2023 Jadin Wong Fellowship in Dance

The Jadin Wong Fellowship recognizes an emerging Asian American dance artist whose work shows strong potential for greater achievement and who hopes to make a significant impact on the Asian American and New York City artistic community as a whole. The fellowship aims to recognize exemplary work that will continue to inspire young artists and the Asian American community for years to come.

This award is a tribute to the life and work of renowned Chinese American actress, dancer, and comedienne Jadin Wong (1913–2010), a pioneer and innovator of Asian American performing arts. The award is made possible by the Jadin Wong Educational Fund at the New York Community Trust, established to continue her dream of supporting aspiring artists, musicians, and dancers of Asian descent.

The Jadin Wong Fellowship is awarded to an early-career Asian American dancer/choreographer, age 30 or younger, whose work shows outstanding promise and who may benefit from further professional artistic development. The fellow receives a 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 a mid-career to established dance professional, career coaching, and a range of technical support.

Fellowship Description:

In addition to the cash stipend of $6,000, the fellow will participate in an eight-month program beginning in May 2023 and ending in December 2023. The fellowship is structured in three phases, each facilitating a different area of professional development.

Phase 1: Career Coaching
May – July 2023
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 2023
The selected fellow will receive artistic mentorship from a mid-career to established dance 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 2023
The selected fellow will work with A4 staff to develop and present one community workshop or public presentation in December 2023 based on their experience with the fellowship or work generated through the process. Timing is flexible; A4 is open to scheduling the program for Jan/Feb 2024 if necessary.

DEADLINE:
APPLICATION FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY BY 11:59 PM ET ON MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2023.

Requirements

The applicant MUST:

• Be of Asian heritage
• Be 30 years of age or younger at the time of the fellowship (born May 1, 1993 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 2023)
• 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 2023)
• 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, clarity of vision and originality of work will be evaluated.
• Development of new or existing 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.

Review panels are composed of a diverse group of respected professionals in the field. All are distinguished artists and arts professionals.

Key Dates:
February 13, 2023 Public announcement of open call
February 21, 2023 Virtual Information Session, 12–1:00pm ET (Recording HERE.)
March 20, 2023 Submissions close by 11:59pm ET
March - April 2023 Panel review period
May 8, 2023 Notification of award
May 15, 2023 Public announcement of award

Application Instructions

All applications are submitted online via Jotform.

• Artistic Statement:
• Identify your unique artistic approach to your chosen medium. (300 words max)
• Optional: Describe the influences, legacies, and/or heritages in your work. (100 words max)
• Professional Growth:
• Describe where you are in your professional and artistic career as a visual artist in New York City. Share key moments, accomplishments, and/or learnings in your career thus far. (300 words max)
• Describe upcoming goals and how this fellowship may help you achieve those goals (300 words max)
• Describe an existing or new body of work you wish to develop during the 8-month fellowship (300 words max)
• Community Impact:
• How do you hope to impact the Asian American artistic community through your work? (300 words max)
• Fellowship Benefits:
• If awarded the fellowship, how do you plan to use the unrestricted cash grant? (100 words max)
• 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. Provide time stamps for viewing.
• Proof of Residency & Age

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 performative dancer engaged in creating original choreographic work in the field of dance.

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 choreographs original dance works. 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 2023).

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 2023 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 Justine Lee, Programs Director, at jlee@aaartsalliance.org. Please use subject line: Jadin Wong Fellowship Question.

A4 held a virtual Information Session for 2023 Jadin Wong Award on Tuesday, February 21 from 12:00pm – 1:00pm ET. A recording of the session can be found on our YouTube Channel HERE.