The 2018 Institute for Leadership Training is no longer accepting applications.
In 2011, Dance/USA launched a national professional dance mentorship program as a pilot, proposed by the Dance/USA Emerging Leaders Task Force. In 2012, with generous lead support by the American Express Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the mentorship grew into the Dance/USA Institute for Leadership Training (DILT) to leverage connections between Dance/USA members and to bolster personal and professional development through one-on-one mentoring relationships.
Based on the applicant pool, a limited number of pairs are matched based on experience, area of interest, personality, geography, and/or professional affiliations by a Dance/USA DILT Selection Committee.
In 2015, the program evolved to focus on shifting patterns of inequity in the dance field by recruiting applicants from diverse communities with a specific interest in supporting emerging leaders of color. The program was open to all, regardless of Dance/USA membership.
Participating members of the dance community will engage in the Leadership Training Institute, held during the Dance/USA Annual Conference, and a 9 month one-on-one mentorship experience. DILT emphasizes regular communication between these established leaders (mentors) and emerging leaders (mentees) to foster self-direction, self-reflection, and embracing challenge. The relationships between mentors and mentees can extend beyond geographic boundaries, explore various areas of interest, and provide exposure to opportunities available in the field.
PRESS RELEASE: Dance/USA Announces Seventh Annual Institute for Leadership Training
Read articles FROM THE GREEN ROOM: Dance/USA's eJournal from past DILT participants:
Questions about the Institute should be sent to Sydnie Liggett, director of programs.
Dance/USA is grateful to the American Express Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for their generous support of the 2017 Institute for Leadership Training. Dance/USA is also grateful to its ongoing funders who support the program: Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, National Endowment for the Arts, and The Shubert Foundation.
