FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 7, 2021
CONTACT: Johanna Tschebull
Washington, DC – Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, is pleased to announce the selection of ten early-career dance leaders and ten mentors for the tenth annual Dance/USA 2021 Institute for Leadership Training (DILT), a national dance mentorship and leadership development program. The overarching goal of DILT is to build the leadership and resiliency skills of early-career dance leaders who represent the diversity of the national, professional dance field. The program has a specific focus on supporting BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) individuals; individuals with disabilities or working in physically integrated dance; and individuals from a diversity of gender identities including transgender, agender, gender fluid, genderqueer. The members of the 2021 DILT cohort were selected through a competitive process and work within a broad range of genres and communities across the country. The 2021 cohort will engage in a six-month one-on-one mentorship experience involving monthly meetings, seminars with guest speakers, as well as periodic cohort meetings with members of the Dance/USA team. The program begins at the Dance/USA 2021 Virtual Conference and runs through the end of the year. Learn about the 2021 DILT mentees and mentors here.
“I am bursting with joy and excitement for us to launch our 2021 DILT cohort. After a difficult year for the dance field we are looking forward to deepening our core value of connectivity and ensuring the field – especially those who self identify as early-career dance leaders – are supported at this critical moment in their leadership journey. The relationships between the mentee–mentor pairs are vital for the field to thrive,” said Dance/USA Executive Director Kellee Edusei.
Learn more about the Dance/USA Institute for Leadership Training here and see below for a history of the program.
Dance/USA is grateful to American Express and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for their generous support of the Institute for Leadership Training. Dance/USA is also grateful to its ongoing funders who support the program: Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Harkness Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, and The Shubert Foundation.
About DILT
Now in its tenth anniversary year, DILT began in 2011 at the recommendation of the Dance/USA Emerging Leader Task Force to facilitate one-on-one relationships for networking and leadership development for dance professionals. The program was designed to enhance and refine the skills of early-career dance leaders so that they may guide dance organizations through the future’s challenges and shifting landscapes. With the guidance of a mentor, mentees hone their management skills, as well as recognize and learn from personal strengths and where they may find their greatest source of resiliency.
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.
