Dance Source Houston's Artist-in-Residence program is open to Greater Houston dance artists of all genres. Artists for 2026/2027 will be selected based upon their desire to push themselves and their work to new levels by taking risks and maximizing their time in the residency. The residency will culminate with performances of new work created during Barnstorm Dance Fest in April 2027. A maximum of two artists will be selected for the AIR cohort.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2026-2027 season. The deadline to apply is July 31st, 2026. Round 2 interviews will be scheduled between August 10th -16th 2026 and all applicants will be notified of final decisions early September.

Residency artists will receive:

• Access to professional development workshops
• Production and marketing plan assistance
• Grant application writing assistance
• Guaranteed performance spot in Barnstorm Dance Fest 2027
• $3,000 Residency stipend (May be used for studio/rehearsal space, artistic fees, costuming, additional professional/ creative development, etc.)
• $300 Barnstorm Dance Fest stipend

Dance Source Houston strongly encourages applications from solo artists and choreographers working with small casts (duets/ trios) to apply to the 2026-27 Artists In Residence cohort due to the available residency stipend. 

We recognize that our AIR program requires a high level of commitment and obligation from the participating artists.

In addition to the monetary stipend, we strongly believe that our program’s non-financial resources, including professional development, mentorship, and cohort experience, provide sustained value that extends beyond the residency term.

Dance Source Houston remains steadfast in our commitment to compensating artists and maintaining transparency around our actions.

Please note that this residency program does not have a prescribed amount of studio time or an assigned studio space. Through cohort learning, we have diverted more of the program resources directly to the artist to allow greater agency in crafting a space solution that works best for individual residency goals.

Residency artists will be required to:

• Attend monthly meetings and feedback sessions with other resident artists October 2026 - May 2027 scheduled for Sunday afternoons 3pm - 6pm at Houston Met Dance. While dates are TBD. Applicants should have regular availability on Sundays between 3p and 6p.
• Present at Open AIR Sunday February 28th 2027  3p - 6p 
• Execute deadlines on production/marketing plan, press release, project budget, and other residency-related documents
• Create 10-15 minutes of new work to present at Barnstorm Dance Fest in April 2027
• Be available for tech/production week for culminating performances April 19 - 24, 2027

Eligibility

• Must be a dance artist currently based in the Greater Houston region.
• Must be 18 or older and not currently enrolled in an academic program.
• Artists must be current Dance Source Houston members to be eligible to apply. If selected, membership must be at the Independent Choreographer level or applicant must be artistic leadership of a Dance Organization member company.
• Applicants may not have previously been a DSH Artist In Residence.

Former AIRs include Shanon Adame, Joel Aguilera, Jacquelyne Jay Boe, Adam Castaneda, Ashley Clos, Roberta Paixao Cortes, Keeley Dunnam, Amy Elizabeth, Ayan Felix, Rivkah French, Lindsay Gary, Kirstin Grbic, Laura Gutierrez Laura Harrell, Lisa Harris, Jasmine Hearn, Loren Holmes, Ashley Horn, Abijan Johnson, Autumn Knight, Ty Lewis, Jennifer Mabus, Tempest McLendon, Alisa Mittin, Violet Moon, Tarika Nath, Adele Nickel, Kemi OG, Kate Rash, Joel Rivera, Lauren Serrano, Jakari Sherman, Karmetra Shy, Andrew Smith, Paty Lorena Solórzano, Kalpana Subbarao, Jadd Tank, Felicia Thomas, Heather vonReichbauer, Lori Yuill and Uwazi Zamani.

Barnstorm Dance Fest 2027, presented by Dance Source Houston, will take place April 21 - 24 at MATCH - Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston. Applications for live performance works 5-12 minutes in length are being accepted from all genres of dance. Selected applicants will perform their work twice during the festival and will receive a $300 stipend. A separate application for dance films is open now via FilmFreeway.

 Eligibility:

• Individuals, collectives, and organizations working in any dance genre.
• Applicants do not have to be Houston area residents. A select number of out of town artists are featured each year.
• Choreographers and cast must be 18 and older, or have an intergenerational cast and receive approval from Dance Source Houston prior to submission.
• Those whose works were selected for inclusion in the past two consecutive Barnstorm Dance Fests (BDF 2025 & BDF 2026) are not eligible.

Time Limit: Proposed live performance works should be between 5 - 12 minutes in length.  Excerpts of longer works may be submitted. Works may be complete or in progress at time of submission.

Genre: Dance Source Houston encourages submissions from all genres of dance.

Application Deadline: Application, work samples and application fees must be received by 11:59pm CST on Friday, August 21, 2026.

Fee: An application fee of $15 must be paid for each submitted piece. Pay the application fee here. (The fee is waived for individuals and organizations with a current Dance Source Houston membership as of the submission date.)

Notification: Applicants will be notified of the panel’s decision in November 2026.

Time Commitment: Barnstorm features 2 unique programs – A and B. The detailed production schedule for April 19 - 24, 2027 has been set and can be found below. Please be aware that both require participants to be present for rehearsals and performances at MATCH spanning a minimum of 5 days during the festival week. Review the schedule before submitting your application so that you can select which programs you and your cast are available for.

Have additional questions?  Read our Frequently Asked Questions. 

Still have questions?  Email us at danceinfo@dancesourcehouston.org, and we'll follow up!

Barnstorm Dance 2027 Fest Public Event Schedule

Wednesday, April 21 - Program A performance - 7:30pm

Thursday, April 22 -  Program B performance - 7:30pm

Friday, April 23 - Program A performance - 7:30pm 

Saturday, April 24 - Program B performance - 7:30pm

BDF 2027 Production Schedule

Program A 

•  Tech - Monday, April 19 between 1:30pm and 6:00pm
• Dress Rehearsal – Monday, April 19 - 6:00pm Call / 7:00pm Onstage Cast Meeting / 7:30pm Run (all performers must attend the dress rehearsal) 
• Performances – Wednesday, April 21 and Friday, April 23 – 6:00pm Call / 7:30pm Curtain

Program B 

• Tech – Tuesday, April 20 between 1:30pm and 6:00pm
• Dress Rehearsal – Tuesday, April 20 - 6:00pm Call / 7:00pm Onstage Cast Meeting / 7:30pm Run (all performers must attend the dress rehearsal)
• Performances – Thursday, April 22 and Saturday, April 24 – 6:00pm Call / 7:30pm Curtain