Following its participation in Race Forward’s Racial Equity in the Arts Innovation Lab (2017-2018) (www.raceforward.org/practice/nyc-arts) and stakeholder engagement, Dance/NYC reaffirms its commitment to justice.

Dance/NYC believes that the dance ecology must itself be just, equitable, and inclusive to meaningfully contribute to social progress and envisions a dance ecology wherein power, funding, opportunities, conduct, and impacts are fair and just for all artists, cultural workers, and audiences. It seeks to advance policies, investments, programs, mindsets, and actions that remove and prevent inequities that exist along the continuum of lives in dance, from the public school classroom to the stage.

Dance/NYC’s approach cuts across its public programs—advocacy and research; leadership training, networking and convening; technology and visibility; and regranting—and all aspects of its operations. Its approach is intersectional, building upon multiple issue areas that together create a more just, equitable, and inclusive dance ecology. Dance/NYC’s approach is also grounded in collaboration. It recognizes generations of people and organizations working to advance justice, equity, and inclusion in the arts and culture and strives to contribute to their efforts. It has established formal partnerships with colleague arts service organizations. Learn more about our partners on our website: Dance.NYC/equity/equityinclusionpartners.

Dance/NYC is currently focused on three main issue areas:

Racial Justice

Dance/NYC seeks to dismantle white supremacy in dance and amplify the voices and autonomy of the African, Latina/o/x, Asian, Arab, and Native American (ALAANA) community (Grantmakers in the Arts). Visit Dance/NYC's racial justice agenda to learn more about our work: Dance.NYC/RacialJusticeAgenda.

Disability. Dance. Artistry.

Dance/NYC seeks to dismantle ableism in dance and amplify the voices and autonomy of disabled people. It seeks to advance a cultural ecosystem that expressly and equitably includes disabled artists and disability communities. In doing so, it puts disability front and center as a positive artistic and generative force. Dance/NYC launched its Disability. Dance. Artistry. Initiative (Dance.NYC/equity/disability/disability-initiative) on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Visit Dance/NYC’s Disability. Dance. Artistry. agenda to learn more: Dance.NYC/DDAAgenda

Immigrants. Dance. Arts.

Dance/NYC seeks to dismantle xenophobia in dance and extend the role of dance artistry in fostering the inclusion, integration, and human rights of more than three million immigrants in the New York city area. Dance/NYC launched a multi-year Immigrants. Dance. Arts. initiative (Dance.NYC/equity/immigrant-artists/immigrant-initiative) in 2018. An agenda is in formation.

Dance/NYC’s use of terms builds on learning with Race Forward and established leaders and experts in justice, equity and inclusion. Dance/NYC recognizes that language is constantly in flux and that words might have different meanings depending on their context and use. Please refer to a full glossary and resource directory: Dance.NYC/JEIdirectory.

Race Forward’s Racial Equity in the Arts Innovation Lab (www.raceforward.org/practice/nyc-arts) trained 60 New York City arts and cultural organizations to deepen their racial equity work through a series of day long trainings, monthly coaching calls, and peer cohort groups. Dance/NYC applied its learning from the Lab across all of its justice, equity, and inclusion initiatives and evaluated its existing values and agendas to better understand the organization’s commitments and impacts.

Dance/NYC thanks its staff; board, committees, and partners; peers, cohort, and coach in the Racial Equity in the Arts Innovation Lab; and all the members of the dance community who have helped shape its commitments. Dance/NYC continues to seek feedback, especially from ALAANA, disabled, and immigrant members of the dance community impacted by its work, and welcomes your feedback. Please contact us at info@dance.nyc.