NEFA Awards $925K for New Dance Works

New England Foundation for the Arts (NEFA) has awarded $925,000 in National Dance Project (NDP) grants to support the development of new dance works that will tour the U.S. during the 2014-2015 season.

Eighteen dance artists and companies from across the U.S. were selected from 117 competitive applications, and will receive grants ranging from $31,000 to $40,000 for the creation of a new work. U.S. nonprofit organizations interested in presenting these new works may apply for funding through the National Dance Project Presentation Grant program. "We're proud to support and connect both artists and presenters to make the creation and touring of new works viable," said NDP program manager Sara Nash.

Each grant comes with an additional $12,000 in general operating support, thanks to funding provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation. "This component of the award bolsters capacity for artists and companies at a time when dollars are scarce," said NEFA executive director Rebecca Blunk, "and we are delighted to be able to offer this resource for a fifth consecutive year."

Since 1996, NDP has been a primary system of support for the contemporary dance field, supporting the production and touring of new dance works. In a field that has been historically under-funded, NDP remains the only national program dedicated to supporting individual dance artists and companies in a broad range of genres, whether established or emerging. To date, including these awards, NDP has supported the creation of over 305 new dance works, partnering directly with more than 300 U.S. presenting organizations to bring high caliber dance projects to all 50 states, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Each year, 25 to 30 different dance projects are featured in engagements in an average of 250 communities across the country. These touring engagements create new connections between community members and artists, offer unique opportunities for artistic growth, and increase access to the arts and the creative process.

The 2013 NDP grant recipients and the new projects are:

Ballet Memphis, Memphis, TN, "New Work by Julia Adam"
BODYTRAFFIC, Los Angeles, CA, "New Work by Victor Quijada"
Camille A. Brown & Dancers, Jamaica, NY, "Black Girl"
Carmen de Lavallade, New York, NY, "As I Remember It"
Gametophyte Inc./Dean Moss, Brooklyn, NY, "johnbrown"
Kyle Abraham/Abraham.In.Motion, New York, NY, "When the Wolves Came In"
Lar Lubovitch Dance Company, New York, NY, "New Work by Lar Lubovitch"
Liz Lerman, Baltimore, MD, "Healing Wars"
luciana achugar, Brooklyn, NY, "OTRO TEATRO"
Lucky Plush Productions, Riverside, IL, "The Queue"
Martha Graham Contemporary Dance, New York, NY, "New Work by Andonis Foniadakis"
Michelle Ellsworth, Boulder, CO, "Clytigation: State of Exception"
Pat Graney Company, Seattle, WA, "girl gods"
Ragamala Dance, Minneapolis, MN, "Song of the Jasmine"
Rosy Simas Danse, Minneapolis, MN, "We Wait In The Darkness"
Sarah Michelson, New York, NY, "Devotion Study #3 & Study #4"
Sean Dorsey Dance, San Francisco, CA, "The Missing Generation and The Source Of Joy"
Soledad Barrio & Noche Flamenca, New York, NY, "Antigona"

To learn more about the grantees and their projects, look for the 2013 NDP Awards brochure, available in early September on http://www.nefa.org, or by contacting program manager Sara Nash at 617.951.0010 x512 or snash(at)nefa(dot)org.

About NEFA
NEFA builds connections among artists, arts organizations, and funders, powering the arts to energize communities in New England, then nation, and the world. NEFA is a 501 (c) (3) that operates with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England state arts agencies, and from corporations, foundations and individuals.

NEFA currently administers grantmaking programs of regional, national, and international scope that support the performing arts, public art, and Native American artists. NEFA also leads projects and initiatives that range from the analysis of the impact of the creative economy to the creation of online tools which link and advance the cultural community. For more information on NEFA's grant programs and services, please visit http://www.nefa.org or call 617.951.0010.