The prestigious A.C.E. Awards choreographic competition celebrates bold, innovative voices in dance, with a coveted $15,000 grand prize. Held on August 15, 2026, in New York City as part of The DanceOne Summit, the competition brought together 15 exceptional choreographers, selected from hundreds of submissions, to showcase their original work on stage. Rising to the top of an outstanding field, Brooke Gilmour claimed first place and was named the winner of the 2026 A.C.E. Awards.
Dance Informa had a chance to chat with Gilmour on her process, winnings and upcoming plans.
Can you tell us a little about your dance journey and how you got to where you are today?
“I started dancing at the age of three, and I did all styles that led into competitive dance. I developed a deeper passion for it and by the time I hit grade 12, I knew I wanted to do it professionally. During my undergraduate degree, I developed a love for choreography, creating on myself and others, on the dance team and surrounding studios. I decided that I wanted to do it full time and never looked back.”
What are some of your biggest milestones in your career so far?
“I think my favorite job that I did as a dancer would have been my last performing job, which was Disney’s Zombies. My favorite choreography jobs are the three full-length productions that I’ve produced. Those have been so deeply rewarding because there’s such a labor of love with a longer process to connect with the dancers and develop something meaningful. Above that, I always try to make room in my schedule for concept videos. It’s important for me to find moments where I’m doing it for the love of it.”
What was your process for the A.C.E. Awards after finding out you were selected?
“I remember getting the A.C.E. Awards confirmation as we were prepping for Nationals with the competition studio I’m the artistic director of. I started placing the seed of a concept and immediately contacted all the dancers that I knew I wanted to work with and would bring the vision to life. We had a two-and-a-half-week rehearsal period.
The song was a song that I had in my playlist for over a year. As I was thinking about what it was that I wanted to say, that song came on, and I instantly felt the connection to the concept. I’m a big storyteller, so for this piece I really wanted people to feel something.
I’m very partner work-driven, and that partner work is usually dependent on the bodies in the room. I had a couple ideas of different shapes and transitions that I wanted to play with. I work with the dancers’ strengths and what kind of energy they bring to the piece and that will shift my ideas a little bit.”
How do you think winning the Awards will impact your career?
“This was a dream I’d held onto for the last decade, but the timing had never quite aligned. This year, I felt compelled to fully commit, and everything in the process seemed to fall into place – the dancers, the music, the concept and the way we created the choreography together. The process itself already felt like everything I had hoped it would be, so winning was really the cherry on top.
It opens a lot of doors in terms of networking, being able to showcase my work on a stage like that. It allows me to connect with individuals that I might not have the chance to if I was just here in Canada. I’m excited to see where it goes.
I am hoping for another full-length show either spring or summer 2027. I try to plan it a year out so that when it comes time to making the show, I feel ready financially, mentally, choreographically and all the things that it entails. This is the boost that I needed to move forward with doing another show.”
What was your favorite memory from the process?
“Once we arrived in New York and began rehearsing at Gibney, everything really came together. It was such a beautiful space, and being in the same room for the first time allowed our energy to fully connect. We had so much fun. I genuinely couldn’t stop smiling and laughing throughout our rehearsals.”
Any last words you want to share?
“This experience gave me more than I could have ever imagined, and I wish I had done it sooner. If anyone was thinking about doing it, they should totally do it. It was such a positive, encouraging place to be and to be able to showcase my work in front of those artists and my fellow choreographers, all of it was everything I could have wanted it to be and more.”
By Abby DeReamer of Dance Informa.
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