thINKingDANCE (tD) is pleased to announce the second cycle of its Emerging Writer’s Fellowship—a program that supports exceptional work by undergraduate writers with backgrounds in the performing arts, journalism, and related areas of experience. Created to foster the next generation of dance critics and writers, tD’s Emerging Writer’s Fellowship celebrates an ongoing connection between the stage and the page.
Two U.S.-based undergraduates will be selected to:
- Publish their work as a featured article on tD’s digital platform
- Experience three hours of 1:1 mentorship from a member of the thINKingDANCE editorial board
- Participate in the same two-tiered editing process as tD staff writers
- Receive a $500 unrestricted stipend
The fellowship application requires one writing sample in arts analysis, performance criticism, or creative writing (500-word maximum) and a brief cover letter, serving as a space for applicants to introduce themselves and their interest in the fellowship. In accordance with thINKingDANCE’s mission, experimental and hybrid forms of writing are welcome. We encourage applicants to submit writing covering any dance genre, aesthetic, or style of their choosing. Prior to submitting, applicants should become acquainted with the types of articles we publish, outlined in the lower half of the guest writer page.
New for the 2027 cycle, fellows will be offered one of two publication pathways. Writers will either:
- Continue to develop their submitted writing sample with our team of editors for publication on the thINKingDANCE website by the end of Spring 2027; or
- Pitch a new article to thINKingDANCE, with the completed piece to be published by the end of Spring 2027.
Submissions will be accepted from October 15th to November 15th, with the selected writers informed in early December 2026.
A link to the application form can be found here. Questions can be directed to Editorial Board Member Rachel DeForrest Repinz at rachel@thinkingdance.net.
To see the fellowship in action, click the links to read work by last year’s fellows, Savannah Bunn and Nate Tantral-Johnson.
