Program Overview and Goals

Made possible by the generous support of the Howard Gilman Foundation and Ford Foundation, the Dance Advancement Fund aims to address inequities in how resources are distributed across the dance field and support a more sustainable future for dance. The Fund provides support to dance makers in the New York City metropolitan area with operating budgets between $25,000 and $250,000. Selected organizations and groups receive general operating support over a two-year period (September 1, 2026–August 31, 2028), with annual grants ranging from $6,000 to $40,000 annually, along with ongoing professional development.

Dance/NYC established the Dance Advancement Fund in 2017, building on insights from its 2016 research, State of NYC Dance and Workforce Demographics (Dance.NYC/StateofDance2016). This report found that the smaller organizations are often more adaptable and have workforces that more closely reflect the racial diversity and presence of disabled and immigrant people in New York City. At the same time, it highlighted a major imbalance: while organizations annual budgets under $1 million make up 84% of the field, they have access to just 10% of total revenue.

In 2020, Dance/NYC’s research study, Defining “Small-Budget” Dance Makers in a Changing Dance Ecology (Dance.NYC/SBDMdata2020) reinforced these findings. Nearly all “small-budget” dance makers reported needing funding for salaries/wages (95%) and general operations (93%), with more than half (56%) identifying wages as their most critical need. These challenges intensified as the sector responded to the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dance/NYC’s Coronavirus Dance Impact Informational Brief (bit.ly/DNYC_COVID_DanceImpactBrief) found that many individual dance workers and dance-making organizations struggled to meet basic needs, and that 84% of organizations at risk of permanent closure had budgets under $100,000.

Released in 2023, State of NYC Dance 2023: Findings from the Dance Industry Census (Dance.NYC/StateOfNYCDance23) reveals that small-budget entities may make up an  even larger share of the field than previously understood. Unlike earlier studies, this Census included a wider range of participants across all budget sizes and structures. Among respondents, nearly 60% of dance entities reported annual budgets under $100,000, and 76% under $250,000. The research also found that smaller-budget entities:

• experienced greater pandemic-related financial losses 
• had the least contributed revenue
• often lacked the resources to pay living wages or  fully address diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility and social justice goals   

As of 2026, the Dance Advancement Fund has distributed over $2.25 million in general operating support to 112 unique small and medium sized dance-making organizations. As Dance/NYC launches the fifth iteration of the program, it will award $650,000 over the grant period to up to 25 dance makers. The program is designed to:

• address the long-term impacts of systemic oppression as manifested through white supremacy and the current economic landscape 
• advance economic justice in the dance field by directing resources where they are most needed
• provide consistent financial and knowledge-based support to help dance-making organizations to move toward long-term sustainability

For Dance/NYC, “thriving” means that dance makers have the resources to make dance with dignity. This includes the ability to:

• pay dignified wages to all collaborators involved in the ideation, creation, execution, performance, and distribution of their artistic works
• continue generating new work and sustaining or preserving existing repertory and legacy works
• build accountable, healthy, and interdependent relationships with collaborators, audiences, local communities, and the broader field

This definition of thriving reflects ongoing dialogue with current and former Dance Advancement Fund grantees. It is also one of the many ways that thriving can be understood and embodied across the dance field.

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Legacy, Evolution and Administration of the Fund

Dance/NYC believes the dance ecology must itself be just, equitable, and inclusive to meaningfully contribute to social progress and envisions a dance ecology wherein power, funding, opportunities, conduct, and impacts are fair for all artists, cultural workers, and audiences. It seeks to advance policies, investments, programs, mindsets, and actions that remove and prevent inequities that exist along the continuum of lives in dance, from the public-school classroom to the stage.

Dance/NYC’s approach cuts across its public programs—advocacy,research, regranting, and knowledge sharing—and all aspects of its operations. Its approach is intersectional, building upon multiple issue areas that together create a more just, equitable, and inclusive dance ecology. Dance/NYC’s approach is also grounded in collaboration. It recognizes generations of people and organizations working to advance justice, equity, and inclusion in the arts and culture, and strives to contribute to their efforts. 

