CounterBalance: Emerging Artist Showcase

The Emerging Artist Showcase is an evening of dance works created by local early-career disabled choreographers presented in conjunction with CounterBalance, Chicago’s annual physically integrated and inclusive dance concert. This showcase honors the important work of CounterBalance founder Ginger Lane to mentor young disabled dancers in Chicago by creating a much-needed platform for the work of a new generation of disabled artists. Planned for the 15th anniversary of the original CounterBalance, the Emerging Artist Showcase responds to the powerful need for development of early-career disabled artists who so often face isolation and lack opportunities to develop their choreographic voice in a supportive, disability-centered environment. 

Co-curated by Ginger Lane and Maggie Bridger, alongside their collaborator Sarah Najera of MOMENTA Dance Company, CounterBalance: Emerging Artist Showcase will commission 4-5 self-identified disabled artists to develop new work which will be shown during shared bill at Columbia College Chicago’s Dance Center on the afternoon of October 17, 2026. 

Help us produce this important product by donating to and sharing our 3Arts Campaign - active now! 

3AP funds directly support paying these artists at this crucial moment in their artistic development, as well as providing access support & services for performances and in-process showings. In addition to your financial support, artists chosen for the showcase will receive mentorship from Ginger and Maggie, who will provide artistic feedback and advice on accessible performance practices. We imagine the choreographers selected for the showcase as a cohort, engaging in a shared learning experience, while also providing the important platform that the CounterBalance anniversary programming provides.

Donors can experience the Emerging Artist Showcase in multiple ways, including exclusive invitations to our planned in-process showings and the final showcase, planned for October 17, 2026 at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago. This new showcase marks an exciting opportunity to continue to build and sustain Chicago’s disability dance field while attempting to address some of the unique barriers emerging disabled choreographers face. By providing mentorship and resources, and allowing them to create work in a supportive, disability-informed space this program amplifies and nurtures their artistic voice. CounterBalance: Emerging Artist Showcase seeks to build a community of disabled dancemakers who may learn from one another’s artistic practice while simultaneously galvanizing around their shared experience. Join us to bring CounterBalance: Emerging Artist Showcase to life!

Pieces may run 10 minutes maximum and must be original work that has not yet been shown in a formal setting. Dances do not need to be about disability experience to qualify for this showcase. We welcome solo and ensemble performances. Artists are welcome to apply with work already in development or a project in the idea stages. 

Each artist chosen for the showcase will receive:

• $1200 stipend

• Mentorship from Ginger Lane and Maggie Bridger on artistic development and accessible making/production practices

• One informal showing and other opportunities to gather with their fellow emerging, disabled artists as interested

• A shared, fully produced performance at the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago on October 17, 2026 with the other selected artists

• Documentation of your work shared with you after the performance

• Other support as needed, pending funding received via our 3Arts crowdfunding campaign 

Eligibility:

All Chicagoland-based choreographers/movement artists who self-identify as Deaf/disabled, a person with a disability, or as having lived experience of disability are welcome to submit to the showcase. We are working with a broad definition of disability that encompasses physical disability, madness/mental disability/neurodivergence, intellectual disability, chronic pain/illness/fatigue, hearing impairment/Deafness, blindness/low vision, and beyond. We welcome self-diagnosis and will never ask for any sort of documentation of disability.

We recognize that "emerging" is a tough term to define, especially for disabled artists that often experience career milestones outside of normative timelines. We are defining an emerging artist as and adult (18+) who has dedicated meaningful time to developing their artistic voice but has not yet self-produced a solo show and/or has not received major funding ($20,000 or more from one grant, for instance) in support of their artistic work. We will consider submissions from students currently enrolled in degree-seeking programs, but may prioritize artists without access to the type of training and performance opportunities that a college or university provides. If you're not sure whether you meet these terms please feel free to submit and let us know how you're defining yourself as "emerging" or feel free to reach out to Maggie at magbridger@gmail.com with questions.

Timeline:

• Application Opens - July 6, 2026

• Application Closes -  August 3, 2026

• Artists Notified - August 10, 2026

• Informal Showing - September 2026

• Final Performance - October 17, 2026 12pm-1pm

Download a PDF of the application to preview before you submit your work.

Questions? Reach out to Maggie Bridger at magbridger@gmail.com.