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| Dance/USA conferences | |
|---|---|
| Name | Dance/USA conferences |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Location | National (United States) |
| Organizer | Dance/USA |
| Frequency | Annual |
Dance/USA conferences are annual gatherings organized by Dance/USA that bring together leaders from across the performing arts sector, including choreographers, company directors, presenters, funders, and policymakers. These conferences serve as forums for networking, professional development, advocacy, and sector-wide strategy, attracting participants from institutions such as the Kennedy Center, Jacob’s Pillow, Lincoln Center, New York City Ballet, and American Ballet Theatre. They intersect with policy debates involving organizations like the National Endowment for the Arts, Ford Foundation, Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, and agencies including the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The conference series originated in the early 1980s amid sector consolidation led by organizations such as National Dance Association, American Dance Festival, Dance Theatre of Harlem, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. Early convenings reflected advocacy influenced by the National Endowment for the Arts funding controversies and legislative actions related to the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and discussions tied to cultural policy at venues like the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and the White House cultural initiatives. Over decades the conferences have evolved alongside field developments involving contact improvisation communities, the growth of regional presenters such as Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival, and the professionalization exemplified by Dance Magazine and Dance Research Journal.
Conferences aim to advance strategic goals coordinated with partners like the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, Association of Performing Arts Professionals, Americans for the Arts, and philanthropic entities including the Guggenheim Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York. Objectives include policy advocacy related to the National Endowment for the Arts, capacity building for organizations such as Miami City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet, fundraising strategy modeled on practices at Carnegie Hall and The Met, and sector research linked to institutions like University of California, Los Angeles and New York University.
Typical programming mirrors formats used by the Association of American Cultures, featuring plenaries, breakout sessions, masterclasses, and showcases involving companies such as Pilobolus, Trisha Brown Dance Company, Martha Graham Dance Company, and Mark Morris Dance Group. Sessions often address governance issues relevant to boards of directors from Brooklyn Academy of Music, labor relations connected to the American Guild of Musical Artists, and touring logistics practiced by BAM. Professional development tracks reflect curricula from Juilliard School, Yale School of Drama, and Columbia University arts management centers.
Annual themes have periodically connected with broader cultural conversations seen at events like the South by Southwest and TED Conference, addressing topics such as diversity and equity, environmental sustainability, digital adaptation, and arts education. Past themes have related to crisis response influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and recovery initiatives coordinated with the Small Business Administration and National Endowment for the Arts relief programs. Conferences have staged special sessions in tandem with commemorations at Lincoln Center and retrospective programs referencing works like Appalachian Spring and Rite of Spring.
Keynotes have featured leaders from performing arts institutions, policy arenas, and philanthropy including executives from the National Endowment for the Arts, presidents of the Ford Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, artistic directors from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, and visionary artists such as Martha Graham, Merce Cunningham, Alvin Ailey, Twyla Tharp, and Bill T. Jones. Presenters have included scholars from Harvard University, Princeton University, and University of California, Berkeley, as well as labor experts from Actors' Equity Association and fundraisers from Progressive Arts Alliance.
Conferences have influenced grantmaking priorities at funders like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and W.K. Kellogg Foundation, shaped advocacy campaigns with partners such as Americans for the Arts and National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, and informed programmatic shifts at companies including New York City Ballet and San Francisco Ballet. Policy outcomes have ranged from legislative briefings involving offices on Capitol Hill to sector guidance utilized by presenters like Carnegie Hall and festivals such as Jacob’s Pillow.
Attendance typically comprises artistic directors, executive directors, choreographers, presenters, funders, and educators representing organizations such as Dance/NYC, Chicago Dancemakers Forum, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Walker Art Center, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, and university programs like California Institute of the Arts. Membership-driven participation links to organizational memberships with national bodies including Americans for the Arts and regional networks such as ArtsMidwest and Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation.
Outcomes have included awards, fellowships, and commissioning grants coordinated with patrons like the Guggenheim Foundation, residency partnerships with Jacob’s Pillow, touring funds administered in collaboration with Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation, and commissioning programs supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts. Conferences have catalyzed collaborations that led to premieres at venues such as Lincoln Center, touring engagements with organizations like Dance Theatre of Harlem, and policy initiatives adopted by institutions including the Kennedy Center.
Category:Dance organizations in the United States