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New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) has awarded $821,500 in National Dance Project (NDP) grants to support the development of new dance works that will tour the U.S. during the 2013-2014 season.
Twenty-one dance artists and companies were selected from 131 competitive applications, and will receive grants ranging from $31,000 to $40,000. Arts organizations and others interested in presenting these new works may apply for funding through the National Dance Project Presentation Grant program. “We’re proud to have selected this extraordinary group of projects, and we’re grateful to the artists, the presenter partners, and the funders who make NDP possible,” said NEFA executive director Rebecca Blunk.
Each U.S. grant recipient will also receive $10,500 in general operating support, thanks to additional funding for the fourth consecutive year, provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, to help ensure organizational stability during this challenging economic period.
Five of the companies to receive grants this year have participated in one of NDP’s Regional Dance Development Initiatives. “We know how important it is to support artists at all stages of development, and it’s exciting to see these artists join a distinguished cohort of funding recipients,” said NDP program manager Sara Nash. With geographically specific funding, RDDI “labs” bring together choreographers, presenters, and faculty in a specific region for a two week program to advance ideas and build partnerships. “Without hesitation, I can say that those two weeks [at the New England RDDI in 2007] shaped the trajectory of my career,” said 2012 NDP Award Recipient Adele Myers. NDP has produced RDDI labs in Portland, OR, San Francisco, Minneapolis/St. Paul, and New England since launching the initiative in 2003.
Since 1996, NDP has been a primary system of support for the contemporary dance field, supporting the production and touring of new dance works. In a field that has been historically under-funded, NDP remains the only national program dedicated to supporting individual dance artists and companies, whether established, emerging, culturally-specific, or experimental. To date, including these awards, NDP has supported the creation of over 305 new dance works, partnering directly with more than 300 U.S. presenters to connect projects with audiences in all 50 states, D.C. and the U.S Virgin Islands. Each year, 25 to 30 different dance projects are featured in engagements in an average of 250 communities across the country.
NEFA's National Dance Project is made possible with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the MetLife Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Support from the NEA provides funding for choreographers in the early stages of their careers.
The 2012 NDP grant recipients are:
| COMPANY | CITY | PROJECT TITLE |
| Adele Myers and Dancers* | Hamden, CT | Einstein's Happiest Thought |
| Armitage Gone! Dance | New York, NY | Fables on Global Warming |
| Ballet Hispanico | New York, NY | Sortijas |
| BodyCartography Project* | Minneapolis, MN | Super Nature |
| Dance Theatre of Harlem | New York, NY | Far But Close |
| David Dorfman Dance | New York, NY | Come, and Back Again |
| David Roussève/REALITY | Los Angeles, CA | Stardust |
| Doug Elkins/Barbara Karger/Michael Preston | Brooklyn, NY, & New Brunswick, NJ | Untitled |
| Karen Sherman* | Minneapolis, MN | One with Others |
| LeeSaar The Company | New York, NY | grass and jackals |
Margaret Jenkins Dance Company | San Francisco, CA | Times Bones |
| Mathew Janczewski’s ARENA DANCES* | Minneapolis, MN | The Main Street Project |
| Morgan Thorson* | Minneapolis, MN | Journeyman |
| Ralph Lemon/Cross Performance | New York, NY | Scaffold Room |
| Raphael Xavier | Philadelphia, PA | The Unofficial Guide to Audience Watching Performance |
| Robert Moses' Kin | San Francisco, CA | NEVABAWARLDAPECE |
| Stephen Petronio Company | New York, NY | Like Lazarus Did |
| STREB | Brooklyn, NY | ESSENTIALIST ACTS |
| Susan Marshall & Company | New York, NY | Bodies and Guitars |
| Tere O'Connor Dance | New York, NY | Untitled |
| Voloshky Ukranian Dance Ensemble | Philadelphia, PA | STEPPES: A Crossover |
*RDDI artists
To learn more about the grantees and their projects, look for the 2012 NDP Awards booklet, available in early September on www.nefa.org, or by contacting program manager Sara Nash at 617.951.0010 x512 or snash@nefa.org.
About NEFA
NEFA creatively supports the movement of people, ideas, and resources in the arts within New England and beyond, makes vital connections between artists and communities, and builds the strength, knowledge, and leadership of the creative sector. NEFA is a 501 (c) (3) that operates with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England state arts agencies, and from corporations, foundations and individuals.
NEFA currently administers grantmaking programs of regional, national, and international scope that support the performing arts, public art, and Native American artists. NEFA also leads projects and initiatives that range from the analysis of the impact of the creative economy to the creation of online tools which link and advance the cultural community. For more information on NEFA’s grant programs and services, please visit www.nefa.org or call 617.951.0010.
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