Disability. Dance. Artistry. Residency

Made possible by the generous support of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, the Ford Foundation, and the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, the purpose of the 2021-2022 residency program is to expand opportunities for dancers with disabilities, including spinal cord injury (SCI) and other impairments, and to advance accessibility and equity for disabled dance artists within the larger dance, residency, and presenting communities. Dance/NYC will award residencies to up to ten (10) disabled dance artists and/or integrated dance companies.

The Disability. Dance. Artistry. Residency Program was established in 2019 and responds directly to Dance/NYC’s research, Performing Disability. Dance. Artistry. (Dance.NYC/PerformingDDA18), which underscores the need and opportunity to engage residency centers in the professional development and training of disabled artists and to provide critical training to presenters, driving mentorship and shared learning among artists and presenters.

As of 2019, the Disability. Dance. Artistry. Residency Program has provided residencies to 8 unique disabled dance artists and integrated dance companies. As Dance/NYC moves into the second iteration of the program, it will provide residencies to up to 10 disabled dance artists and/or integrated dance companies led by people with disabilities with the goals to:

Address the long-term impacts of systems of oppression as manifested through white supremacy, ableism, capitalism, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic;
Advance accessibility and equity for disabled dance artists by continuing to fill gaps in the availability of resources where they are most needed; and
Address the critical need for residency and presenting opportunities and professional development and training for disabled dance artists.

Requirements

Applicants are eligible to apply if they:

• Identify as a disabled dance artist and/or integrated dance company led by people with disabilities;
• Are based (reside) in the United States; and
• Provide a copy of their U.S. IRS Determination letter, which proves the entity’s 501©(3) designation or tax-exempt status under Internal Revenue Code Section 170©(1), or proof of fiscal sponsorship. For details on how to become fiscally sponsored, please visit Dance.NYC.
• Disabled dance artists or integrated dance companies led by people with disabilities, regardless of disability, are invited to apply. Dance/NYC will prioritize self-identification. No artist will be required to provide verification of their impairment in the application.
• Disabled dance artists and integrated dance companies led by people with disabilities are encouraged to apply if they are a current or past grantee of Dance/NYC and/or the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation, or if they have not previously been funded by Dance/NYC or any of these organizations.

Applicants are not eligible to apply if they are:

• An individual artist who does not identify as disabled, or a dance ensemble that is not led by disabled dance artists;
• An individual artist without a fiscal sponsor;
• An organization that is not focused on the creation and/or performance of dance;
• An organization for which dance therapy is a primary function;
• An organization for which arts education is a primary function;
• Based (reside) outside of the United States;
• An educational institution;
• A producer;
• A presenter;
• A festival;
• A service organization.
• The program’s goals are artistic, and applicants with primarily therapeutic or educational goals will not be competitive.