rhsdF NORFOLK 2026 Scholarship
offerings
It is the students' responsibility to reach out to each institution for further information regarding auditioning at the Festival.
Goucher College https://www.goucher.edu/learn/undergraduate-programs/dance/
Elizabeth Lowe Ahearn eahearn@goucher.edu 443-622-7623
1021 Dulaney Valley Road - Baltimore, MD - 21204
Beyond dance scholarships offered at the RHSDF, all applicants who are admitted to Goucher College are reviewed for academic merit scholarships that range from $25,000 - $40,000 per year. Goucher College also invites top academic candidates to compete for a space in the Dorsey Scholars program which offers full tuition scholarships.
Goucher Dance Scholarships are awarded based on submission of a dance scholarship application, an audition (either in-person, video recording, or at the RHSDF), and the recommendation of the Dance faculty. All first-year applicants planning to major in dance are eligible to audition. Goucher does not require an audition to be accepted into the dance program. Auditions are solely for scholarship consideration applicants must apply and be accepted to Goucher to receive a scholarship offer.
Dance scholarships range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year and are awarded in addition to any other merit scholarship for which the student qualifies. (Scholarships cannot be combined with a Tuition Exchange, or a Tuition Remission benefit from Goucher College.)
To be considered for a dance scholarship, students must:
1. Register and participate in the audition through RHSDF
2. Let us know who you are: (https://apply.goucher.edu/register/Dance)
3. Apply to Goucher using the Common Application
(https://www.goucher.edu/become/apply/)
4. Complete the Dance Scholarship Application
(https://www.goucher.edu/become/paying-for-goucher/scholarship-information). Note:
Goucher will accept the RHSDF audition in lieu of the in person or video options but to
receive the Gopher Visit Award, a student must visit campus in person.
5. After review of DTCB audition submissions and all application materials are completed,
Admissions will contact students to inform them of their award potential. Award amounts will be determined and communicated after review of all application materials.
Note: RHSDF applicants are strongly encouraged to apply to Goucher and complete the dance scholarship application by November 15, the Early Action deadline, a non-binding entrance plan prior to the Festival. Applicants MUST be admitted to Goucher College and submit the Dance Scholarship Application to be considered for scholarship.
Dance scholarships cover tuition and are renewed automatically each year provided students maintain full-time enrollment as a dance major in good academic standing until graduation or a maximum of eight semesters, whichever comes first. Students are responsible for the balance of tuition, room and board, books, fees, and supplies.
Note: All applicants who are admitted to Goucher College are reviewed for academic merit scholarships that range from $25,000 - $40,000 per year. Goucher College also invites top academic candidates to compete for a space in the Dorsey Scholars program which offers full tuition scholarships. Students can participate in the Dorsey Scholars competition in-person or virtually. Additionally, the Admissions office offers a $1,500 / year Gopher Visit Award to students who visit campus and submit a completed FAFSA prior to May 1, 2026. Finally, based on the results of the FAFSA, students might qualify for need-based scholarships. Browse the scholarships here: https://www.goucher.edu/become/paying-for-goucher/scholarship-information" All first-year applicants planning to major in dance are eligible to audition. "Goucher College is a private, liberal arts college located just an hour from Washington, DC. Goucher tailors its dance major and minor to support many career ambitions, including dance therapist or teacher, performer or choreographer, dance critic or historian, director or arts administrator, or with additional schooling, a physical therapist, physician, or athletic trainer. With the guidance of faculty mentorship, Goucher students develop independence and the initiative to pursue their passions by building their own path of study. Technique classes in African, Ballet, and Modern/Contemporary dance allow students to explore a variety of dance genres and studio courses are supported by a broad curriculum of technical and theoretical electives that allow students to engage in areas of academic discourse, generative practice, technology, and career preparation.
