2021 Jadin Wong Fellowship in Dance

The Asian American Arts Alliance is pleased to administer, with support from the New York Community Trust, the 2021 Jadin Wong Fellowship for an emerging Asian American dance artist to create new work.

A4 will grant a fellowship to one early-career Asian American dance artist, age 30 or younger, whose work shows outstanding promise and who may benefit from further professional artistic development, and who is of limited financial means.

The fellowship recipient will receive an unrestricted cash stipend of $6,000 and an eight-month fellowship tailored to respond to the unique needs of their practice. The fellowship includes artistic mentorship with an established or mid-career dance professional, leadership coaching, and a range of technical support.

A4 will administer an open application process.

In addition to the cash stipend of $6,000, the fellow will participate in an eight-month program beginning in May 2021 and ending in December 2021. The fellowship is structured in three phases, each facilitating a different area of professional development.

Phase 1: Career Coaching
May – July 2021
The selected fellow will receive three coaching sessions from an esteemed career coach. The coaching will cover core value strengthening and goal setting/vision planning. These sessions are meant to offer personal and professional development tools for the fellow to empower themself as a leader of their vision, craft, and field.

Phase 2: Artistic Mentorship
July – September 2021
The selected fellow will receive artistic mentorship from an established or mid-career theater professional. The mentorship will include one-on-one meetings with the appointed mentor. The mentor will be chosen by A4 staff based on field recommendations and with input from the fellow, giving consideration to their interests and preferences.

Phase 3: A4 Public Program
October – December 2021
The selected fellow will work with A4 staff to develop and present one community workshop or public presentation in December 2020 based on their experience with the fellowship or work generated through the process.

Requirements

The applicant MUST:

• Be of Asian heritage
• Be 30 years of age or younger at the time of the fellowship (born May 1, 1990 or later)
• Not be currently enrolled as a full-time or part-time student in a degree-granting program during the fellowship period (May – December 2021)
• Be a resident of New York City (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, or Staten Island)
• Be currently living in the US and primarily based in New York City during the fellowship period (May – December 2021)
• Have at least two years of experience in presented dance

NOTE: Current A4 staff, board members, and review panelists are not eligible. Immediate family of A4 staff, board members, and review panelists are not eligible.

Review and Selection Criteria:

The fellow will be selected through an open call and jury process. A jury composed of established professionals in the field will evaluate the submitted applications based on the following criteria:

• Artistic merit: Technical skill, performance quality, and expression will be evaluated.
• Creation of new work: Description of the project to be developed or completed during the fellowship.
• Community impact: Articulation of interest or hopes to make a significant impact on the Asian American and New York City artistic community as a whole, based on narrative responses in the application.
• Potential for growth: Extent to which the fellowship will advance the applicant’s goals and career.
• Financial need: Demonstrated need for financial support. Finalists may be asked to provide further financial documentation.

Time Frame:

February 1, 2021 Public announcement of open call
March 21, 2021 Submissions close by 11:59pm EDT
March - April 2021 Panel review period
May 3, 2021 Notification of award

Application Instructions

All applications are submitted online via Jotform here.

• A 100-word (maximum) statement describing the influences, legacies, and/or heritage in your artistic work. NOTE this question is optional, but will provide context and give reviewers a better understanding of your work.
• A 750-word (maximum) statement identifying the applicant’s approach to working in dance, where the applicant is in their professional and artistic development, and how the fellowship will help them pursue their future ambitions and goals.
• A 250-word (maximum) statement articulating how the applicant hopes to make an impact on the Asian American artistic community through their work.
• A 500-word (maximum) statement describing the project to be created through the support of this fellowship.
• Letter of recommendation (from an educator or dance professional experienced with the artist’s work)
• Resume and headshot
• Work samples (up to three work samples total)
• Three recent (within the past 4 years) video work samples demonstrating the applicant’s best performance or choreography. Each sample should be no more than 4 minutes in length.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Who was Jadin Wong?
Jadin Wong (1913‐2010) was a Chinese American actress, dancer, and comedienne. She performed at San Francisco’s legendary all‐Asian nightclub, Forbidden City, and toured throughout America, Europe, and Asia. In 1960, Ms. Wong moved to New York City. She appeared in Broadway shows and founded Jadin Wong Management in hopes of helping more Asian American talent to be cast in significant roles in theater, film, and television. Ms. Wong’s final performance was on October 11, 1997, at a gala benefit for a new national Chinese American museum.

You can read more about Jadin Wong’s life and work here.

What is a dance artist?
Any performer engaged in creating new work in the field of dance—a dancer or choreographer.

What constitutes an “emerging dance artist”?
For the purpose of this year’s award, an emerging dance artist is one who is between 18 and 30 years of age, shows potential for great artistic achievement in dance, and creates original dance works. An emerging, early-career dance artist can be, for example a dancer who performs their own work or a choreographer. However, you cannot be currently enrolled as a full-time or part-time student in a degree-granting program during the fellowship period (May – December 2021)

How do you define “outstanding promise”?
The ideal applicant is an early-career dance artist who shows extraordinary clarity of thought and creativity in their artistry and may realize greater achievement with additional professional development support.

Do I have to be Asian American to apply?
Yes. The fellowship is awarded to an artist of Asian descent. Ethnic origins include Central Asian, East Asian, Pacific Islander, South Asian, Southeast Asian, West Asian, Middle Eastern, and Multi-regional.

Is the fellowship open to US citizens/permanent residents or people of all immigration statuses?
Anyone who lives in New York City and has a SSN (Social Security Number) or ITIN (Individual Taxpayer Identification Number) is eligible to apply.

What does a good work sample look like?
A good video work sample employs proper lighting, clear audio, and best represents the applicant’s artistry. The work may be in studio or a performance with a clear view of the dancers.

How is the 2021 Jadin Wong Fellow selected?
The fellow will be selected through an open call and jury process. Submitted applications will be reviewed by a jury composed of dance professionals. Current board and staff members of A4 will not participate in the review process.

What if I have more questions?
You are welcome to inquire further by contacting Lisa Gold, Executive Director, at lgold@aaartsalliance.org.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend the Information Session for 2021 Jadin Wong Award Applicants on Tuesday, February 23 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm.

A4 hopes that this workshop will not only provide applicants with the nuts and bolts of a strong Jadin Wong Fellowship application, but also offer suggestions for other fellowship opportunities. Part info session and part workshop, this 1-hour session will include background and logistics of the awards process and advice on preparing a strong application.

Space is limited, and RSVP is required. You may RSVP via Eventbrite here.