Take Action

The dance industry must work across stakeholders to advance its vision for the future through a series of actions that address its obstacles and create the future we hope for—one that is focused on tenets of thrivability, sustainability, equity, and justice.

Impact Areas

There are seven key impact areas where actions should be focused to support, thrivability, sustainability, justice, and equity in Our New York City Dance.

Legislation & Policy

Financial Inclusion

Models & Frameworks

Well-Being & Quality of Life

Education

Knowledge & Resource Sharing

Systems Change

Strategies & Action Items

Specific strategies and related actions have been identified within each impact area. Some actions are unique to this study, identified by the initials “DIC.” Others were initially identified in previous research studies and have remained relevant today, identified by abbreviations. These previously identified actions were not advanced due to lack of funding, stakeholder inaction, and/or pandemic-related pauses or otherwise.

Each action cites at least one Dance/NYC research study in which the action was first named.

Dance/NYC Studies and Their Corresponding Abbreviations
  • SOD 2016: State of NYC Dance & Workforce Demographics 2016
  • FSP: 2017 Advancing Fiscally Sponsored Artists & Arts Projects
  • FSD: 2017 Advancing Fiscally Sponsored Dance Artists & Projects
  • SBDM: 2020 Defining “Small-Budget” Dance Makers in a Changing Dance Ecology
  • CDI: 2021 Coronavirus Dance Impact Information Brief: A Dance Sector in Peril
  • DIC: State of New York City Dance 2023: Findings from the Dance Industry Census

Stakeholders

Regardless of role, everyone who touches the dance industry must contribute and take action to advance the future of Our New York City Dance. However, a series of key stakeholders are best positioned to advance specific actions given their values, power, resources, communications infrastructure, and/or community accountability practices.

Individuals
  • Dance Makers
  • Artistic Leads & Entity Leadership
  • Educators & Educational Leadership
  • Government Policymakers
  • Elected Officials
  • Program Officers, Donor Advised Fund Managers & Donors
Entities
  • Small Dance Entities
  • Mid-sized Dance Entities
  • Large Dance Entities
  • Educational Institutions
  • Dance Service Providers
  • Public Agencies
  • Private Philanthropies

How to Use

This “Take Action” page has been set up with a very simple filtering method, to make finding appropriate actions easy for all users. Actions can be filtered by Impact Area, Strategy and Stakeholder. You can use one, two, or all of them, and in any combination.

Filter Actions…

  • Clear filters
  • Financial Inclusion

    Establish small-scale rehearsal studios (for one to four dancers at a time) in outer boroughs and regional areas to encourage better distribution of dance workers and limit commute time, when possible, for dance workers who live outside of Manhattan and Brooklyn.

    Strategy: Capital Funding

    Study: DIC

    Stakeholders

    Dance Service ProvidersEducational InstitutionsElected OfficialsGovernment PolicymakersPrivate PhilanthropiesProgram Officers Donor Advised Fund Managers & DonorsPublic Agencies
  • Financial Inclusion

    Ensure facilities in K–12 schools that teach dance are properly outfitted for teaching dance, including having studios, etc.

    Strategy: Capital Funding

    Study: DIC

    Stakeholders

    Dance Service ProvidersEducational InstitutionsElected OfficialsGovernment PolicymakersPrivate PhilanthropiesProgram Officers Donor Advised Fund Managers & DonorsPublic Agencies
  • Financial Inclusion

    Fund accessibility enhancements to existing spaces that accommodate dance, including minor capital changes like adding handrails or power doors, as well as major capital changes like adding elevators to a building or making adjustments to landmarked buildings.

    Strategy: Capital Funding

    Study: DIC

    Stakeholders

    Dance Service ProvidersEducational InstitutionsElected OfficialsGovernment PolicymakersPrivate PhilanthropiesProgram Officers Donor Advised Fund Managers & DonorsPublic Agencies
  • Models & Frameworks

    Establish funding and support for work to explore alternative leadership models such as shared governance and leadership development.

    Strategy: New Structures

    Study: DIC, SBDM

    Stakeholders

    Artistic Leads & Entity LeadershipEducational InstitutionsPrivate PhilanthropiesProgram Officers Donor Advised Fund Managers & DonorsPublic Agencies
  • Models & Frameworks

    Support and participate in the development of new or alternative legal structures and operating frameworks, such as worker cooperatives, that allow leadership to focus more on artistic process and less on day-to-day operations such as management, fundraising, and marketing.

    Strategy: New Structures

    Study: DIC, SBDM

    Stakeholders

    Artistic Leads & Entity LeadershipDance Service ProvidersEducational InstitutionsPrivate PhilanthropiesProgram Officers Donor Advised Fund Managers & DonorsPublic Agencies
  • Models & Frameworks

    Equip dance workers, including those leading or establishing small entities, to better utilize existing structures for their protection and the benefit of their work; for example, hybrid structures whereby one dance worker or entity simultaneously uses commercial and nonprofit models to diversify revenue streams and retain ownership of their work while benefiting from access to resources available to nonprofits.

    Strategy: Existing Structures

    Study: CDI, DIC, SBDM

    Stakeholders

    Artistic Leads & Entity LeadershipDance Service ProvidersEducational InstitutionsPrivate PhilanthropiesProgram Officers Donor Advised Fund Managers & DonorsPublic Agencies
  • Well-Being & Quality of Life

    Create accessible, affordable, and safe spaces for dance makers to rehearse and perform without fear of discrimination.

    Strategy: Standards of Care

    Study: SBDM

    Stakeholders

    Artistic Leads & Entity LeadershipDance Service ProvidersEducational InstitutionsElected OfficialsGovernment Policymakers
  • Well-Being & Quality of Life

    Create a certification program for entities with proven adherence to standards for land acknowledgements, reparations, living wages, care for individual workers, accessibility, auditions, rehearsals, performance conditions, etc.

    Strategy: Accountability Practices

    Study: DIC

    Stakeholders

    Dance Service ProvidersEducational InstitutionsPublic Agencies
  • Well-Being & Quality of Life

    Develop a specific wage certification program to help audiences understand how and whether particular elements of performance or programs were created via living wage, minimum wage, volunteer time, etc.

    Strategy: Accountability Practices

    Study: DIC

    Stakeholders

    Dance Service ProvidersEducational InstitutionsPublic Agencies
  • Education

    Assure proper enforcement and funding for New York City and state schools to comply with stated principles and State Education Law which requires arts programs in grades 7-12 to be taught by certified arts teachers, and for New York City students to receive instruction in two of five recognized art forms (one of which is dance.)

    Strategy: K–12 Dance Education

    Study: DIC

    Stakeholders

    Educational InstitutionsEducators & Educational LeadershipElected OfficialsGovernment PolicymakersPublic Agencies
  • Education

    Develop benchmark curriculum for dance programs and teachers in elementary, middle, and high school settings that integrate dance with core and specialized subject areas in general and in special education settings in areas like history, political science, physical education, math, etc.

    Strategy: K–12 Dance Education

    Study: DIC

    Stakeholders

    Educational InstitutionsEducators & Educational LeadershipElected OfficialsGovernment PolicymakersPublic Agencies
  • Education

    Support training and prevalence of dance criticism to help publicize work occurring in the field.

    Strategy: Higher Ed Dance Education

    Study: DIC

    Stakeholders

    Educational InstitutionsEducators & Educational Leadership