INCLUSION, DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND ACCESSIBILITY PLAN
DANCE NOW is moving into the next decade with the principal goal of becoming a not-for-profit arts organization that mirrors and expands the diversity of the dance community and the constituents it serves, in New York City and beyond.
DN is Dedicated to Evaluating our Practices.
We acknowledge that our programming and hiring processes have not always been transparent. Moving forward, we will present opportunities clearly, be honest about why choices were made, listen to critiques, and respond to feedback around any and all decisions that might explicitly or implicitly support racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, ageism, xenophobia, bullying and other forms of harassment. We commit to the work that will correct these decisions, and to the process that will help us understand and root out inequity and inherent bias.
DN is Devoted to Building and Serving our Community.
As a presenting organization our goal has been primarily to support the artist in performance. Moving forward, we will commit time, money, and other resources to expand our services that support artists beyond the stage. DN will continue offering free consulting hours, started during COVID-19, and we will continue to explore a range of forums that engage conversations about anti-racism, transparency, and community building for artists, presenters, funders, and audiences.
DN is Resolute in the Centering of Anti-Racism and Cultural Equity.
While DN believes that equal representation, both on stage and off, is crucial, we recognize that our programming and staffing has not always reflected this belief. Moving forward, we will work to increase paid performance, teaching, and training opportunities for all, and ensure that BIPOC voices are represented, alongside the diversity of artists in age, gender and dance styles we already produce.
DN is Intent on Increasing Accessibility Services.
We acknowledge that accessibility has not been a priority for the organization in the past. Moving forward, we are committed to re-allocating resources that will enable accessible programming, on and off the stage. Within the next few years, our focus will include captioning, audio description and ASL interpretation for our digital programming. Once live performance is viable, DN will continue to offer lower priced digital programming to allow for a wider audience to enjoy dance.
We believe that dance is necessary and vital to the human experience, and an important tool for social justice. DN aims to create a supportive environment, one where everyone can feel safe to share their concerns and experiences. We believe that trust is of the utmost importance to build, sustain and maintain strong relationships with our artist and audience communities.
If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this statement with us, please contact us at info@dancenownyc.org
