A Dance Community for All
Scholarship opportunities are available for all programs. Those dependent on a scholarship are urged to apply early and explore multiple avenues of financial assistance in addition to ADF’s offerings.
Scholarship Deadlines
Priority deadline | March 1, 2023 |
Final deadline | April 1, 2023 |
Awards announced by March 15 & April 14.
How to Apply for Scholarships
- Complete your online application for your program, pay the $60 nonrefundable application fee, and wait for your application to be accepted.
- Once accepted, indicate your interest in applying for a Tuition, Work-Study (SDI only), and/or Matching Scholarship in your online application and submit all required materials prior to one of the scholarship deadlines.
Important Information
- You may apply for all scholarship opportunities to attend ADF but will be awarded only one type of scholarship:
- Tuition Scholarship
- Work-Study Scholarship (SDI only)
- Matching Scholarship
- Scholarship students are responsible for their tuition balance, room, board, and travel to and from Durham, NC.
- SDI Work-Study Scholarships: Pursuant to Duke University policies, criminal background checks will be conducted on potential work-study students. Students who do not pass the criminal background check will forfeit their scholarship.
- We encourage you to research and seek out additional funding from outside sources to support your summer study!
Summer Dance Intensive Scholarships
Tuition Scholarships
Tuition Scholarships are awarded based on a combination of your work as a dance artist in conjunction with financial need. Tuition scholarship awards range from $200 to $2,390.
You may attend a live audition or submit a video to be considered for a tuition scholarship. Additional materials are required via online submission from all applicants.
Tuition Scholarships Required Materials
- Demonstration of work as a dance artist (live or video):
- Live Audition: Attend any available live audition to be assessed for your work as a dance artist. Live auditions include a class based in a contemporary movement form with phrase work and improvisation. Live auditions are typically 90 minutes led by an ADF faculty and include an opportunity for Q & A. Portions of class will be filmed. Those attending live auditions can optionally upload one 2-minute video for additional consideration when completing the online scholarship application.
OR - Video Audition: Submit a 2-minute video of your work as a dance artist. Examples of your work could include: performance/technical skill, choreography, improvisation, dance-based community projects, or embodied research. We’ll use this video to assess your strengths as a dance artist.
- Live Audition: Attend any available live audition to be assessed for your work as a dance artist. Live auditions include a class based in a contemporary movement form with phrase work and improvisation. Live auditions are typically 90 minutes led by an ADF faculty and include an opportunity for Q & A. Portions of class will be filmed. Those attending live auditions can optionally upload one 2-minute video for additional consideration when completing the online scholarship application.
- Self interview (video): Submit a 1-minute video that responds to ONE of the questions below. We’ll use this video to learn more about you as a person who not only dances, but who has ideas about dance. We will use this video to supplement our understanding of you and your work.
- Option 1: What does community mean to you as a dance artist?
- Option 2: What are you passionate about as a dance artist?
- Statement of Financial Need: Submit a written one-page statement that explains your current financial situation to help us assess your level of need.
Video Audition Details
For demonstration of work as a dance artist, we welcome video submissions that show your area of expertise. Below are examples of submissions:
- Performance: An excerpt of a piece you have performed, a class phrase that you know well, an improvisatory score or physical practice that highlights your skill as a performer and dancer.
- Choreography: An excerpt of a solo that you have created and can perform.
- Improvisation: Any improvisational structure based on the values of the dance tradition you are working with.
- Community practice: A presentation using dancing, speaking, and/or video to share the ways you have created community-based dance programs or events.
- Dance scholarship: A reading of an excerpt of a paper you have written, or a discussion and embodiment of the way you are investigating specific ideas through physical research.
Live Audition Dates & Details
If attending a live audition, the date of the audition you attend must be prior to the scholarship deadline you would like to be considered for.
Live Dance Audition Requirements
For students attending a live audition:
- Students are asked to submit an online application for the program prior to the live audition.
- Please arrive early! Check-in begins approximately 30 minutes before the audition.
- The audition class will include, but is not limited to:
- A brief warm-up
- Modern/contemporary technique
- Improvisation in small groups that showcases your artistry and performance skill. Any movement vocabulary is welcome.
- At the audition, there will be an information session where students can ask questions and learn more about the intensive.
- Note: Portions of class will be filmed to assist with final scholarship decisions.
Click Here for Live Audition Dates
Work Study Scholarships
Work-study students have the opportunity to gain work experience and create connections that pave the way for future employment in the arts.
Work-study recipients receive partial (50%) or full (100%) scholarships in exchange for working between 10-20 hours a week during the festival. Work-Study Scholarship applications are completed online only.
Positions and Details
- Work-study positions available for summer 2023 (subject to change)
Job assignments include areas of administration, archives, babysitting, box office/marketing, hospitality/events, production, and school operations. - These positions are designed for mature and responsible students who have skills to assist with the operations of the festival, want to be part of a team, and want to learn more about how the festival works. Students will be offered work-study positions based on their skills, experience, and ADF needs.
- Most students eligible for these positions must be at least 21 years old. Most work-study positions are contingent on passing a criminal background check.
- Several positions require students to bring a car to the festival to use for work-related tasks.
