BIPOC Professional Dancer Mentorship

Midday Movement Series is thrilled to launch BIPOC Professional Dancer Mentorship, a mentorship program supporting early-career BIPOC professional contemporary dancers to establish their dance paths in Greater Boston. This program aims to empower and celebrate early-career BIPOC dancers by creating a sense of connection and community, and by providing a space to address the impacts of structural inequities and strategies to help navigate and overcome them.

​This program is a crucial next step in MIDDAY's current racial justice work. By providing a new generation of BIPOC dance artists with resources to create their own sense of purpose and belonging in the Greater Boston dance community, MIDDAY will continue to cultivate a sustainable and vibrant local dance sector. 
Program Description:

In this eight month program, four early-career professional contemporary dancers (4 years of experience or less) will receive and commit to the following:
  • class stipends to take a minimum of 60 hours of dance classes over the course of the program (equivalent to one MIDDAY class and one additional Boston, Somerville, or Cambridge-based dance class of their choosing per week for 18-20 weeks);
  • $500 personal stipend to use at their discretion;
  • Bi-weekly mentorship consultations with MIDDAY director Marissa Molinar to help guide their individual growth (about 18 hours over the course of the program);
  • Monthly all-mentee gatherings to encourage peer-to-peer networking, support, and learning (about 18 hours over the course of the program);
  • Access to an all-mentee chat group to encourage connection between and beyond group gatherings.​​
The program will run from August 2022 - March 2023, culminating with a small celebration in which each mentee will present their top takeaways from their training and mentorship experiences. Mentees and guest dance artists will be invited to show work and works-in-progress at this celebration.
Eligibility Criteria

This program is open to contemporary dancers of color who are:
  • at least 18 years old,
  • self-identify as a professional or pre-professional dancer,
  • are developing a professional career as a dancer,
  • and have four (4) years or less of professional experience.
Applications Are Closed!
Applications for this cycle closed June 30, 2022. 
Questions? Email us for more information.
Vertical Divider
This program is supported in part by a grant from the following:
The Somerville Arts Council
Cambridge Arts, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency
The Boston Cultural Council, administered by the Mayor's Office of Arts and Culture
​