Two Ways to Protect
Nonprofit Dance Workers Now

We are working to create a field in which all dance workers are able to sustain and thrive in their workplaces and lives. Two recent events threaten to undermine these goals. That’s why our community must act to:

Protect Public Student Loan Forgiveness for Workers

According to the State of NYC Dance 2023 Report, 57% of NYC dance entities operate as nonprofits. For the workers employed at these organizations, the Public Student Loan Forgiveness program provides a critical pathway to long-term debt relief. A Trump executive order seeks to exclude workers at organizations that are designated as having a “substantial illegal purpose,” which is defined in ways that target political dissidence and immigrant, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC communities. The Department of Education has proposed a rule change in accordance with this order.

What you can do:
Submit a public comment opposing the rule change by September 17

Call for the Reinstatement of Fired Kennedy Center Dance Programming Staff and Union Activists

In response to Trump's “Make Kennedy Center Great Again” initiative, Kennedy Center United Arts Workers are organizing to form a union in order to secure fair workplace conditions, defend artistic freedom, and resist political interference. In the midst of this effort, the entire dance programming team—each involved in the organizing drive—was fired, raising serious concerns about retaliation, labor rights, and freedom of expression for dance workers.

What you can do:
Sign on to the call for the reinstatement of the dance programming team and the recognition of the Kennedy Center United Arts Workers union.