McKnight Dancer Fellowships
The McKnight Fellowships for Dancers annually award three fellowships of $25,000 each to Minnesota dancers. The awards are unrestricted and can help an artist set aside periods of time for study, reflection, experimentation, and exploration; take advantage of an opportunity, or work on a new project.
The intent of the McKnight Artist and Culture Bearers Fellowship is to recognize and support Minnesota artists and culture bearers who are beyond early practice, have sustained experience in their discipline, and demonstrate exceptional accomplishments. In addition to the cash award, fellows receive additional support for career development, are invited to attend a four-day retreat in rural Minnesota, and are eligible to have an original solo work commissioned for an evening titled SOLO.
Support for individual artists has been a focus of the McKnight Foundation's Arts and Culture program since its inception. The foundation recognizes that the arts cannot flourish or enhance community life without the ideas, energy, and drive of individual artists & culture bearers and that artists cannot make these contributions without unfettered creative time. Fellowship awards are made in 15 disciplines through 13 arts organizations and presenters.
APPLICATION DEADLINES:
Intent to Apply deadline has now passed
Applicants who miss the Intent to Apply deadline may still submit a final application.
Full application will open January 21st, 2026
Final application deadline: Wednesday, March 18th, 2026 at 3:00 pm CST
The final deadline is firm, the application site will close down at exactly 3 pm on the deadline date. There are no exceptions made for late submissions so plan to apply early! There is no fee to apply for a fellowship.
Photo of 2025 McKnight Dancer Fellow Cecil Neal by Roosevelt Mansfield
Watch this video to hear an overview of the program. Closed captioning available.
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Hello, my name is Dana Kassel and I'm the program director for the McKnight Dancer Fellowships. I'd like to give you a brief overview of this program. The program is funded by the McKnight Foundation, which funds artist and culture bearer fellowships in 15 artistic disciplines. Each year, the program awards three unrestricted $25,000 fellowships to Minnesota dancers. Unrestricted means that this is not a project-based grant. It is a true fellowship. The awardee can choose to use the funds in any way they like. It's like general operating support for artists. To apply, you must be a legal Minnesota resident for at least one year at the time of application. The awards go to dancers who are clearly beyond the emerging stage of their careers. Dancers who are considered established are also eligible. The panel looks for a body of work already accomplished, created over a period of time. Artists are asked to demonstrate a minimum of eight years of committed artistic work outside of any college program. Above all, the panel looks for work that demonstrates artistic excellence. For complete details on the McKnight Dancer Fellowships please read the guidelines on our website