McKnight International Choreographer Residency
About the McKnight International Choreographer Residency
The McKnight International Choreographer Residency, a program of the McKnight Choreographer Fellowships, invites one international choreographer each year to spend time in residence in Minnesota, collaborating with Minnesota dance artists and showcasing new work.
Since 2012, the McKnight Choreography Fellowship Program has partnered with a different Minnesota dance organization/entity to host a visiting international choreographer. This residency program exists to provide for a residency in Minnesota with an international choreographer, the development of new work for Minnesota dancers/artists, and opportunities for the local dance and arts community to interact with the international artist through classes, events and social gatherings.
The intention behind the program is to foster artistic exchange and collaboration between Minnesota artists and those from outside the US. This exchange and collaboration can benefit the Minnesota artistic community directly, cultivating relationships and opportunities, and bringing perspective and inspiration.
Support for individual artists has been a focus of the McKnight Foundation’s Arts Program since its inception. McKnight Artist Fellowships increase the exploratory opportunity, economic stability, and productive capacity of artists by providing unrestricted support for artists who are the beyond emerging stage of their career, as well as discipline-specific artistic and professional development opportunities.
Past McKnight International Choreographers include:
2024: Meryl Zaytoun Murman (Greece) with partner Sharon Mansur/The Cedar Tree Project
2023: Sandy Silva (Montreal) with partner Twin Cities Tap
2022: Mário Nascimento (Brazil) with partner Contempo Physical Dance
2019: Galia Eibenschutz (Mexico City) with partner HIJACK
2018 - Impilo Mapantsula (Vusi Mdoye, Sello Modiga, Sicelo Xaba) (South Africa) with partner Maia Maiden Productions/Hip Hop Choreographers’ Evening
2017 - Salia Sanou (Burkina Faso) with partner Threads Dance Project
2016 - Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar (Israel) with partner James Sewell Ballet
2015 - Gioconda Barbuto (Canada) with partner TU Dance
2014 - Osnel Delgado (Cuba) with partner Zenon Dance Company
2013 - George Stamos (Canada) and Sophiline Cheam Shapiro (Cambodia)
2012- Johan Amselem (France)
While applications are not accepted from choreographers for the McKnight International Choreographer residency, we welcome hearing from members of the Minnesota dance and arts community who might be interested in partnering with us.
Photo of 2024 residency by Sydney Swanson