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Banff Centre February 2022 “In My Body” choreographed by Crazy Smooth. Photo by Rita Taylor.
The Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award recognizes outstanding emerging Canadian dance choreographers or companies, celebrating new voices, ideas, and approaches to professional dance. Established in 1978 by the Clifford E. Lee Foundation, the award supports the creation and development of innovative choreographic work.
Applicants must submit a proposal for a full-length piece that explores a contemporary approach to dance in any style, designed for an ensemble of up to five dancers. The selected recipient will receive a cash prize, along with a creation residency in December 2025 and a production residency, subject to scheduling.
The Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award is a combination of a $14,000 CAD cash prize for the commission of a new work and two residencies at Banff Centre. Banff Centre can support a company with up to five Canadian dancers, and a small team, including Choreographer, rehearsal director, stage manager, and designers. Both residencies include meals and accommodation for all company members at the Banff Centre.
The most recent recipient was Daina Ashbee. Other past recipients include: Crazy Smooth, Andrea Peña, Allen Kaeja, Andrew Giday, Bengt Jörgen, Benjamin Hatcher, Christopher House, Constantine Patsalis, Crystal Pite, D.A. Hoskins, David Earle, Donald Sales, Edward Hillyer, Gabrielle Lamb, Gaetan Gingras, Gioconda Barbuto, Heather Myer, Howard Richard, Jennifer Mascall, Joe Laughlin, Judith Marcuse, Lola MacLaughlin, Mark Godden, Martine Epoque, Mauryne Allan, Michael Downing, Peter Quanz, Randy Glynn, Renald Rabu, Robert Glumbek, Robert Stephen, Sabrina Matthews, Shaun Hounsell, Simone Orlando, Stephanie Ballard, and Wen Wei Wang.
Applicants and all company members must be 18+ at the start date of the program.
Applicants must be Canadian (citizens or residents).
We welcome applicants of all ages (18+), backgrounds, gender identities and expressions to apply. Artists from historically underrepresented and equity deserving groups are especially welcome.
The award recipient will receive a $14,000 CAD cash award.
The cash award will be paid in two equal installments over a two-year period, to support any aspect of the work, such as artist fees, set construction, or travel for company members to and from Banff that the choreographer sees fit.
Using a credit-based system to dine on campus, our flexible meal plans allow you to select meals according to your own needs during your stay. Banff Centre can respond to most dietary requests.
The Full meal plan is $73 credit per day, equivalent to three meals at our Buffet service.
Your program fee includes a single bedroom on the Banff Centre campus for the duration of your program.
Get connected with other artists on campus and focus on your projects in a creative environment while we take care of the day-to-day essentials.
Create in the privacy of one of our specialized studios.
This program offers opportunities to showcase your work-in-progress.
The Paul D. Fleck Library and Archives are delighted to support Banff Centre Participants, Artists, and Faculty
Due to the generous support of Clifford E Lee Foundation all program fees including accommodation and meal plans for both residencies are fully covered.
All professional artist fees and contracts are the responsibility of the award recipient.
$35 upon application
Note: An additional $35 registration fee will be added for each member upon acceptance to the program.
The application fee is non-refundable. This fee covers the cost of administration and adjudication.
Information on our cancellation policy can be found here.
Banff Centre will issue official tax receipts for eligible tuition fees, financial assistance and awards as required by the Income Tax Act. You will receive a T2202 (Tuition and Enrolment Certificate) for eligible tuition fees paid and a T4A (Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other Income) for applicable financial assistance and awards.
Learn more about the steps to Complete Your Application.
Please login with the username and password emailed to you on completion of step 1.
A one-page resume or C.V. describing academic, professional, and other relevant experience.
Please introduce the jury to the proposed project that would be advanced with support from this award, its path toward production, and its team (maximum 1000 words).
Please include a complete list of your project team in your application, as this information is essential for the adjudication process.
Please complete the technical questionnaire which can be found in Slideroom.
Up to 4 videos, no more than 20 minutes in length per video.
Applicants must submit contact details from a recognized and established dance professional who can speak to their artistic work at this stage in their career. The referee should address the applicant’s artistic strengths, vision, and potential, as well as why they would be an ideal recipient of the 2025 Clifford E. Lee Choreography Award.
Participants are chosen by an adjudication panel comprising of internal and external assessors. The selection criteria include:
Our programs are highly competitive with a limited number of places available. Applicants will be notified of their selection status as soon as the adjudication process is complete. Due to the high volume of applications individual feedback will not be provided.
All programs, faculty, dates, fees, and offers of financial assistance are subject to change. Program fee is subject to applicable taxes. Non-refundable fees and deposits will be retained upon cancellation. Any other fees are refunded at the discretion of the Banff Centre. The application deadline is 11:59 p.m. Mountain Standard Time.
For questions on preparing your application, please contact Admissions: