FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 17, 2020
CONTACT: Johanna Tschebull
Washington, DC – Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, is pleased to announce that it has received a grant from The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) to renew Dance/USA Fellowships to Artists (DFA). DFA is Dance/USA’s national program focused on supporting individual artists addressing social change through dance within one or more communities.
In this new round, Dance/USA reaffirms its commitment to individual artists. DFA will provide fellowships to artists to support their creative and social practice. Fellowship funds may be used at the artist’s discretion to support costs related to their practice, which may include the creation of work. During the fellowship period Dance/USA will serve as a resource and support network for the Artist Fellows and raise their visibility.
“The pilot round of DFA supported an extraordinary group of artists,” said outgoing Dance/USA Executive Director Amy Fitterer. “We are deeply grateful to The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation for their generosity and their commitment to supporting individual artists.”
“DFA is a beautiful reflection of Dance/USA’s commitment to supporting and uplifting individual artists within our member community and in the field,” noted incoming Dance/USA Executive Director Kellee Edusei. “I am thrilled this program has renewed support from The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation especially during these challenging times.”
“Long before the current societal reckoning, social practice dancemakers already had well-established, powerful practices that created bridges within and across communities,” said Maurine Knighton, program director for the arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. “Now, at a time when the importance of human connection cannot be taken for granted, the artists supported by Dance/USA’s prescient Dance Fellowships for Artists program are doing vital work creating beautiful art and simultaneously affirming communities’ cultural expressions. The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation is proud to continue partnering with Dance/USA to bring the program to life.”
Interested artists will apply via Letter of Inquiry in the late summer of 2021, with a number of artists then invited to submit full applications by early 2022. Up to 30 Fellowships of up to $35,000 will be given to individual artists, between the summer of 2022 and the summer of 2023.
With the renewal of this program, DFA Program Director Suzanne Callahan, founder of Callahan Consulting for the Arts, has announced that she will transition out of her role. “It has been a joy to design and manage national initiatives for Dance/USA, culminating in the launch of DFA, which directly supports individual artists—the heartbeat of the dance field. It is time to share that joy.” Dance/USA is grateful for Callahan’s decades of service to the organization’s Engaging Dance Audiences, DFA and other programs and is excited for her future endeavors. Dance/USA will publicize information about the position in January.
About the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation
The mission of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation 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 Arts Program of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation focuses its support on contemporary dance, jazz, and theater artists, and the organizations that nurture, present, and produce them. For more information, please visit ddcf.org.
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.
