Thursday, March 26, 2026

Dance Worker Digest | March 2026

By Dance/NYC

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Dance Worker Digest
March 2026

This month’s Dance Worker Digest highlights key shifts in policy and leadership shaping the field. From a proposed $30 minimum wage in NYC and ongoing state budget negotiations to new leadership at the Department of Cultural Affairs and emerging artist business models, these updates point to both challenges and opportunities for dance workers.

Artist Corporation Model Gains Momentum

A contract next to a coffee cup, mobile phone, laptop, and scissors.

Artist Corporations recently launched a new website that explains and advocates for the legal adoption of the Artist Corporation (A-Corp) model.

An A-Corp is a proposed business structure designed to better serve artists' needs compared to traditional structures such as Limited Liability Companies (LLCs). It allows artists to bring in investors while adhering to an artistic mission, protecting intellectual property, and retaining creative autonomy. For dance artists navigating the limits of traditional for-profit and nonprofit models, this may offer a promising alternative.

A bill introduced in the Colorado Senate would formally establish A-Corps as a new legal entity, with advocates working to expand similar legislation to other states.

The website offers tools to model ownership and finances under an A-Corp structure, as well as advocacy resources and a network for artists interested in the model.

Photo: Karola G from Pexels.

New NYC Bill Proposes $30 Minimum Wage by 2030

A new bill introduced in the New York City Council would raise the minimum wage to $30 per hour over the next four to six years. This would be a significant increase over the current rates of $17 per hour in New York City and $16 per hour statewide.

The proposal sets different timelines based on business size. Employers with more than 500 workers would be required to pay $23 per hour by 2028 and $30 per hour by 2030. Employers with fewer than 500 workers would reach $24 by 2029 and $30 by 2032. After that, increases would be tied to the cost of living.

At the state level, advocates are also supporting the Living Wage for All NY (LW4A) Bill, which would link the minimum wage to a living wage standard with annual adjustments. It would also eliminate sub-minimum wages for tipped, disabled, and incarcerated workers and allow local governments to set higher minimum wages. According to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a living wage for a single adult in New York is currently around $30 per hour.

These proposals could have a significant impact on the dance sector, where many workers earn below a living wage. Dance/NYC's State of NYC Dance 2023 Report found that dance workers made an average of $22 per hour—about 15% below the city's living wage at the time. At the same time, many dance organizations report needing increased funding to meet higher wage standards.

Photo: Worawat Dechatiwong via Canva

Diya Vij Appointed Commissioner of NYC’s Department of Cultural Affairs

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced Diya Vij as the new Commissioner of the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCLA), the largest municipal arts funder in the country. DCLA distributes funding through several programs:

Cultural Development Fund (CDF): program-based grants supporting over 1000 organizations annually
Cultural Institutions Group (CIG): operating support for 39 institutions on city-owned land
Capital Funding: support for construction, renovations, and major equipment
Local Arts Councils: regranting funds to artists and small organizations

Dance/NYC and other arts leaders have continued to advocate for increased and stable funding for DCLA. Most recently, we testified at the Cultural Affairs Committee's Preliminary Budget Hearing on March 18, urging the City Council to increase baseline funding by $30 million.

Advocates are also calling for more transparent and equitable funding processes, particularly for small-budget organizations. The Commissioner will play a key role in advancing these changes.

Vij brings experience from across the cultural sector, most recently as Vice President of Curatorial and Arts Programs at Powerhouse Arts and as a curator at Creative Time. She previously worked at DCLA under Mayor Bill de Blasio and served on Mayor Mamdani’s Mayoral Arts and Culture Transition Committee. Since her appointment, Vij has emphasized the need to address how the cost of living crisis is affecting artists.

Photo by Xavier Petromelis, taken at Powerhouse Arts

New York State Budget Talks Continue with Arts Funding at Stake

New York State Capitol Building at night

New York State has entered the next phase of its budget process, which determines funding for services such as childcare, housing, and the arts. After the Governor released an initial proposal in January, both the State Senate and Assembly issued their responses in March.

Unlike the Governor's proposal, both legislative houses include plans to increase taxes on large corporations and the highest-income earners. These changes are expected to generate about $1.1 billion in additional revenue for public services, including arts funding.

The governor’s Executive Budget proposes $103 million for the New York State Council on the Arts (NYSCA), down from $164 million this year. The Senate proposal includes $210 million for NYSCA grants, matching calls from arts advocates and Senate Cultural Committee Chair José M. Serrano, plus $60 million in additional funding for specific organizations. Meanwhile, the Assembly proposes $201 million.

The Governor, Senate, and Assembly are now negotiating a final budget with a deadline of April 1.

Photo: Sean Pavone via Canva

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