Building Sustainable Pathways for Texas Choreographers
When we first dreamed up Break-In Dance Fest, it was never meant to be just a performance.
Of course, performance matters. The stage is where ideas come alive, where choreography meets an audience, where dancers and makers take the risk of being seen. But for so many independent choreographers, a single performance opportunity is rarely enough.
The bigger question has always been: What happens after the curtain falls?
As Break-In Dance Fest returns this August 6–7, 2026 at The MATCH in Houston, we’ve been thinking deeply about what Texas-based artists truly need in order to build not only work, but careers, and communities, that can last.
A Festival Designed for More Than One Night
Texas is full of choreographers making bold, contemporary work. Artists here are creating with integrity, imagination, and urgency. And yet, meaningful opportunities to share that work in a professionally supported environment can be limited.
Break-In Dance Fest was created to help fill that gap.
From the beginning, the festival has centered a few core values:
Paid opportunities for choreographers
Professional production support
No application fees
A culture of openness, experimentation, and contemporary voices
Connection beyond the performance itself
As past artist Isabella Mireles Vik, Artistic Director of Aufheben, shared:
“Break-In was one of the first festivals I’ve participated in that felt truly open to current contemporary movement. I admire the earnestness and genuine support shown to all of the artists involved.”
That spirit of support and seriousness toward new work, is at the heart of Break-In.
Visibility, Sustainability, and Community
For many artists, visibility is only one part of the equation. The deeper need is sustainability: opportunities that allow choreographers to grow professionally, connect with peers, and feel that their work belongs in a larger ecosystem.
Madison Kotch, a past participant and Graham 2 Company member, described Break-In as a turning point:
“Break-In Dance Fest was an incredible opportunity for networking creative artists. I was inspired by the choreographers, the concepts, and the overall environment. It helped me grow professionally while feeling supported as a Texas-based artist.”
Break-In is designed as a space where artists don’t just present, but build: relationships, confidence, momentum, and new pathways forward.
Expanding the Platform: Performance + Teaching
This year, Break-In Dance Fest expands to two nights of performance, allowing more audiences to experience the work and more space for artists to be fully seen.
But we’re also thinking beyond performance alone.
Selected choreographers may be invited into optional teaching and engagement opportunities through BOOT Camp, BOOT Dance Project’s summer educational program, taking place July 31–August 2, 2026.
This integration matters. Teaching is not just outreach, it is another way artists sustain their practice, share their voice, and invest in the next generation of dancers.
It’s part of building a fuller, more holistic model of what an opportunity can be.
Why Break-In Matters in Texas
Texas choreographers deserve platforms that match the ambition of their work, platforms that treat contemporary dance not as an afterthought, but as a vital, evolving cultural force.
Break-In Dance Fest is one piece of that larger vision: a growing statewide ecosystem where artists can take risks, build networks, and expand what’s possible here.
Applications for Break-In Dance Fest open February 20, and we can’t wait to see the voices that will shape this next season.
Because Break-In isn’t only about breaking in a new dance.
It’s about breaking open new pathways, together.
Break-In Dance Fest 2026
Performances: August 6–7, 2026
Location: The MATCH, Houston
Applications Open: February 20
BOOT Camp: July 31–August 2, 2026
Learn more: www.bootdanceproject.org