National Dance Project Advisor Cohort Expands

It is with great enthusiasm that the National Dance Project (NDP) Team shares the 2025 NDP Production Grant* Advisor Cohort. 

Each year, the NDP Advisors bring their unique perspectives to the grant panel review process and collective decision-making as artists, presenters, administrators, cultural strategists, curators, producers, educators, and more. They serve one- to three-year terms and act as accountability and thought-partners whose insight supports the program’s continued growth and impact for dance creation, presenting, and community experiences.

As we reflect on the steady increase of eligible preliminary applications and prepare for the program’s final grant cycle in its current form, we felt the need to increase the number of NDP Advisors from 12 to 15. This shift will not only support the division of labor for NDP Advisors during the first round of application review but also provide an opportunity to expand the diversity of the Advisor Cohort. The selection of NDP Advisors considers geography, gender, cultural and racial equity, and includes new and established leaders in the field. We look forward to the diligent work of this year’s NDP Advisor Cohort and the mindful stewardship of resources. 

*The NDP Production Grant is an annual grant opportunity that provides support for the creation/development and U.S. touring/sharing of 20 new dance projects. Grantees are selected via a two-stage application process where a cohort of Advisors assess and evaluate their projects based on program criteria, NEFA’s values, and consideration for the evolving dance ecology. 

In 2025, NDP welcomes seven Advisors:

• Ann Brusky (Aen Bru-ski)
  She/Her/Hers
  Deputy Director of Programming, John Michael Kohler Arts Center
  Land of the Ho-Chunk, Potawatomi, Menominee, Oneida, and Ojibwe Peoples (Sheboygan, WI)
• Brandi Norton (BRAN-dee Nor-ton)
  She/Her/Hers
  Iñupiaq; Curator of Public Programs, Bard College Center for Indigenous Studies
  Land of Stockbridge-Munsee Community
• Ben Pryor (Ben pr-AY-er)
  He/Him/His
  Programming Director, Kelly Strayhorn Theater
  Land of the Osage, Monongahela, and Shawandasse Tulsa People (Pittsburgh, PA)
• Vanessa Sanchez (Vah-ness-ah San-chez)
  She/Her/Hers
  Founder, Executive Artistic Director & Choreographer, La Mezcla
  Land of Ramaytush Ohlone People (San Francsico, CA)
• Nadhi Thekkek (Nuh-dhi Theh-kehk)
  She/Her/Hers/They/Them
  Artistic Director, Nava Dance Theatre
  Land of Chochenyo and Ramaytush Ohlone Peoples (San Francisco, CA and the East Bay)
• Aysha Upchurch (AY-sha Up-church)
  She/Her/Hers
  Artist, Educator, Speaker Consultant; Founder, The Dancing Diplomat
  Land of the Tonkawa, Apache, Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, Lipan Apache, Texas Band of Yaqui Indians, Coahuitlecan Peoples, and all other tribes not explicitly stated (Austin, TX)
• Renae Williams Niles (Re-nay Wil-yuhmz Niylz)
  She/Her/Hers/They/Them
  Renae WN Consulting, Consultant/Creative Producer
  Land of Gabrielino Tongva, Gabrielino Kizh, and Fernandeño Tataviam Nations

We look forward to the continued service of eight returning NDP Advisors:

• Jerron Herman (Jerr-on Her-man)
  He/Him/His
  Dancer/Performer 
  Land of the Lenape People (New York, NY)
• Marisa Hollingsworth (Ma-risa Hall-ings-worth)
  She/Her/Hers
  Executive and Artistic Director, Presenting Denver
  Land of the Utes, Cheyennes, and Arapahoes Peoples (Denver, CO)
• Ben Johnson (Ben John-son)
  He/Him/His
  Director, Department of Arts & Cultural Affairs – City of Minneapolis
  Land of the Dakhóta Oyáte and Ojibwe People (Minneapolis, MN) 
• Lori N. Jones (Lor-ri Jones)
  She/Her/Hers
  Director of Programming and Operations, Quick Center for the Arts
  Land of the Paugussett People (Fairfield, CT)
• Megan Kiskaddon (Meg-an Kis-kad-din)
  She/Her/Hers
  Executive Director, On the Boards
  Land of the Coast Salish Peoples, specifically the Duwamish Tribe (Dkhw Duw’Absh) (Seattle, WA)
• Michael Reed (MY-kuhl r-EE-d)
  He/Him/His
  Senior Director of Programs and Organizational Initiatives, ASU Gammage
  Land of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh Peoples (Tucson, AZ)
• Tamara "Fákémi" Williams (Tam-ah-ra Will-e-ams )
  She/Her/Hers/Iya
  Founder and Artistic Director, Moving Spirits Inc. & Associate Professor, UNC Charlotte 
  Land of the Catawba, Sugaree, Cherokee, Coharie and Lumbee Peoples (Charlotte, NC) & Tupi-Guarani People (Salvador, Bahia, Brazil)
• Daria Yudacufski (Dah-ree-uh You-duh-kuf-skee)
  She/Her/Hers
  Executive Director, USC Visions and Voices
  Land of the Tongva and Chumash (Los Angeles, CA)

Lastly, we send a heartfelt thank you to our outgoing Advisors for their unwavering commitment to the program:

• Germaine Ingram (Ger-may-ne In-gram) 
  She/Her/Hers
  Dance/Vocal Improviser, Choreographer, Cultural Strategist, Writer
  Land of Lenni-Lenape People (Philadelphia, PA).
• Tariq Darrell O’Meally (Ta-reek O Meal-ee)
  He/Him/His
  Artistic Director, Dance Place; Director, BlackLight Summit 
  Land of the Piscataway People (College Park, MD)
• Heena Patel (He-na Pa-tell)
  She/Her/Hers
  Producer, Coach, Performing Artist; MELA Arts Connect / Heena Connects
  Land of the Anikituwagi (Asheville, NC)
• Māhealani Uchiyama (Mah-hay-yah-lah-knee  Ooch-chee-yah-mah) 
  She/Her/Hers
  Kumu Hula, Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine; Director, Mahea Uchiyama Center for International Dance
  Member, The Recording Academy & Hawaiʻi Academy of Recording Arts; 
  Co-Artistic Director Emerita, San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festival
  Land of the Chichenyo People (Oakland, CA) & Land of the Kanaka Maoli People (Honolulu, O’ahu Hawaiʻi) 

Please Note: Native Land Acknowledgements have been provided by NDP Advisors based on their location. Additional support has been provided by native-land.ca. The website strives to represent nations and Indigenous people on their own terms and recognizes that the map is a work-in-progress that relies on contributions from the community to fix any errors.