barbara Barker Center for Dance
Cedar Cultural Center
Minneapolis American Indian Center
Mixed Blood Theater
Guthrie Theater
Red Eye Theater
Ivy Building
Walker Art Center
Hennepin Arts
(Site specific spaces in all these neighborhoods)
Priority will be given to dance projects that are presented in the Minneapolis Downtown Taxing Area
Eligible Applicants
Projects must primarily feature Minneapolis artists and collaborators and may include performers of all ages.
Anyone from Minnesota can apply for this grant. The location of the proposed work must meet the eligibility. (see the eligible locations section above)
All Projects must meet the following criteria:
Must have 1 – 3 weeks minimum of residency time. One week means 40 hours, which can be scheduled in consecutive days or through rehearsals over a designate amount of time.
Every awardee must provide one informal open rehearsal and /or final work-in-progress showing at the end of the residency – free and open to the public.
Additional support can be provided to dance educators and companies creating one-week dance intensives for youth, adults, professional that provide dance class and dance education in all forms of dance including hip hop, modern, jazz, ballet, South Asian, traditional, popular, Broadway, technique-based, folkloric, contemporary, experimental, etc.
Application must be submitted by the application deadline. Late applications will not be considered.
IMPORTANT DATES
Application opens: June 2, 2025
Award information sessions: June 5, 2025, 12:00 p.m. (RSVP here)
Questions on NOFA due: June 23, 2025
Responses to Questions posted: June 25, 2025
Application deadline: July 15, 2025, at 4:30 PM CST
Applications review: July 17 to August 6, 2025
Award notifications: August 7, 2025
Eligible funding period (estimated): September 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026
Eligible Project Expenses
Award funding can be used for expenses such as:
Dance artists and choreographer fees, collaborator expenses (commission fees, designers, technicians, costume design, commissions, dramaturge, props development, technology.
Space rental, equipment rental (lighting, sound, stage, van/truck) permits, security, parking/transportation expenses for the project team.
Costumes, scenic, visual, digital, and creative elements. Photography and film expenses.
Project planning expenses including community feedback/research, Planning and budgeting support.
Award funding cannot be used for costs such as an applicant’s general operating expenses; political, religious, or lobbying activities; and gift cards, cash incentives, participation stipend, or giveaway items such as food & beverages.
All expenditures must meet public purpose expenditure criteria.
Evaluation Criteria
In reviewing applications, the review team/panel will consider the criteria below. The City may, in its sole discretion, expand or reduce the criteria upon which it bases its final decisions.
Artistic merit and innovation as well as site-specific and site-responsive sensibility in their proposed project.
Whether the applicant and application meet all eligibility criteria and satisfy all NOFA requirements.
Whether Program funds are available.
Quality, thoroughness, and clarity of the application.
Qualifications and experience of the applicant.
Feasibility of proposed Project and ability of applicant to complete proposed Project.
Questions? email mplsaca@minneapolismn.gov or meena.mangalvedhekar@minneapolismn.gov