Goucher’s dance course offerings include Dance History, Pointe and Variations, Composition, Dance Technology, Anatomy, Senior Capstone, and Pilates, in a fully equipped studio with certified Pilates instructors. Students are also able to explore unique internships and study-abroad opportunities while having the option to double major and minor in areas outside of dance, supported by a flexible and innovative college curriculum. Additionally, students receive multiple performance opportunities beginning their first year and throughout their Goucher dance experience. Goucher’s guest-artist-in-residence program features several distinguished artists each year who augment an esteemed dance faculty of scholars and working artists. Recent guests include Sidra Bell, Jessica Lang, Earl Fredrick Mosley, Matthew Neenan, Milton Myers, George Staib, Jessica Lang, Jamison Curcio, Thaddeus Davis, Jennifer Archibald, and Deborah Wingert, and master works by George Balanchine, August Bournonville, Karole Armitage, Doris Humphrey, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, and Paul Taylor have been staged and reconstructed. First-year students are placed in technique classes according to their ability level by audition, and dance majors and minors are reviewed and assessed each semester for placement.
Bates Dance Festival batesdancefestival.org
Natalie Gotter ngotter@bates.edu 305 College St., Lewiston, ME 04240
Summer Partial, Full
$500, $1000, tuition, tuition+Room & Board
Each scholarship can be applied to the two-week YDI intensive or the 3-week YDI+Extensions intensive. Only the Tuition+Room & Board scholarship is a "full ride". Meals are included as a part of Room & Board. The scholarship does NOT cover travel to/from the festival. Students are able to apply for additional need-based scholarship at a later date. (1) your ability to move through space; (2) move into and recover from the floor; (3) perform both sustained and quick movement; (4) curiosity and creativity
Contemporary Modern, Street Styles, Improvisation, Composition, Repertory
American Dance Festival https://americandancefestival.org/adf-school/
Nile H. Russell nilerussell@americandancefestival.org (860) 672-5211 715 Broad Street, Durham, NC, 27708
Summer Partial Up to 50% of tuition Tuition only
Scholarships are based on merit and financial need.
Modern, Countertechnique, Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop & Housedance, West African Dance, Repertory, Composition & Creative Collaboration, Improvisation, Floorwork, Yoga, Pilates
Slippery Rock University www.sru.edu/dance
Jennifer Keller jennifer.keller@sru.edu 724-738-2773 1 Morrow Way, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA. 16057
$500.00 Summer Scholarship; $1,000 Academic Year Scholarship
Summer Scholarship: Must be 13 years or older and must be able to attend the entirety of the intensive.
Academic Year Scholarship: Must be senior in high school, seeking a BA or BFA dance major"
Classes cover a breadth of disciplines including (but not limited to): modern, ballet, jazz, hip hop, improvisation, repertory, composition, somatic practices, and body conditioning with highly regarded international, national, and local dance artists.
Bennington College, BFA Dance Lab https://www.bennington.edu/academics/areas-of-study-curriculum/bfa-dance-lab
Cameron Childs cameronchilds@bennington.edu 2673982550 1 College Dr, Bennington VT, 05021
Ranges from partial to full that is fully determined by Admissions
The Ulysses Dove scholarship covers a range that may include housing, meal plan, and tuition that is need-based.
There are four distinctive curriculum course areas:
Studio Practice (SP) & Body Pathways:
Students choose SP coursework from a wide range of offerings such as ballet, traditional modern dance techniques, hip hop, jazz, and other contemporary forms. The Body Pathways Labs offer training and experiences in a variety of somatic approaches and exercise modalities.
Thinking, Making, Doing (TMD):
TMD courses focus on imaginative study through improvisational and choreographic methodologies. Students choose from course offerings that include how to organize, plan, and present choreographic projects. Within TMD, the Practice and Process courses always include rotating, visiting artist faculty each term.
Critical Dance Processes (CDP):
CDP is a series of required courses that include history & theory alongside capstone courses across all four years that anchor a student’s study. The courses include Senior Seminar and Senior Thesis Workshop.
Performance Pedagogies of Dance (POD):
PODs create opportunities for students to have firsthand experiences in the rehearsal and performance of new works.
Practice & Process coursework consistently asks students to expand their interdisciplinary thinking. For example, with visiting artist Kayla Farrish (Spring, 2025), students developed video storytelling projects that used narrative and history as a starting point to unfold body, voice and text. Beginning in the first semester of their third year and continuing through their fourth year, each student is required to develop a series of research questions, practices, choreographic studies, and texts that ultimately culminate in a Senior Thesis Project. Within the CDP coursework, students are exposed to and experiment with sound, costume, and lighting design. In their Senior Seminar coursework, they develop their own website and begin the important processes of creating a personal artistic archive. Students who have a special interest in any aspect of production from stage management and lighting design to photography and video production can and do develop skills through faculty mentorships and internships.
