COMMONWEALTH CHOREOGRAPHY AWARD
ABOUT
The Commonwealth Choreography Award, established in 2026 under Louisville Ballet Artistic Director Anthony Krutzkamp, is an international annual award of $100,000 made possible through the generosity of a visionary anonymous donor. Designed to identify, elevate, and invest in exceptional choreographers at pivotal moments in their artistic development, the award supports the creation and premiere of a new work, including a $25,000 honorarium for the recipient. It provides full production support for its presentation as part of a triple-bill program, Momentum. The work premieres at Momentum — May 21-23, 2027 at Actors Theatre of Louisville — alongside Alejandro Cerrudo’s Extremely Close and Adam Hougland’s K281.
We welcome both international and US-based applicants.
Note: Applications are now closed. Check back next year for information on the 2028 Commonwealth Choreography Award.
benefits
The winner of the Commonwealth Choreography Award receives the following:
- A $25,000 honorarium
- A fully-funded budget for the new work
- Travel to and lodging in Louisville, KY to create and stage the work in spring 2027
APPLICATION PROCESS
Timeline:
- Submissions are now closed for this season’s Commonwealth Choreography Award. The winner will be notified on August 7, 2026, with a public announcement to follow.
Applicants must submit the following:
- A resume or CV
- A 500-word proposal for a new work
- Links to two videos of recent original works
PANEL
Artistic Director
Anthony Krutzkamp is the former Artistic and Executive Director of Sacramento Ballet, where he led a dynamic revitalization of the company. Under his leadership, Sacramento Ballet achieved record-breaking ticket sales, launched a groundbreaking Second Company, and awarded more than $125,000 annually in student scholarships. He expanded the repertoire to include works by George Balanchine, Alejandro Cerrudo, Penny Saunders, Ihsan Rustem, and others, while also creating acclaimed productions of Swan Lake and The Nutcracker.
In 2023, Krutzkamp brought the company to perform at the Bremerhaven International
Summer Gala in Germany, marking Sacramento Ballet as the only American troupe to participate. His tenure has also seen the development of the company’s first endowment and the production of a new Sacramento’s Nutcracker, reflecting his
blend of visionary leadership and financial acumen.
A former principal dancer with Cincinnati Ballet and Kansas City Ballet, Krutzkamp performed leading roles in both classical and contemporary works, from Romeo and Juliet to Balanchine’s Concerto Barocco. He co-founded the Kansas City Dance Festival and Moving Arts, fostering national and international collaborations, and directed Kansas City Ballet’s Second Company. Recognized as a visionary leader, Krutzkamp blended artistry, community engagement, and strategic growth to position Sacramento Ballet as a vibrant cultural force. A Kentucky native, he is also a husband and father of two girls.
Krutzkamp holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management with high honors from Northeastern University and a certificate from Cornell University. His rare combination of artistic excellence, strategic planning, and community-centered leadership continues to shape the future of American ballet.
Kinsun Chan is a Swiss-Canadian choreographer and designer whose work is defined by a dynamic visual language—a synthesis of his early background in Art and Graphic Design and his extensive career in professional dance.
Performance Career
After launching his career in America, Chan moved to Europe to join Ballet Zürich and later Ballet Basel. As a soloist, he performed a diverse repertoire featuring works by legendary choreographers including Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, and Hans van Manen.
Choreography & Design
Chan began choreographing at Ballet Zürich before being invited to create for the Stuttgart Ballet’s Noverre Society. Since then, his work has entered the repertoires of world-class institutions, including:
- Companies: Basel Ballet, Singapore Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, and Hannover Ballet.
- International Festivals: Jacob’s Pillow (USA) and Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur (Canada).
- Academies: The Royal Ballet School of Antwerp, John Cranko School, and the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy.
His contemporary variations, ECHO and RAIN, are featured in the prestigious Prix de Lausanne repertoire.
Artistic Leadership
Following a successful tenure as the Director of Tanzkompanie Theater St. Gallen (2019-2024), Chan was appointed Artistic Director of the Semperoper Ballett beginning with the 2024-25 season.
Norton Fantinel is an internationally acclaimed artist whose career spans the premier stages of South America, North America, and Europe. His technical foundation is rooted in the world’s most prestigious traditions, including the Bolshoi Ballet School (Brazil), the School of Ballet Vera Bublitz, and the School of The Washington Ballet.
Professional Career
A dancer of celebrated versatility, Norton has served as a Leading Dancer at several of the world’s most distinguished companies:
- Europe: Ballet du Capitole (France) and Dortmund Ballet (Germany).
- United States: The Washington Ballet and Tulsa Ballet.
- Brazil: São Paulo Companhia de Dança.
Accolades & Guest Appearances
A laureate of the Youth America Grand Prix, World Ballet Competition, and the Joinville Dance Festival, Norton has performed as a Principal Guest Artist for Ballet Hawaii, Okinawa Ballet Company (Japan), and Tulsa Ballet.
His presence on the global gala circuit includes prestigious appearances at the Rudolf Nureyev Gala (Italy), the Étoile Ballet Galas (Sweden and Latvia), the International Ballet Festival of Miami, and the YAGP “Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow.”
Appointed in 2024, Grace Holmes oversees the cultivation of the next generation of professional dancers at San Francisco Ballet School. Her leadership is informed by over 20 years of international experience as an educator and a distinguished career as a soloist in the U.S. and the U.K.
Professional Performance
A former student of the SF Ballet School, Holmes joined the San Francisco Ballet in 1983, rising to the rank of Soloist. She later joined the Birmingham Royal Ballet as a Senior Soloist. Her vast repertoire includes over 100 ballets, featuring collaborations with world-renowned choreographers such as William Forsythe, Wayne McGregor, and David Bintley.
Leadership & Education
Following her retirement from the stage in 2000, Holmes held pivotal roles at some of the world’s leading arts institutions:
- The Royal Ballet / Royal Opera House: Served as Ballet Education Manager at Covent Garden.
- Kansas City Ballet: Served as School Director from 2014 to 2023.
- Academia: Served as a Professor of Dance at the University of Texas at Austin.
Academic Credentials
Holmes holds a Master’s degree in Dance in Education and Community from Westhill College at the University of Birmingham, UK. Her comprehensive background bridges the gap between elite performance and pedagogical excellence.
Widely regarded as one of the most influential dancers of her generation, Wendy Whelan serves as the Associate Artistic Director of New York City Ballet. Her appointment in 2019 marked a homecoming to the institution where she spent three decades defining the standard for contemporary classical dance.
Performance Legacy
During her storied 30-year career at NYCB, 23 of those as a Principal Dancer, Whelan became the most choreographed-on dancer in the company’s history. Her vast repertoire included:
- Masterworks: Principal roles in over 125 ballets, including virtually every major work by George Balanchine.
- Collaborations: A deep artistic partnership with Jerome Robbins and world premieres by modern masters such as Christopher Wheeldon, William Forsythe, and Alexei Ratmansky.
- Global Reach: Guest appearances with The Royal Ballet and The Mariinsky Ballet, performing on four continents.
Artistic Leadership & Innovation
Since retiring from the stage in 2014, Whelan has remained at the forefront of the cultural landscape through multi-disciplinary collaborations with artists like Lucinda Childs and Kyle Abraham. As Associate Artistic Director, she now oversees the artistic direction of NYCB alongside Jonathan Stafford, focusing on diversifying the company’s repertoire and nurturing the next generation of choreographic voices.