- Most work-study scholarship students will be asked to arrive early and depart the festival late. Work hours vary from daytime, evening, and weekends.
Work-Study Scholarship Required Materials
- Résumé highlighting work experience pertinent to the work-study position. Dance experience should not be included.
- A recommender must complete the Recommendation Form:
- Provide your recommender’s email in your online application and they will automatically receive the digital form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the digital form is completed and submitted by your recommender prior to a scholarship deadline.
- Your recommender will complete questions within the form that directly address your candidacy for the work-study position, including demonstration of specific skills applicable to these positions; demonstration of strong interpersonal communication skills; and your ability to effectively manage an ongoing workload, adhere to deadlines, work well in a team, receive feedback and adapt to supervisors’ expectations.
- Self interview (video): Submit a 2-minute video that responds to the following two questions:
- What are the three most important qualities and/or practices that you embody in order to build and sustain a productive team?
- Describe a working situation that challenged you and how you worked through it.
- Statement of Financial Need: Submit a written one-page statement that explains your current financial situation to help us assess your level of need.
- Costume Apprenticeship positions only: Upload a media file of your portfolio of your work or contact the School office for other material submission options.
Matching Scholarships
ADF will match up to $500 towards tuition fees from sponsoring organizations and businesses. Matching scholarships are limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Matching Scholarship applications are completed online only.
Sponsorships may come from:
- Dance Studios
- Colleges or Universities
- High Schools
- Arts Organizations
- Businesses or Corporations
Matching scholarship required materials
- The sponsoring organization must complete a Matching Scholarship Application Form:
- Provide your sponsoring organization’s email in your online application and they will automatically receive the digital form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the digital form is completed and submitted by your sponsoring organization.
- If your sponsoring organization does not have an email, contact the ADF School and we will provide a hard copy of the form for you to send to the organization.
- Funds will be applied to the student account once the form and payment have been received from the sponsoring organization.
Pre-Professional Dance Intensives
Tuition Scholarships
We are offering a limited number of tuition scholarships to students to attend the Pre-Professional Dance Intensive. All scholarships are awarded based on a combination of your audition in conjunction with financial need.
Tuition Scholarship Required Materials
- Statement of Financial Need: Submit a written one-page statement that explains your current financial situation to help us assess your level of need.
- Tax Forms: Upload a copy of your parents’ most recent Tax Form 1040 (first page only).
- Please only submit the first page of the 1040, which lists the adjusted gross income and number of dependents.
Matching Scholarships
ADF will match up to $500 towards tuition fees from sponsoring organizations and businesses. Matching scholarships are limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Matching Scholarship applications are completed online only.
Sponsorships may come from
- Dance Studios
- Colleges or Universities
- High Schools
- Arts Organizations
- Businesses or Corporations
Matching Scholarship Required Materials
- The sponsoring organization must complete a Matching Scholarship Application Form:
- Provide your sponsoring organization’s email in your online application and they will automatically receive the digital form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the digital form is completed and submitted by your sponsoring organization.
- If your sponsoring organization does not have an email, contact the ADF School and we will provide a hard copy of the form for you to send to the organization.
- Funds will be applied to the student account once the form and payment have been received from the sponsoring organization.
Dance Professional Workshops Scholarships
Tuition Scholarships
We are offering a limited number of tuition scholarships to students to attend the Dance Professional Workshops. All scholarships are awarded primarily based on financial need.
Tuition Scholarship Required Materials
- Statement of Financial Need: Submit a written one-page statement that explains your current financial situation to help us assess your level of need.
- Tax Forms: Upload a copy of your most recent Tax Form 1040 (first page only).
- Please only submit the first page of the 1040, which lists the adjusted gross income and number of dependents.
Special Full Tuition Scholarships for North Carolina Educators
A limited number of full tuition scholarships are available for North Carolina Pre K-12 public/private school educators specifically applying for the Dance Professional Workshop for Educators. Apply for a scholarship early to be considered for this opportunity.
Tuition Discounts
ADF offers a tuition discount to members of NCDEO, NDEO, or an ACDA Institution. These members will receive a 20% tuition discount off any one workshop, or a 20% discount off total tuition if attending multiple workshops. When completing your online application for the DPW program, you will be asked if you are a member and to specify which organization. Tuition discounts will be applied to your online application upon acceptance into the program.
Students may receive either a tuition discount or a scholarship, but may not receive both.
Matching Scholarships
ADF will match up to $250 towards tuition fees from sponsoring organizations and businesses. Matching scholarships are limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Matching Scholarship applications are completed online only.
Sponsorships may come from
- Dance Studios
- Colleges or Universities
- High Schools
- Arts Organizations
- Businesses or Corporations
Matching Scholarship Required Materials
- The sponsoring organization must complete a Matching Scholarship Application Form:
- Provide your sponsoring organization’s email in your online application and they will automatically receive the digital form. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the digital form is completed and submitted by your sponsoring organization.
- If your sponsoring organization does not have an email, contact the ADF School and we will provide a hard copy of the form for you to send to the organization.
- Funds will be applied to the student account once the form and payment have been received from the sponsoring organization.