Our Curatorial Approach

At the International Dance Festival New Orleans, we believe in staying open to meeting new artists and expanding our creative circles. We are always curious about who is making work, what communities they are engaging, and how the field continues to evolve. At the same time, we are a small festival with limited capacity. Much of our curation grows out of multi-year conversations with artists, partner organizations, and funders whose work aligns with our values and long-term vision.

Our process is relational. We build seasons through ongoing dialogue, trust, and shared commitments. Some artists join us after years of conversation. Others come to us through partnerships or touring networks. All of it happens through relationship-building across New Orleans and the world.

We welcome new connections and look forward to learning about your work.

  • We do not run a formal annual application for festival programming. Instead, if you would like to be considered for future performance opportunities, the best first step is simple. Email us at festival@bodyartdance.com and invite us to your performance or share a full-length video link of your completed work.

    At this time, we program fully created pieces rather than commissioning new work, so having access to a complete performance is essential for consideration.

    We typically program one to two years in advance. Most performance opportunities are for shorter works of 15-20 minutes, and on rare occasions we present evening-length pieces.

    If you feel your work aligns with our mission and the festival’s scale, we would love to see it and learn more about what you are making. Start by emailing us and we will do our very best to connect with you.

  • Each year we welcome a select group of artists to teach festival masterclasses. If you would like to be considered, please send the following to festival@bodyartdance.com:

    • A short class description
    • A brief bio
    • Any relevant links that help us understand your teaching practice

    Masterclasses are confirmed in early summer for the festival the following September.

  • We are excited to share a new initiative for 2026. This year includes a special performance and creation opportunity with French choreographer Aina Alegre. Details about this collaborative project will be announced in early February 2026.

    This residency will be a paid ten-day creation and performance period in late August through early September 2026, culminating in a performance at the festival. More details and requirements will be listed on our website once the call opens.

  • We are a very small staff supporting a growing community. While we care deeply about offering transparency, we are not always able to provide individualized feedback to every artist who reaches out or participates in a program. Please know this is due to capacity, not lack of care or interest.

    We encourage you to email us, to share your work, and to stay connected (instagram is another great way to stay connected). We are artists too. We want to hear from you, and we will always share whatever information we can. We may not get everything perfect, but we will always move forward with love, respect, and gratitude for this incredible community.