American Masterpieces:
Dance - College Component

Click here to view previous information on AMD-CC, including background and past grants.

This is to alert you to significant changes in American Masterpieces: Dance – College Component (AMD-CC) funding program. Please take a moment now to review the highlights, so that you can take advantage of the upcoming deadline and increased funds.

The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) will now manage Round 4 of the AMD-CC grant program. For the past seven years, Dance/USA has been very pleased to administer and document the results of the almost 200 grants that have been awarded through AMD-CC (along with its predecessor, the NCCI). What was to be a one-time initiative has continued to give six rounds of support to well over 100 colleges. Due to a restructuring of the NEA staff, a position has been created to handle all components of the American Masterpieces: Dance program. We were just recently notified of this change, which is effective immediately for Round 4, and has important consequences for your future applications. This change does not affect Round 3 applications (which were submitted at the May 2008 deadline, for notification in October of 2008) nor does it impact current grantee procedures for Round 2 (those grantees should please continue to communicate and send final reports to Tom Thielen, director of finance and operations, at Dance/USA).

The highlights are as follows:

Immediate Application Deadline! The next deadline is October 24, 2008, for a grant period that can begin anytime on or after May 1, 2009 for project activity up to April 30, 2011. See below for changes to the application process.

Increased Grant Amounts. Grants will be increased to $15,000.

Modified Application Process. The NEA accepts all applications electronically through Grants.gov, which is a website that receives all federal grant applications. There will be two steps:

1) Registering your college through grants.gov. Your university has likely applied in the past through grants.gov for other funding from the federal government. If not, colleges must register through grants.gov before applying for funding, and that registration process can take up to two weeks. Organizations seeking federal grants must have a DUNS number, which is provided by Dun & Bradstreet (D&B), as a way to track how federal money is awarded and dispersed. Please take a moment soon to speak with your development or sponsored research office to find out if your college has applied through grants.gov and it has been assigned a DUNS number. If not, your college should begin that registration process soon, so that you allow time to go through the appropriate channels in your development office.

2) Downloading, completing and submitting the NEA application. Directions for how to apply are detailed on the NEA website at the link below. Please take a moment soon to review this information, as it is quite different than the process used in the past. Applications will be submitted electronically through grants.gov on the on the standard NEA application form, which asks different questions. Please take a moment to review those forms and questions. Work samples and other materials are mailed, and the NEA website details that process as well.

Review Process. You will receive an automatic email that tells you your application is received and then possibly a follow-up call or email requesting missing materials or questions, which will be in November or December of 2008. All communication will come from the NEA staff listed at the bottom of this memo. Grantees will be notified in April 2009.

For More Information:
Inquiries about future applications should be addressed to Janelle Ott [ottj@arts.endow.gov or 202-682-5739] or Juliana Mascelli [mascellij@arts.endow.gov or 202-682-5656].

To view a full description of the AMD-CC application process, visit the NEA’s website at this link, which will also guide you to the website for grants.gov and that registration process: http://www.arts.endow.gov/grants/apply/AMDance.html

It has been a great pleasure for D/USA to manage this program for the past seven years. We have thoroughly enjoyed working with you all. We know that the deadline for this next round is coming up quickly. We hope that you will take the time to apply, so that this funding can go to colleges such as yours, to restage significant master works for your students—the next generation of dancers. If you have any immediate questions about the transition in general, please contact Suzanne at the email address below.

We hope you will continue to stay connected to Dance/USA. There are so many meaningful opportunities for faculty and students through our Education Council, and the organization would benefit greatly from your input. For membership information and benefits, please contact Katherine Fabian, membership manager, at kfabian@danceusa.org.

Thank you,

Andrea Snyder
Executive Director
Dance/USA

Suzanne Callahan
Callahan Consulting for the Arts
Program Manager, AMDCC
callahan@ForTheArts.org
202-955-8325

The American Masterpieces: Dance-College Component (AMDCC), a grant program, is designed to foster appreciation for the best in American dance history and creativity. The AMDCC brings classic American dances of the past century to college students and audiences in communities across the nation. Awards are available to reconstruct or restage works by master American choreographers of the 20th Century. These works will increase students’ access to and understanding of dance heritage and the role played by artists such as George Balanchine, Talley Beatty, Maria Benitez, Trisha Brown, Jack Cole, Honi Coles, Katherine Dunham, Bob Fosse, Martha Graham, Susan Marshall, Meredith Monk, Jerome Robbins, Paul Taylor, and other artists.

For all projects, public involvement within and/or beyond the academic community is critical. Successful applicants will make substantial efforts to involve the general public beyond the performance of the dance work itself. At each site, performances, panel discussions, lectures, school showings, open rehearsals, film or video showings, symposia or other activities should allow general audiences access to the history of the dance work and the process of creating choreography. It is expected that scholars, educators, critics, historians, adjunct faculty, and artists will help inform the public presentation of the dances. Finally, other organizations may collaborate, including musical ensembles, dance companies, community-based dance organizations, presenting institutions, or elementary and high schools. It is permissible for several colleges to collaborate on one project.

Dance/USA is pleased to announce the third round of support with AMDCC for projects that will take place during 2009 and 2010.

Download Guidelines, Frequently Asked Questions, and All Application Forms in MS Word

Download the Budget Form as an MS-Excel Spreadsheet, which calculates totals automatically

The schedule for the Third Round is as follows:

Two substantive changes will be made to the program and guidelines are as follows:
• The NEA and Dance/USA welcome projects that embrace choreography from all forms and styles, representing the cultural richness of the U.S. and its many dance traditions.
• The panel values outreach plans that are tailored to the specific artist, college and project and reflective of the possibilities that engagement of the artist can bring to campus and/or the community. It values depth and context, such as involvement with other academic departments or specific cultural organizations, over standard activities such as open rehearsals. While K-12 activities are welcome, they should be integral to the project.

Dance/USA now supervises the AMDCC, working in collaboration with Project Manager Suzanne Callahan of Callahan Consulting for the Arts. Callahan will advise potential applicants, receive applications, and manage the selection process. Upon selection, the payment process will be managed by Dance/USA and NEFA.

Dance/USA encourages potential applicants to also contact Project Manager Suzanne Callahan with any questions, to discuss your project plans, or for technical assistance, at 202-955-8325 or callahan@forthearts.org. Applicants are encouraged to begin planning in advance of the deadline, to allow sufficient time to confirm artists, as well as to obtain clearance through your own university departments and administration. In some instances, such clearance can be more time consuming than anticipated.

Previous Rounds of Support

AMDCC is an outgrowth of the National College Choreography Initiative (NCCI), which Dance/USA managed during its three rounds of funding. Visit our Press Page for details on the first and second rounds of AMD-CC grantees.

Publications for Faculty, Artists and Students

Potential applicants may wish to review several publications which explore issues that are pertinent to college dance departments and provide an overview of the impact of AMDCC and NCCI’s reconstructions over the past six years. Click Here for a list of available publications.

Other Funding Opportunities through AMD at NEFA

Dance/USA is pleased to partner with The New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA), which is administering American Masterpieces: Dance.  In addition to the college component described above, AMD includes the following two components.

AMD Reconstruction Grants provide funding for the reconstruction or restaging of American Dance works that are artistically, historically, and culturally significant and have a substantial performance/touring aspect to ensure the works reach the broadest possible audience.

AMD Touring Grants support the presentation and distribution of the work created by Reconstruction Grant recipients and a limited number of other nominated tours each touring season. 

Dance companies may apply to receive these Reconstruction and/or Touring Grants.  Note that these two components are not open to colleges. For more information, visit www.nefa.org.