In early 2007, legendary dance icon,
Carmen De Lavallade, and multi-award winning international producer and choreographer, Sean McLeod, established this Fellowship in honor of Janet Collins, Mrs. De Lavallade’s cousin and inspiration to dance.  Although rarely spoke of now, Janet Collins was an absolute force in the world of dance and is identified as the first African American Prima Ballerina, a barrier she broke when she accepted a role with the Metropolitan Opera Ballet in 1951.  Also in 1951, she won the Donaldson Award, signifying the best dancer on Broadway for her role in Cole Porter’s Out of This World.  Of her performance in this show, Arthur Pollack of the Compass eloquently wrote, “Janet Collins dances with something of the speed of light, seeming to touch the floor only occasionally with affectionate feet, caressing it as if she love it and, loving, wanted to calm any fear it might have that in her flight she would leave it and never come back.”

As Ms. Collins is an iconic personality that bridged the way for so many dancers, women, and artists of color, Mrs. De Lavallade and Mr. McLeod wished to establish a new connection to her that would continue her legacy of giving.  With that in mind, we invite you to download our nomination form below for any worthy, outstanding dance candidates that embody the personality, talent, generosity, and characteristics of the legendary Janet Collins.

The Janet Collins Fellowship promotes increased business and artistic learning by allowing the recipients to be paid a stipend while working as staff and artistic resident at the New York Dance Festival.  The opportunity begins annually in late June and concludes in mid July with the closing of the festival.  The value of the Fellowship is $2,500 ($1,500 scholarship to the NY Dance Festival, and a $1,000 cash award).  The Fellowship is interwoven with the New York Institute of Dance and Education and the Kaleidoscope Dance Theatre’s final preparation for the New York Dance Festival, and allows full integration into the Festival’s class and performance schedule, providing an incredible opportunity for candidates to learn.  This highly interactive model was designed to give participants an effective overview of the dance world, both corporate and artistic through application. It also provides an opportunity to work closely with Mrs. De Lavallade, Mr. McLeod, Mr. Warfield, and the entire NYDF international faculty.  The formal Fellowship Award is presented to recipients at the annual Carmen De Lavallade Awards for Dance event. 

Those eligible for nomination are college-level students pursuing a BA, BFA, or MA.  Please feel free to share this opportunity with any worthy candidates, and use the application below for their nomination.  You may reproduce the application as many times as you need.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at info@nyide.com.

Click to download the Janet Collins Fellowship Press Release

Click to download the Janet Collins Fellowship Nomination Form