Dance/NYC

Dance/NYC
Name	Dance/NYC
Formation	1978
Founder	New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; Dorothy Maynor (early advocates)
Headquarters	New York City
Area served	Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Staten Island
Focus	dance

Dance/NYC Dance/NYC is a nonprofit service organization that supports professional dance artists and organizations in New York City. It operates at the intersection of performing arts service organizations such as the National Endowment for the Arts, venues like Lincoln Center, presenters like Brooklyn Academy of Music, and funders such as the Ford Foundation to strengthen sector infrastructure. The organization connects practitioners associated with institutions like New York City Ballet, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Martha Graham Company, Trisha Brown Company, and Mark Morris Dance Group.

History

Dance/NYC emerged during an era of municipal cultural planning alongside agencies like the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs and advocacy groups such as Dance Theater Workshop and Jacob's Pillow. Its development paralleled milestones involving Kennedy Center, New York Foundation for the Arts, National Endowment for the Arts, and philanthropic initiatives from the Rockefeller Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. Dance/NYC responded to sector crises and opportunities documented by investigations into venues like Studio 54 transformations, funding shifts after actions by Congress affecting arts appropriations, and civic partnerships with entities such as Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment and City Council of New York cultural committees. Over time it convened stakeholders from Queens Theatre in the Park, St. Ann's Warehouse, Dance Theater of Harlem, and community partners in Harlem and Lower East Side neighborhoods.

Mission and Programs

Dance/NYC's mission aligns with service traditions exemplified by Association of Performing Arts Professionals, League of American Orchestras, and Americans for the Arts to advance professional dance ecosystems. Core programs address career development for artists linked to schools like Juilliard School, Tisch School of the Arts, and School of American Ballet, while supporting small companies comparable to Red Bull Theater residencies and residencies at Movement Research. Programs provide networking akin to Dance/USA convenings, technical assistance similar to Technical Assistance Collaborative, and capacity-building modeled on Nonprofit Finance Fund offerings. Initiatives frequently partner with venues such as The Joyce Theater and presenters like City Center.

Grants and Funding Initiatives

Dance/NYC administers grantmaking and intermediary funding models paralleling practices by New York Foundation for the Arts, the Surdna Foundation, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. It has managed rapid-response funds comparable to emergency relief launched by Dance/USA and collaborated with municipal funds such as those from the Cultural Affairs Department or philanthropic pools assembled by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Grant programs target artists affiliated with companies like Ballet Hispánico, Paul Taylor Dance Company, Bill T. Jones/Arnie Zane Company, and venues including PS 122 and The Kitchen. Funding initiatives incorporate equity frameworks influenced by reports from City University of New York researchers and policy recommendations from National Dance Project analyses.

Research and Publications

The organization produces research and publications that complement studies by institutions such as National Endowment for the Arts, New York State Council on the Arts, Brookings Institution cultural policy unit, and academic centers at Columbia University and New York University. Reports examine workforce data resonant with surveys by Bureau of Labor Statistics and demographic analyses similar to those from Pew Research Center. Publications have mapped creative districts like Chelsea, SoHo, and DUMBO and addressed venue ecology affecting presenters such as Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Carnegie Hall.

Advocacy and Community Engagement

Advocacy work mirrors coalitions including On Our Feet Coalition and partnerships with elected bodies such as the New York City Council and officials like former mayors Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio. Community engagement initiatives collaborate with neighborhood institutions like Apollo Theater, Bronx Academy of Arts and Dance, and Queens College arts programs. Campaigns align with national movements including those organized by Dance/USA and public-interest efforts seen in cultural policy debates at State Legislature levels and civic forums hosted at City Hall.

Organizational Structure and Leadership

Governance follows nonprofit models used by arts organizations like The Juilliard School and Brooklyn Academy of Music, with a board drawing leaders from institutions such as New York Foundation for the Arts, The Joyce Theater, and major companies like Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Executive leadership has included figures with backgrounds at Dance/USA, Ford Foundation, or municipal cultural agencies. Staff partnerships engage researchers from CUNY Graduate Center, producers active at St. Ann's Warehouse, and administrators experienced with grantmakers like the Mellon Foundation.

Notable Projects and Partnerships

Notable projects have linked Dance/NYC with festivals and presenters such as Fall for Dance, SummerStage, BAM Next Wave Festival, and collaborations with training institutions including New York University Tisch, Juilliard, and Pratt Institute. Partnerships extend to funders and civic initiatives involving Bloomberg Philanthropies, Macy's Foundation, and community arts hubs like BRIC and Harlem Stage. Cross-sector projects have interfaced with public health partners at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and workforce studies with Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health to address artist wellbeing.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in New York City