Dance Source Houston is accepting applications for dance works to be presented on the December 1st, 2026 Mind The Gap performance. Applicants may participate in only 1 Mind The Gap performance during the current season, which runs September 2026 - June 2027. Additional applications for May 11th and June 8th will open later in the season. 

Now in the program's eleventh season, Mind The Gap showcases works by DSH members from all dance genres. Creating performance opportunities for local dancemakers, Mind The Gap also provides participants with support in production planning and management. The program, a collaboration between DSH and MATCH, is designed to support artists who seek additional support and guidance to improve their production skills.

Works submitted should be 5-15 minutes in length and may be from any genre or style. Applicants may submit a work in progress, new work, or a previously presented work, with rehearsals starting before the initial production meeting. Mind The Gap is intended to serve choreographers at all career stages and at all points in the development of a work.

A maximum of 6 choreographers will be selected per performance, on a first-come, first-serve basis for those who successfully submit a complete application. Incomplete applications will be declined. Applications for each date will close once 6 complete applications from current DSH members are received. Applications will be reviewed for completion on a weekly basis, and applicants will be notified on an ongoing basis of their acceptance.

Each choreographer will receive a share of the ticketed income from the performance. Choreographers will receive a wide-angle video of their work from DSH and have the option to purchase photos for a fee.

Qualifications:

• Applicants must be 18 or older and based in the Greater Houston region, which is limited to the counties of  Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, Walker, and Waller. 
• Cast members must be 18 years or older. (Intergenerational casts will be considered.) Please contact DSH at danceinfo@dancesourcehouston.org before applying for more information and to confirm your eligibility.
• Proposals from all dance genres are encouraged.
• Applicants may submit a work in progress, new work, or a previously presented work. It is expected that rehearsals will have started prior to the initial production meeting.
• Applicants may participate in only 1 Mind The Gap performance during the current season, which runs September 2026 - June 2027. Additional applications for May 11th and June 8th will open later in the season. 
• Applicants must be current DSH members to be eligible to apply. Your application will be declined if your membership is not fully established before you submit your application. 
• Applicants must be available for all production dates, including in-person production meetings. There is no virtual option for these meetings. MTG is facilitated through a cohort format where artists are in conversation with one another. 
• Once approved, each participating choreographer must submit a $75 production fee. 
• Applicants and all their cast members must be available for all theater production dates, including Tech, Dress and Performance

Production Dates, Meetings & Deadlines

MTG 41 - December 1st 2026 Performance

Monday September 28th, 2026 - Due for signing and submission

• Sign contract
• Submit $75 production fee
• Production and promotional folders released
• Review and confirm bios and responses to questions

Monday October 5th, 2026 @ 7:00pm - Initial Production In-person Meeting @ MATCH Offices

• Media release form filled out and submitted for all - choreographer and performers
• 10 - 30 sec. Videos of rehearsal excerpts (it is expected that you will have begun rehearsals prior to this date, so that these can be uploaded in time)
• Photos from rehearsal

Monday November 9th, 2026 @ 7:00pm – Final Production Meeting @ MATCH Offices

• Full run rehearsal video (unedited, full run)
• Cue Sheet
• Media files due (sound and video)

Monday November 30th, 2026 – Load In, Tech and Dress @ MATCH Box 2

• 9:00am - 11:00am Load In
• 11:30am - 4:00pm Spacing and Tech runs (individual time slots assigned, mandatory for all - choreographer and performers)
• 5:30pm - Onstage meeting
• 6:00pm - 7:30pm Dress rehearsal and notes (mandatory for all - choreographer and performers)

Tuesday December 1st, 2026 – Performance @ MATCH Box 2

• 5pm Call (mandatory for all - choreographer and performers)
• 5:30pm - Onstage meeting
• 7:30pm Curtain (mandatory for all - choreographer and performers)
• Post-show reception on stage with audience

Beginning October 12, 2026, Dance Source Houston will accept applications from eligible dance nonprofit organizations and fiscally sponsored projects for the Groundwork Grant program. Awards will provide general operational support to grantees for the 2027 calendar year grant term. The Groundwork Grant program is not a project grant.

