Rehearsal Space Subsidy

2025-2026 Grantees


Administered by Dance/NYC and made possible by the Mellon Foundation, the purpose of the New York City Dance Rehearsal Space Subsidy Program (RSS) is to make affordable rehearsal space available to dance makers who are in critical need of space for the creation and development of their work, while also fostering a more inclusive and just dance field. By addressing financial barriers to accessing artistic development space, this program aims to advance dance artistry in the five boroughs of New York City and contribute to the field’s overall diversity, sustainability, resilience, and health. While dance rehearsal space facilities are the direct recipients of funding, individual dance artists and dance making organizations are the primary intended beneficiaries of the program. Through the program, dance artists and small budget dance making organizations/groups will have access to affordable, accessible rehearsal spaces in all five boroughs of New York City at rates ranging from $5-$10 per hour.

The program was a non-competitive renewal application by invitation to participants of the 2022-2024 RSS Program. Dance/NYC’s intention in administering the invitation-based program was to reduce administrative costs, reduce applicant labor, and provide critical support to existing grantees, reflecting current funding levels as closely as possible. This truncated extension serves as a necessary bridge, ensuring that dance artists and organizations, particularly those who have been part of the RSS Program, continue to benefit from subsidized rehearsal space while the broader vision for future programming is being ideated. It also provides the Mellon Foundation and Dance/NYC with the time needed to engage in conversations about potential improvements and explore ways the program could include a broader base of artists and genres in the future.

In March 2025, Dance/NYC awarded the following recipients of funding:

Grantees received continued funding to subsidize dance rehearsal space throughout the course of the grant period, January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2026. In addition to the grant funds that will provide subsidized dance rehearsal space throughout the course of the grant period, grantees will receive fees to support renewal application and reporting costs ($2,500); fees to support the administrative costs to run the program ($2,500); and in-kind promotion, marketing, and advertising annually through Dance/NYC platforms. Total grant amounts range from $9,228 to $142,778. Each recipient will provide 225 to 2,000 hours of subsidized space annually to dance makers, collectively offering more than 40,250 hours over two  years in all five boroughs.

Grant amounts were calculated based on the subsidy needed by venues to cover the gap between the low rental fee charged to dance makers and the total cost for operating and maintaining the space made available through the RSS program, as well as the total number of hours the venue commits to providing annually.

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