Lyric Opera of Chicago to hold dance auditions for Champion

CHICAGO (6/9/2023) – Lyric Opera of Chicago will hold auditions for solo dancers with exceptional ability in character work, African, modern, jazz, ballet, and social genres for the six-time Grammy Award-winning composer Terence Blanchard’s Champion directed by James Robinson and choreographed by Camille A. Brown. Christopher Jackson will be the associate choreographer. August Tye is the ballet mistress.

Lyric is casting 8 male-presenting dancers and one male-presenting cover and 4 female-presenting dancers plus one female-presenting cover. Dancers of all ethnicities are encouraged to apply.

Rehearsals will begin January 2, 2024, with six (6) performances running from January 27 through February 11, 2024.

The deadline to register for this audition is Wednesday, July 26, 2023, at 5:00 p.m. CT

The schedule for the audition on Monday, July 31 is as follows:

9:00 a.m. Check in: must arrive by 9:30 a.m.
10:00 a.m. Warm-up class (mandatory)
11:00 a.m. Auditions begin

For further information on audition requirements and registration, please email your résumé and headshot via attachment to balletaud@lyricopera.org. Auditions will be by invitation only.

Please be prepared to show a government-issued photo identification card to gain access to the audition. All applicants must have valid eligibility to work in the United States. Lyric Opera will not apply for working permits for foreign dancers.

Artists at Lyric Opera of Chicago are represented by the American Guild of Musical Artists. Should you be hired for Champion you will be required to join this union, if you are not already a member.

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to creating a diverse work environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Lyric Opera of Chicago does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation, age, disability, parental status, veteran status, or any other protected status under applicable laws. We encourage individuals of all backgrounds to apply.

Lyric’s presentation of Blanchard and Cristofer's Champion is generously made possible by The Zell Family Foundation, The Joyce Foundation, and Ethel & Bill Gofen.

Major support for The New Work Fund provided by the Robert and Penelope Steiner Family Foundation and David W. Carpenter and Orit K. Carpenter, in loving memory of David W. Carpenter.

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About Lyric

Lyric Opera of Chicago is committed to redefining what it means to experience great opera. The company is driven to deliver consistently excellent artistry through innovative, relevant, celebratory programming that engages and energizes new and traditional audiences.

Under the leadership of General Director, President & CEO Anthony Freud, Music Director Enrique Mazzola, and Special Project Advisor Renée Fleming, Lyric is dedicated to reflecting, and drawing strength from, the diversity of Chicago. Lyric offers, through innovation, collaboration, and evolving learning opportunities, ever-more exciting, accessible, and thought-provoking audience and community experiences. We also stand committed to training the artists of the future, through The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center; and to becoming increasingly diverse across our audiences, staff, programming, and artists—magnifying the welcoming pull of our art form, our company, and our city.

Through the timeless power of voice, the splendor of a great orchestra and chorus, theater, dance, design, and truly magnificent stagecraft, Lyric is devoted to immersing audiences in worlds both familiar and unexpected, creating shared experiences that resonate long after the curtain comes down.

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