Dear Dance Community,

Dance/NYC remains committed to justice, equity, and inclusion in service of the diverse workers who make up Our New York City Dance.

Dance/NYC is in solidarity with the many artists and organizations resisting the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) new Assurances of Compliance, which stem from the anti-DEI and transphobic Executive Orders 14168 and 14173. These measures imposed by the current administration run counter to the NEA’s stated mission to support everyone in the arts and are a direct attack on the values that define our community

While a preliminary injunction has halted compliance provisions that would disqualify applicants engaging in DEI practices, restrictions on the promotion of “gender ideology” remain. At least 9.3% of U.S. citizens identify as LGBTQIA+—and in our field alone, at least half of NYC-metro dance workers identify as LGBTQIA+, with 19% identifying as trans, nonbinary, or not cisgender.

We cannot comply therefore will not apply for NEA funding until these Executive Orders are overturned.

This decision carries financial implications, but our values are our guide. We trust that our community will help sustain and strengthen Dance/NYC as a human-centered organization that prioritizes systemic change over conditional funding.

At the same time, we understand the value of expanding and protecting federal arts funding, ensuring that the NEA serves all dance makers and organizations—including those uplifting historically marginalized communities.

The arts have always been a force for systemic change—our stages, studios, and creative spaces are where we build a world that is more just, more equitable, and more inclusive. We look forward to building Our New York City Dance with you—because Our New York City Dance includes all of you.