The fifth iteration of the Dance Advancement Fund, its components, and continued evolution is a reflection of ongoing learning and dialogue with current and past grantees, field partners, Dance/NYC's task forces and committees, ongoing research, and current events impacting the field. Dance/NYC is also working in collaboration with Niya Nicholson, a celebrated executive arts leader dedicated to championing opportunity access, building impactful businesses, and advancing creative careers.

In alignment with these stated values of justice, equity, and inclusion, Dance/NYC will lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of the Fund to ensure the following:

• fund priorities are met
• the applicant pool is a reflection of the demography of the New York City metropolitan area
• applicants receive clear information regarding the eligibility and application process
• applicants across geographies and demographics have the opportunity to receive support in completing their application
• the application process and the dissemination of information regarding the application is led by and in conversation with community partners, organizers, and members of the field
• the application process creates opportunities for more meaningful engagement with local dance-making communities
• as many barriers to participation as possible are removed

The fifth iteration of the Dance Advancement Fund is led by the following Dance/NYC staff:

• Raquel Du Toit, Executive Director
• Monica Steffey, Director of Programming and Operations
• Maya Suess, Grantmaking Manager
• Aryanna Allen, Grantmaking Assistant

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About Dance/NYC 
Dance/NYC champions the New York City metropolitan area dance sector by fostering a more just, equitable, and inclusive landscape where dance workers and organizations can thrive. Rooted in research, Dance/NYC engages in advocacy, regranting, and knowledge-sharing that works toward establishing dance as a valued form of cultural expression and a common good. Through this work, Dance/NYC strengthens the ecosystem, expands access to resources, and supports the leadership of historically under-resourced communities across the field.

About Niya Nicholson
Niya Nicholson is a celebrated leader dedicated to championing opportunity access, building impactful businesses, and advancing creative careers. A Harlem native and Vassar graduate, Niya’s mission is to propel visionary creatives and institutions toward their next level of impact. As the founding Executive Director of MOVE|NYC|, she has spent a decade scaling the organization into a renowned civic arts nonprofit recognized for “Changing the Face of Dance.” This commitment to equity and excellence continues through NOWNEXT by NN, her consultancy where she equips artists and organizations with the strategic resources and operational roadmaps necessary to deepen their purpose and expand their possibilities. Recently named a 2025 Nonprofit Power Player by Politics NY and amNY, Niya’s leadership is widely recognized by premier institutions, including Dance/NYC, the International Association of Blacks in Dance, Dance/USA, American Express, OneCause, and New York Foundation for the Arts.

Niya’s career began in leadership roles with premier dance organizations. Niya served as Development Manager at Gibney Dance, where she was part of a 3-person team that led a successful $1M+ capital campaign resulting in 6 new high-tech studios and the first-ever elevator at 280 Broadway, and as the Director of Development at the José Limón Dance Foundation. Before the launch of MOVE|NYC| in 2015, Niya was the organization’s sole volunteer administrator and was promoted to founding Executive Director in 2023, expanding its operating budget from $25K to $1.7M and its programmatic reach to D.C. and Scotland. MOVE|NYC| celebrated its 10th Anniversary milestone in 2025, marking Niya’s tenth year (and counting) with the organization. 

Niya has a longstanding relationship with Dance/NYC, including being an inaugural member of the Symposium Programming Committee and Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Harassment. She was Co-Chair of the 2017–18 Dance/NYC Junior Committee, where she co-founded a Mentorship Program and implemented anti-racism trainings. Niya has contributed to Dance/NYC’s Symposiums as a featured speaker and a two-time SMART Bar Consultant. In 2024, Niya served as the Program Consultant for Dance/NYC’s 4th iteration of the Dance Advancement Fund, where she supported the program’s development and led webinars and one-on-one technical assistance for applicants, awarding nearly 30 grants to dance-making organizations and groups. In 2025-26, Niya returned to Dance/NYC as a Grantmaking Consultant and as Program Consultant for their 5th iteration of the Dance Advancement Fund. Additional grantmaking experience includes the New York State Council on the Arts and NYC Department of Cultural Affairs. 

About the Howard Gilman Foundation
Howard Gilman believed in the power of the arts to transform lives. In honoring his legacy, the Foundation provides funding and support to New York City-based performing arts organizations that are reflective of our City’s vibrant cultural community.