Strengthen our DC Dance Network with Direct Artist Support!

I'm raising money for direct artist support in the DC dance community!

My goal is $1,000, which will help pay for stage managers and lighting designers supporting local choreographers and also help boost artist fees for choreographers themselves!

Over the last decade, the DC dance community has given me so much.

I have sat in circles on marley floors, introducing myself to fellow dancers starting a new rehearsal process.

I have built professional circles, connecting my career as a presenter and producer to networks of artists, educators, and funders across the DMV.

I have bopped in and out of circles of friends and colleagues in lobbies after performances, anxious to share my thoughts after a particularly moving performance.

But over the last 10 years, I have also watched too many opportunities in the DC Dance Community disappear— performance platforms have dwindled, commissions have gone away, moments to gather for a drink are fewer and further between.

Have you ever seen a DC Dance show that made you laugh? Met an artist who shifted your perspective? Wished there were more dance classes, more support, more moments to gather and connect?

This is your invitation to be part of the answer.

When we share our knowledge and expertise, and when we work together to support and uplift each other, the circles grows bigger.

When we connect with an artist who has questions and equip them with answers and resources, the circles grows wider.

When we champion artists for their art, but also uplift and value their skills, experiences, and relationships just as much, the circles grows stronger.

When I was 13 & nervous as hell, standing in front of my entire congregation becoming a bat mitzvah, speaking to the crowd and becoming an adult member of the Jewish community, I felt the power of becoming part of something bigger than myself. But the moment that was even more profound came an hour later in the social hall when the band struck up “Hava Nagila,” and I got to join hands with my family and friends and dance the hora.

Jewish folk dancing has taught me a lot about community.

When you’re dancing in that circle, you can feel the grounded support through the hands you hold beside you. But you also get to look across the circle. You see the faces of others dancing too—laughing, smiling, carrying the same rhythm.

And in the center of the circle? In Judaism, what’s in the center of the circle is always what we’re lifting up. That’s what we’re celebrating. What we’re protecting. At my bat mitzvah, it was me. Lifted up high on a chair, surrounded by the support and joy of those who cared about me the most..

That’s what I wish for when I think about our DC dance community.

A circle of artists and supporters - holding each other up. Grounded by those closest to us, but looking across the circle too, connecting to those on the other side with respect, care, and joy.

And it’s that network that I’m raising money for here.

When you give to this campaign, your support goes directly into the hands of artists working to strengthen our DC Dance Network. In this case, you’ll see that impact on stage May 3–4 at the New Releases showcase at Dance Place.

So won’t you join the circle?

Won’t you dance with us?