The University of Wisconsin–Madison Dance Department will celebrate a century of innovation, creativity, and leadership in dance–the first dance degree program in higher education in the U.S. and a catalyst for the future of the field. As we mark this 100-year milestone, we honor our legacy, while boldly moving toward what’s NEXT in dance.
Our centennial celebration Legacies in Motion: 100 Years of Dance at the University of Wisconsin-Madison will take place all year long with exciting activities from September 2026 to May 2027.
The main event will take place April 14-17, 2027, with four days of performances, classes, discussions, and community gatherings. Our alumni are the heart of this celebration—sharing creative works, research, pedagogy, and ideas that reflect the department’s pioneering spirit and its ongoing influence in shaping the field of dance.
Alums are invited to submit proposals that connect their work to one or more aspects of our centennial theme: NEW, NOW, NEXT.
THEME: NEW, NOW, NEXT
- NEW — Reflects our department’s innovative beginnings and groundbreaking contributions to the field.
- NOW — Celebrates the energy, diversity, and relevance of dance in today’s world.
- NEXT — Envisions the future of dance, inspiring new directions, technologies, and possibilities.
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Call for Proposals
All proposals are due no later than March 23, 2026 by 11:59pm CST. The application requires a title, 250-500 word description, an explanation of how your work engages with the theme Legacies in Motion: NEW, NOW, NEXT, links (video, media, website, etc.) to support your submission, length, other technical considerations, your bio, and contact information. You may submit more than one proposal.
General Guidelines
- Proposals are welcome from all UW-Madison Dance alumni.
- Individual and group proposals are encouraged.
- Applicants may submit more than one proposal and be considered for more than one program area.
- All presenters who present in person at the main event April 14-17, 2027 must register for the event.
- Those selected will be eligible for a limited amount of financial support. Financial support is pending upon funding availability. More information about financial support will be provided over the summer.
- All proposals are due no later than March 23, 2026 by 11:59pm CST.
- Decisions will be made in May 2026, and will be communicated during the summer.
Program Area I: Choreographic Works For Stage, Screendance Works, Installations, Interactive Projects, Site-Specific Works
Proposals for choreographic works for stage should be appropriate for a festival format, no more than 12 minutes in length. (Shorter pieces help us accommodate more work.)
We will consider screendance works of various lengths, but require specification of the length of the work.
We will consider installations or interactive projects for a group exhibition that showcases the work of our IATech alumni. Depending on submissions we will accommodate the largest number of submissions pending our ability to secure gallery space and funding. Please include information about the type of work you are proposing, including media (photographs, paintings, prints, sculpture, installation-based work, time-based media, etc.), size/scale, and anything else that would help us. (Space is TBD.)
Proposals for site-specific works. Name or describe the location you hope to utilize and why. What is the expected running time? Can this be repeated during the festival?
Program Area II: Panel Presentations
We are seeking 15-minute presentations on a variety of topics. Submissions can be made for either:
- Individual 15-minute talks that will be combined into a panel, or
- A one-hour panel of 3-4 speakers
Please identify 1-2 of the following topic areas in your proposal.
- Celebrating H’Doubler and the Movers and Shakers of UW-Madison’s Dance Program
- Dance History or Dance Studies
- Dance/Movement Therapy, Practice and Research
- Somatic Arts and Practices
- Dance , Health & Wellness
- Dance Education, Practice and Research
- Creative Research
- Screendance
- New Directions
Program Area III: Workshops or Master Classes
You may propose any type of workshop or master class. Workshops and master classes MUST be either 50 minutes in length or 90-100 minutes in length.
Ways You Can Connect Your Proposal to the Theme
Consider the following questions when preparing your proposal:
- How does your work reveal or build upon the department’s history of experimentation and innovation?
- In what ways do you draw from or reimagine the department’s history and legacy?
- How does your creative or scholarly practice respond to the current moment in the field?
- What new pathways, technologies or collaborations are emerging in your work?
- What visions or possibilities for the next century of dance does your work propose?
Questions
You can direct your questions to Li Chiao-Ping at cli5@wisc.edu.