Application period is December 15, 2025 - January 19, 2026

AADF Collaborative Residency, Internship & Fellowship is a multi-year professional development and cultural empowerment program serving early to mid-career AAPI choreographers and dance artists. This annual program runs 7 months per cycle, in tandem with AADF. Participants choose from two progressive tracks—1) Residency followed by Choreographic Fellowship and 2) Internship followed by Production Fellowship—together, fostering new artistic growth, important leadership development, and deepened cultural engagement. The program culminates in works presented at AADF in late summer/early fall.

Participants may engage through three distinct yet interconnected sub-programs:

1)  Residency – Choreography Track

• For AAPI choreographers exploring multicultural identity through movement.
• Combines interdisciplinary collaboration (with AAPI spoken word artists) and independent identity research.
• Culminates in the AADF Collaborative Residency Showcase.

2)  Internship – Production/Administrative Track

• For AAPI dance artists who wish to develop organizational, technical, and administrative skills.
• Includes direct mentorship in event production, arts management, and community programming.

3)  Fellowship – Choreographic and Production Tracks (by invitation)

• For artists who have completed a Residency or Internship.
• Deepens artistic growth and leadership capacity in choreography or production; Fellows mentor new participants.
• Not planned for the 2026 program cycle; the Fellowship will launch with the 2027 program cycle, for which candidates from the 2026 cohort will be invited to apply.

Overarching features of the full program:

• One sub-program is completed in a single program cycle.
• Participants of either the Residency or Internship may return the following or any future year to complete the other track.
• Fellowships require completion of either a Residency or Internship, as well as an invitation by the program organizers in order to apply.
• Fellowship year does not need to follow immediately after the Residency/Internship year.
• Participants have the opportunity to complete all 4 sub-programs, spread across 4 program cycles.

AADF2026 Collaborative Residency, Internship & Fellowship is curated and directed by AADF co-organizers Joyce Lien Kushner and Dr. grace shinhae jun. The Residency sub-program is run in partnership with MindFull Movement director Daja Marks.

Program Details & Requirements: Click on the links below for details and application links for each sub-program.

• AADF2026 Collaborative Residency 
• AADF2026 Collaborative Internship
• AADF2026 Collaborative Fellowship - Planned for 2027 program cycle.

Application Dates

Dec 15 - Application opens
Jan 19 - Application due
Feb 9 - Artists notified via email

Key Program Dates (Dates are currently TBD - most on Sat/Sun)
Feb 22 - Meet & Greet @‌ Oceanside Museum of Art

Mar 8 - AADF Gathering
Apr 5 - Oceanside Museum of Art showing
May 2-3 - Oceanside Theater Company showing

May 17 - AADF Gathering
Jun - ChoreoLAB workshop
Jul - AADF Gathering

Jul - ChoreoWreck
Aug 24 - AADF2026 Dance Film Screening
Aug 26-28 - AADF2026 Collaborative Residency Showcase
Aug 30 - AADF2026 Community Day
Sep 4-6 - AADF2026 Mainstage Showcase
Sep 13 - Final meeting & recap

*AADF Gatherings are optional for Residents (required for Interns), but we highly recommend attending these networking events.

Click on the links below for details and application links for each sub-program.

• AADF2026 Collaborative Residency 
• AADF2026 Collaborative Internship
• AADF2026 Collaborative Fellowship - Planned for 2027 program cycle.