Programs
Saturday, January 6, 2018
A Gathering to Address Sexual Harassment in the NYC Dance Community
This event has already occurred. Enjoy resources and event details below.
When: Saturday, January 6th, 2018, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Where: Gibney Dance at 280 Broadway, New York, NY 10003, Studio H
Register for the Conversation: Free. Registration is required.
Accessibility: Gibney Dance is an accessible venue. Wheelchair ramps and elevators are available via the 280 Broadway entrance. All restrooms are wheelchair accessible. Second-floor restrooms are wheelchair accessible through the dressing rooms. Studios and rooms are lit by fluorescent lights. If you require reasonable accommodation, please contact Hannah Joo as soon as possible via email at hjoo@dance.nyc or call 212.966.4452 (voice only). ASL interpretation will be provided.
About: Dance/NYC, Gibney Dance, and The Actors Fund recognize this is a defining moment to publicly acknowledge long-existing issues of sexual harassment and abuses of power in the dance field. Inspired by The Public Theater’s “Mis(Conduct)," Royal Court’s “No Grey Area,” and Chicago’s “Not In Our House” gatherings of theater communities, we invite you to join us for an open forum. We aim to offer a space wherein participants will listen, share lived experiences, and bring thoughts and suggestions to start processing as a community the topics of sexual harassment and abuse while charting a path forward.
Format:
- Co-facilitated by Alejandra Duque Cifuentes, Programs Manager at Dance/NYC, Yasemin Ozumerzifon, Senior Company and Community Action Manager at Gibney Dance, and Sydnie L. Mosley, Artistic Director of Sydnie L. Mosley Dances, this Town Hall gathering is an invitation to the New York City dance community to come together, share thoughts, acknowledge the issues and explore a way forward
- We hope to create a space wherein we can begin to process as a community the topics of sexual harassment and abuses of power
- This event is NOT a panel discussion or a media event, though there may be members of the media present
- Dedicated note takers will be in attendance to capture resources and shared learnings from this event
- We cannot undertake representation of any individuals or organizations in connection with specific complaints.
Resources:
- Whiteboarding Notes: A collective of ideas, questions, and resources that came up during the evening’s conversation.
- Sexual Harassment Resources: Dance/NYC has identified this list of sexual harassment resources in New York, which it will continue to update. For an updated list of resources, visit Dance.NYC.
- If you are comfortable sharing your personal experience(s) with or about sexual harassment with the media, you may visit Dance Magazine's survey.
Related Upcoming Events:
- A Long Table: Sexual Harassment in the Dance Industry: Tuesday, February 7, 2018, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Presented and hosted by Center Line, Gibney Dance: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center, 280 Broadway (enter 53A Chambers Street), Manhattan. Curated/facilitated by Eva Yaa Asantewaa/EYA Projects. Core participants include Gabri Christa, Katy Pyle, Nicole Wolcott and Siobhan Burke. Registration is free. Register here.
- Dance/NYC 2018 Symposium: Sunday, February 25, 2018, Gibney Dance: Agnes Varis Performing Arts Center, 280 Broadway, New York, NY 10007. To register, visit Dance.NYC. Early Bird rates will close on Sunday, January 21.
Dance/NYC’s mission is to promote and encourage the knowledge, appreciation, practice, and performance of dance in the metropolitan New York City area. It embeds core values of equity and inclusion into all aspects of its operations and core programs: advocacy and action-oriented research, leadership training, and technology. It works in alliance with Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance. Learn more at Dance.NYC.
Founded in 1991, Gibney Dance (“Gibney”) is a comprehensive arts and social justice organization that taps into the vast potential of movement, creativity, and performance to effect social change and personal transformation through three interrelated areas of activity - Community Action, Company, and Centers. Since 1999, the organization has used dance to inspire voice to survivors of intimate partner violence through empowering creative workshops. Global Community Action Residencies share workshop models and practices internationally, and a Community Action Hub at 280 Broadway provides resources and training for artists interested in social change and activism. Hands are for Holding uses dance as a tool for anti-violence advocacy and to promote healthy and respectful relationships among New York City youth.
The Actors Fund is a National Human Services organization serving all professionals in performing arts and entertainment. The Fund offers a broad spectrum of programs, including comprehensive social services, healthcare services, career services, and housing information. Additionally, The Actors Fund provides training on addressing sexual harassment in the workplace as well as free, confidential counseling, support, and legal referrals.
Dance/NYC Town Halls are made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and from the National Endowment for the Arts. Consolidated Edison is the lead corporate sponsor.
Dance/NYC seeks partners and speakers with a variety of viewpoints for its events with the goal of generating discussion. The inclusion of any partner or speaker does not constitute an endorsement by Dance/NYC of that partner's or speaker's views.