Dance Source Houston invites eligible nonprofit dance organizations and fiscally sponsored projects based in the Greater Houston area with budgets under $1,000,000 to apply. Through the funding program, DSH will distribute general operating support awards of $3,000–$5,000, totaling $75,000, to support the January 1, 2027 - December 31, 2027 grant term.

Through support from Houston Endowment, Dance Source Houston will facilitate the fourth round of the Groundwork Grant program to support the 2027 calendar year grant term. The program was launched in 2019 to address the need for increased funding opportunities for local dance makers. Nonprofit dance companies and fiscally sponsored projects located in the Greater Houston region dedicated to the creation and presentation of any dance genre are encouraged to apply.

The priorities for the funding align with Dance Source Houston’s mission to empower the diverse individuals and organizations working in the field of dance throughout the Greater Houston region by means of advocacy, inclusive community engagement, and support services.

The deadline to apply is Monday, November 16, 2026 at 11:59pm CST.

Goals

• Facilitate a process that is transparent and minimizes labor on applicants and grantees;
• Provide an additional funding source to local dance organizations that currently have limited access;
• Offer flexibility through operational support that allows grantees to direct funds where they are needed most; and
• Infuse Houston’s dance sector with additional funds.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants are eligible to apply if they:

• Are a dance organization or fiscally sponsored project focused on the performance and/or presentation of dance;
• Are based in the Greater Houston region, defined by Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, Liberty, Montgomery, and Waller counties;
• Have a documented history of creating and presenting dance in the Greater Houston region;
• Have a documented history of paying fees to local dance artists for performance-based work; and
• Can provide proof of current 501(c)(3) status or fiscal sponsorship status, as verified by the IRS Tax Exemption Organization Search; and
• Have an operating budget under $1 million.

Applicants are not eligible to apply if they:

• Are an individual artist or an artist collective without a fiscal sponsor;
• Are an organization that is not focused on the creation or presentation of dance;
• Do not have a documented history of paying fees to local dance artists for performance-based work; 
• Are a preprofessional company working exclusively with student dancers under the age of 18; or
• Are an educational institution.

Funding Priorities

Strong applications will display:

• A clear artistic vision and exhibition of artistic excellence, as defined by Animating Democracy’s Aesthetic Perspectives: Attributes of Excellence in Arts for Change;
• A clear explanation of how the funds would impact the organization;
• A demonstration of payment to dance artists as a central value;
• Organizational and financial health, regardless of budget size,
• A range of organizational models, budget sizes, dance genres, and perspectives; and
• Representation of and service to audiences reflective of the Greater Houston region.

Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by DSH staff for eligibility before they are paneled by a group of members of the local dance community. Panelists are selected through an open call and curated to guarantee the group represents a broad range of artistic and cultural perspectives. To apply to serve as a panelist, click here. If you have applied to be a panelist in previous years and are interested in serving this year, please complete the form again. Panelists will not be considered if they represent an organization submitting a Groundwork Grant application.

Timeline

• Application portal opens - Tuesday, October 12, 2026
• Application deadline - Monday, November 16, 2026, at 11:59pm CT
• Staff review & Panelist review process - November 17, 2025 - January 8, 2027
• All applicants receive notification on the status of their application - January 15, 2027

Required Application Support Materials:

• Eligibility Document(s) - Nonprofit organizations should upload their IRS determination letter. Fiscally sponsored projects must upload their fiscal sponsor agreement AND the sponsor's IRS determination letter. 
• Equity Matrix - Download template here.
• Form 990 - Nonprofit organizations should upload their most recently submitted 990. Fiscally sponsored projects should upload the 990 of their fiscal sponsor.
• Budget - Download template here. 
• Work Samples - Links to video samples reflective of your organization's work.

Submission Details

The application will be available through an online portal at dancesourcehouston.submittable.com, beginning October 12, 2026. Complete applications, including all support materials, must be submitted online by Monday, November 16, 2026 at 11:59pm CST.

Questions

Read our Frequently Asked Questions. Additional questions should be directed by email to danceinfo@dancesourcehouston.org. Do not direct questions to individual staff members’ email addresses. Please put “Groundwork Grant Question” in the subject line to ensure your email is prioritized. As appropriate, responses to questions received will be added to the FAQ page.