CUNY Dance Initiative Residencies Grant

CUNY Dance Initiative Residencies Grant

Status: ACTIVE
Funder: Howard Gilman Foundation Inc
Amount: More than US $1,000
Last Updated: December 18, 2025

Summary

The CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI) provides New York City choreographers and dance companies with essential resources like rehearsal time and performance space across 14 CUNY campuses. This residency program aims to support local artists, enrich the cultural life of college students, and create new dance audiences. Eligible applicants include independent choreographers and professional companies with at least three years of professional experience. The initiative fosters collaboration between the city's vibrant dance community and educational institutions.

Overview

The CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI) is a transformative incubator that secures two vital yet scarce resources—rehearsal time and performance space—for New York City choreographers and dance companies across the five boroughs. Housed within the City University of New York (CUNY)–the nation’s largest public urban university system–CDI is a residency program that supports local artists, enhances the cultural life and education of college students, and builds new dance audiences at CUNY performing arts centers. CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI) New York City choreographers and dance companies are invited to apply for residencies via the CUNY Dance Initiative (CDI). Designed to take advantage of existing facilities while integrating New York City’s dance community with the public university system, the CUNY Dance Initiative provides local artists with rehearsal and performance space on 14 CUNY campuses across the five boroughs, plus 4 partner organizations. Independent choreographers and professional companies working in a variety of dance styles, from contemporary to classical and culturally specific forms, are encouraged to apply.

Eligibility

You can learn more about this opportunity by visiting the funder's website. In order to be eligible for a CDI residency, choreographers/companies: must reside or be incorporated in the five boroughs of New York Citymust have been working and performing professionally for at least three years (work created during high school or college is not accepted)must be a legal U.S. citizen or residentmay NOT be full-time faculty/staff/student at CUNY collegesmust not be a dance school or educational organizationmay NOT have already received a CDI residency for the past two consecutive yearsThis residency is for independent choreographers as well as groups with non-profit status.Artists who received a CDI residency in one of the past years may reapply. However, artists who received a residency for two consecutive years must take a year off before reapplying.

Ineligibility

Full-time staff and faculty are NOT eligible to apply for a residency. Part-time staff and adjunct faculty may apply, although they may not request a residency at the college where they are employed.