Hi,
My name is Kalie, thanks for reading this. I'm an up and coming choreographer in the Chicago area. I have recently been given a spot in the Delve Showcase in January 2026. I will be staging a piece titled "Masking" on six dancers. We will have six rehearsals, a tech day, and two shows. I am feeling really excited about this new process and opportunity.
It is my goal to raise $3,000 so that I can pay my dancers for their time and professional expertise.
[[[About the piece: "Masking" is about what it feels like to go through life neurodivergent. Constantly hiding behaviors or thoughts that may not conform to societal expectations. It's essentially camouflaging, acting as others act, speaking as others speak, so as to not be ostracized. This piece is deeply personal to me. It is my experience of life. Regardless of if you're neurodivergent or not, everyone masks. This piece invites you to reflect on the masks you wear in your own life.]]]
Food for Thought:
Have you ever considered what it would be like to go to work not knowing how much, if at all, you would get paid for your time? I assume that most of you know how much you make and how much you have to work. It's just the way things are, right? Well, not for most dancers.
I want to be a choreographer that gives my dancers financial transparency. I want them to know how many hours they are expected to work and how much money they will make working those hours. I mean, how challenging would your life be if you didn't know how much you would earn for each hour that you worked?
I'd like to share with you a little bit about what is expected of professional contemporary dancers in 2025:
--Incredible athleticism: power, agility, coordination, control, endurance, flexibility, artistry, etc...
--The skills to execute challenging tricks and do partner work (lifting & being lifted)
--Advanced technique in ballet and other classical forms of dance
--Copious amounts of time to commit to rigorous training schedules both inside and out of company work, auditions, rehearsals, theatre tech days, and performances, etc...
--Flexible work schedules. Dancers often have multiple part time jobs outside of their dance company. They must work around their rehearsal schedules, auditions, and performances. Yet, most dance work is in the form of project-based companies. They are pick up, meaning that the dancers don't have dance work unless there is an upcoming performance of some kind. Dancers schedules are in constant flux.
-- No time off. While dancers work hard everyday, they don't get off seasons like other athletes. They push hard all year around and experience a high volume of injuries. Because dance is underfunded, a huge majority of dancers aren't given benefits.
-- Work without pay. Their is a lack of financial transparency in the dance industry which leaves dancers auditioning for companies without knowing if they will be paid for their work if they get selected. Sometimes they are given a stipend for performances after everything is completed, rarely are they paid for rehearsals, and sometimes they aren't paid at all. It is an incredibly unstable career.
It is my goal to raise $3,000 so that I can pay my dancers for their time and professional expertise. I'm reaching out to you because I need your help. I have no means with which to pay my dancers, no grants, no stipends, etc... The arts are a deeply personal reflection of community and culture. Help me to keep them alive by donating to the cause. All money raised will go to my dancers.
I am deeply grateful for any amount you can share.
Thank you!