In addition to the four course areas of the dance curriculum, students enroll each term in courses from among the robust course offerings from Bennington College that support the acquisition of the Bennington Capacities—to inquire, research, create, engage, and communicate.
High Point University https://www.highpoint.edu/dance/
Christine Stevens cstevens@highpoint.edu 336-314-1775 One University Parkway
$2,500 Partial Tuition Must be accepted into HPU BA Dance
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville https://www.siue.edu/academics/undergraduate/degrees-and-programs/theater-dance/dance/
Lindsay Hawkins linhawk@siue.edu 812-350-0247 SIU Edwardsville Box 1077 Edwardsville, IL 62026
Summer Full Full tuition for one week intensive/$350 Covers tuition for one week (room and board not included)
Ages 13 and up
Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Countertechnique, Repertory, Improvisation, Anatomy & Injury Prevention, Composition, Informal Performance
Winthrop University https://www.winthrop.edu/cvpa/dance/
Kelly Ozust ozustk@winthrop.edu 803-323-3048 701 Oakland Ave., Rock Hill, SC 29730
$1000 per year for four years, plus out-of-state tuition waiver $1000 towards tuition and out-of-state tuition waiver
talent based
B.A. in Dance; B.A. in Dance with Teacher Certification (K-12) Winthrop offers dancers unparalleled access to a wide range of professional opportunities including commercial work, dance companies, studios, and K–12 education. With small class sizes and individualized mentorship, our program delivers the kind of personal attention often missing in larger institutions. Here, you’ll perform, choreograph, teach, and grow - emerging as a well-rounded artist fully prepared to step confidently into the professional dance world.
Radford University radford.edu/dance James Robey jrobey3@radford.edu 540-831-5186 801 E. Main St., Radford, VA 24142
Summer, College/University Partial 1) $1000 tuition scholarship for dance major for four years; 2) $500 tuition scholarship for Radford International Ballet Intensive (Summer Program) Tuition 1) Major in dance at Radford University; 2) Attendance at 11-day summer intensive.
Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz
Dean College https://www.dean.edu/academics/schools/schools-of-performing-arts/
Ashley Reed areed@dean.edu 508-541-1516 99 Main Street, Franklin, MA 02038
College/University- Partial- various scholarship amounts ranging from $20,000 to $25,000 per academic year pending academic admission into the college.
The scholarship will cover a portion of tuition, room, board and fees. Students receiving this scholarship cannot stack an artistic and an academic scholarship, so the Office of Admissions will offer whichever is higher. This scholarship will likely be used as a baseline. Students must be a campus resident to use this scholarship.
Students must attend the college audition portion of the event to be considered for this scholarship opportunity.
Ballet, Modern, Jazz, Tap, Hip Hop, Pointe, and other styles.
Burklyn Ballet Theatre www.BurklynBallet.com
Joanne Whitehill burklyn@gmail.com 877-287-5596 (877- BURKLYN) 337 College Hill, Johnson, VT 05656
Summer Partial 20% off total tuition
All classes, rehearsals, meals and housing.
Intermediate to advanced dancers, 12 and up females must be on pointe.
Ballet, Pointe, Pas de deux, Male technique, Modern, contemporary, variations, performances
Peridance Center https://www.peridance.com/
Theodora Terracina, Nikki Holck, or Ariel Goussak auditions@peridance.com and certificateprograms@peridance.com
212-505-0886 126 E 13th Street New York, NY 10003
Summer Intensives and our Certificate Program Scholarship amounts range from 10% - 100% depending on the tuition of the program and the student's talents. Tuition Fees
The Hartt School, University of Hartford www.Hartford.edu/dance
Stephen Pier Pier@hartford.edu 917-701-8754 200 Bloomfield Ave, W.Hartford, CT
College/University Partial $10,00 - $25,000 Partial Tuition only
Must be accepted to the University of Hartford academically
Ballet, Pointe, Pas de deux, Modern, Contemporary, Performance, Teaching, Pilates Certification