Submission Details

WHO CAN APPLY: Any and all professional choreographers who identify as women or nonbinary, including trans women. The festival is open to artists in all career stages. While Contemporary styles are preferred, all submissions, in any dance style, will be considered. 

THE SELECTION PROCESS: Preference will be given to works that highlight unique stories and traditions, encourage critical thinking about gender issues, or explore current societal issues through an intersectional feminist lens. MashUp’s Creative Council evaluates applications individually, using a ranking system that considers relevance to and fit within the mission of the IWD Dance Festival and artistic and technical merit, with special weight given to unique personal concepts, personal stories, or themes. The Council then holds a collective meeting to discuss and determine the best mix of works that will also result in a cohesive and diverse performance. Because MashUp has a limited number of staff compared to the volume of submissions, feedback will not be provided on individual submissions. 

Selected choreographers will showcase their submitted work at the Saturday, March 9th International Women’s Day Dance Festival Women Choreographers’ Showcase, to be held in person at Stomping Ground LA. All choreographers will receive a $300 honorarium. 

TIMELINE:

• Deadline to Apply: October 1, 2023 before 11:59pm

• Notification Date: on or before December 15, 2023

• Deadline to confirm participation and all program details: no later than January 3, 2024

• Festival Dates: March 7-10, 2024

• Choreographer Showcase Tech - Thursday, March 7 between 2pm-10pm

• Choreographer Showcase Performances - Saturday, March 9 at 5pm and 8pm

ELIGIBILITY:

• Submitted works can range in time from 5-10 minutes. 

• The piece submitted in the video sample must be the piece that is shown at the Festival. Slight adjustments or organic evolutions of the work are accepted with explicit permission. Selected choreographers are to keep MashUp informed of how the work changes - if at all.

• Work-in-progress pieces are not eligible.

• The work is not required to be a new or world premiere.

SUBMISSION MATERIALS REQUIRED:

• Choreographer contact information, website, headshot, and bio (~300 words)

• Description of the proposed piece

• Video of the piece the applicant intends to present, complete with the amount of dancers, music choice, and overarching tone.

• Confirmation of availability for Thursday, March 7 (tech) and the showcase on March 9, 2024. 

ADDITIONAL FESTIVAL DETAILS:

Tentative Festival Schedule:

• Thursday, March 7 - Participating Artists Breakfast and Morning Class + Showcase Tech

• Friday, March 8 - LA Women in Dance Summit + Gala

• Saturday, March 9 - Public Movement Workshop + Showcase Performances

• Sunday, March 10 - Master Classes + Dance Film Screening Event

All in person elements of the festival will take place in and around Los Angeles, California. Out of state/country applicants are welcome to apply, but MashUp is not able to offer any financial support for travel at this time.