Awards for Emerging Canadian Dance Artists

Thank you to all applicants. The 2023/24 deadline was April 12, 5:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

Both emerging artist awards support full-time studies at a recognized institution outside Canada.

The Chrystal Dance Prize – Training is a merit-based scholarship program for dancers/dance artists in all disciplines wanting to continue or complete their training and/or studies at a recognized institution outside Canada. Applicants must be residents of Western Canada and this prize only supports full-time studies. Intensives and summer programs are not eligible for support from the Chrystal Dance Prize – Training program. Preference will be given to Victoria residents; however, it’s worth noting there are years when no Victoria students apply, making it an open field. If you are entering a second or third year of study, and are living in a foreign country, your permanent address or place of origin must be in Western Canada (Manitoba and west) or any territory.

The Arabella and Robert Award for Dance (ARAD) is an award open to dancers from across Canada continuing their training at an international dance conservatory or institution and is generated from a fund established by Dance Victoria patrons Arabella Martin and Robert Britten, held at the Victoria Foundation. Applicants must be a resident of Canada wishing to train full-time at a recognized international dance conservatory or institution (outside of Canada).

Last year, in May 2023, Dance Victoria announced two winners of the 2022/23 Chrystal Dance Prize – Training and the Arabella and Robert Award for Dance (ARAD) for emerging dance artists. A panel of dance professionals selected the winners through an application process.

Margarette Bernal from Richmond, B.C. receives $4,641, with $3,000 awarded from the Chrystal Dance Prize – Training and $1,641 from the Arabella and Robert Award for Dance. Margarette trained at Defy Gravity Dance Company Inc. and completed her Cecchetti Exams to the Advanced 1 level, winning the Majors Category of the BC Cecchetti Awards. She is the recipient of the senior Canadian Cecchetti Society Scholarship. Margarette will use these funds to support her studies at The Ailey School (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre) in 2023/24. 

Bryn Bridgen from Vancouver was awarded $3,000 through the Chrystal Dance Prize – Training. Bryn is an Indigenous dance artist who has danced with Dance//Novella. She is a graduate of Lamondance in Vancouver, a student of the Modus Operandi Link program, and in 2022, she completed GibneyPRO’s Pilot Program in New York City. Bryn will use the funds to support her Professional Certificate studies at GibneyPRO in 2023/24. 

Read the media release for additional details about the 2022/23 Chrystal Dance Prize – Training winners.