News

Dance/USA Announces New Round of Fellowships to Artists Program

From Johanna Tschebull, Dance/USA –

Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, announced a new round of Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists (DFA), generously funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF).

As our society grapples with unprecedented challenges and increasingly recognizes the inequity and injustice of our systems, Dance/USA is reaffirmed that the work of supporting artists who engage in art for social change is pivotal and overdue. DFA offers direct support to individual artists who have a sustained and intentional practice of working through dance or movement-based modalities to address social change.

DFA will award 30 Fellowships of a minimum of $30,000 per artist by August of 2022. Fellowship funds may be used at the artist’s discretion. Artists are invited to submit a Letter of Inquiry by December 8, 2021 at 6:00pm EST. Find the DFA program overview and guidelines here.

“Dance is a powerful and vital art form that has the ability to connect, heal, and transform lives and communities. We believe dance and movement-based artists addressing social change are vital to our modern artistic canon, and we are humbled to support them as part of DFA, amplifying their artistic vision,” said Dance/USA Executive Director Kellee Edusei. “We are excited to launch this new round of DFA, and we are grateful for the steadfast support and partnership of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation.

Information for Artists
Dance/USA is committed to accessibility, and places Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC), LGBTQ+ individuals, and people with disabilities at the center of our decision-making. All artists may apply to DFA regardless of Dance/USA membership status.

DFA offers alternative formats and translation services necessary so that all individuals can participate in the program.

Dance/USA shares the belief that proposal writing should not be a barrier to artists accessing funding. DFA offers applicants several support options during the application period.

Learn more about the program, eligibility, review criteria, the application process, and assistance here.

For questions, please contact Haowen Wang, Dance/USA Director of Regranting, at fellowships@danceusa.org or (202) 725-4028. ASL and spoken language interpretation services are available upon request.

About Dance/USA
Propelled by our belief that dance can inspire a more just and humane world, Dance/USA will amplify the power of dance to inform and inspire a nation where creativity and the field thrive.

Established in 1982, Dance/USA champions an inclusive and equitable dance field by leading, convening, advocating, and supporting individuals and organizations. Dance/USA’s core programs are focused in the areas of engagement, advocacy, research, and preservation. Learn more about Dance/USA at danceusa.org.

About the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) is to improve the quality of people’s lives through grants supporting the performing arts, environmental conservation, medical research and child well-being, and through preservation of the cultural and environmental legacy of Doris Duke’s properties. The foundation’s mission, grantmaking programs, museums and centers are guided by Doris Duke’s will and operated through five related philanthropies: the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the Doris Duke Foundation for Islamic Art, the Duke Farms Foundation and the Doris Duke Management Foundation. Together, the Doris Duke philanthropies support the well-being of people and the planet for a more creative, equitable and sustainable future. The mission of DDCF’s Arts Program is to support artists with the creation and public performance of their work. The program’s holistic funding approach is grounded in equity and informed by the belief that artists add value to society and should be supported to live dignified lives while pursuing their creative expression. For more information, please visit ddcf.org.