Dear NYC Dance Community:

I urge you to speak up for the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs' (DCA) continued support for dance in NYC.

The proposed FY 2012 program budget for DCA is just over $100 million, which represents a cut of approximately $50 million (over 30 percent).

In March, Dance/NYC submitted testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Cultural Affairs, Libraries and International Intergroup Relations requesting a full restoration of the DCA budget. Click here for testimony: http://www.dancenyc.org/resources/knowledge-base/advocacy/id=89

Dance/NYC also represented dance at the City Council's public hearing for the full FY 2012 budget last week, where it restated its request for budget restoration and brought the Council stories from the field, including: the Isadora Duncan Dance Foundation, 92Y Harkness Center for Dance, Risa Jaraslow & Dancers, New York Live Arts and Dance/NYC Junior Committee member Adrienne Westwood. See testimony here: http://www.dancenyc.org/resources/knowledge-base/advocacy/id=99

Join these voices and be an advocate for the importance of local government funding to your work. Share your stories and statements and communicate them to your representatives in person and by letter, phone and e-mail. To find your City Councilmember, visit: http://council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml

Thank you, as always, for all you do for dance.