The Jerome Foundation is pleased to announce 9 grants totaling $530,136 to Minnesota-based arts organizations and initiatives to support opportunities for choreographers and dance makers at early stages in their careers. These two-year grants support new and expanded programs and activities that benefit early career Minnesota choreographers who create original works.
Grants were awarded to:
- Ananya Dance Theater (ADT)
- Explore Choreo, fiscally sponsored by We Win Institute
- Indigenous Roots Cultural Arts Center (IRoots)
- MOVO, fiscally sponsored by Springboard for the Arts
- Red Eye Theater
- Three Thirty One Space
- The Cowles Center
- Threads Dance Project
- Walker Art Center
To better understand and assess their needs, the Foundation convened over 50 local choreographers, dance presenters, curators, programmers, dance educators, and leaders to identify the most urgent needs and priorities facing early career dance makers. Participants identified a wide range of concerns, including the isolation growing out of the COVID pandemic, the loss of opportunities occasioned by the shuttering of multiple organizations and dance programs, and the need for equitable environments free of racism. Artists were especially interested in mentorships and opportunities to engage with others with whom they are aligned creatively and aesthetically to share and experience one another’s work, experiment and collectively process ideas. A subsequent survey of the dance community affirmed these priorities.
Based on this input from focus groups and survey respondents, nine dance organizations and initiatives, cited for their significant support of early career choreographers and the dance community, were invited to apply and were awarded one-time two-year grants.
Click here to learn more about the organizations and initiatives.