Tony Waag and Derick K. Grant Join New Yorkers for Dance Campaign

Today, tap artists Tony Waag and Derick K. Grant join Dance/NYC's NEW YORKERS FOR DANCE campaign, which features personal statements on why dance matters to our city.

With the release of these videos, Dance/NYC celebrates the New York City Tap Festival, Tap City, July 6-July 13, 2013, and all who tap in our city.

"These New Yorkers spotlight the legacy and vibrancy of tap dancing in a city where dance forms are many. The range and inclusiveness of dance in New York advance the city's role as a cultural capital," says Lane Harwell, Executive Director of Dance/NYC.

Tony Waag, Artistic and Executive Director of the American Tap Dance Foundation, is a New Yorker for Dance because "it's an American art form and it was born right here in New York City." He says of Tap City: it "makes a lasting statement about New York City and its dedication to this uniquely American form of art. We pay homage to tap dance by producing a festival in the city known for much of its major development."

Dancer and choreographer Derick K. Grant offers: "I am a New Yorker for dance because the city moves me. It is my form of expression."

By moving the dance community and those who care about the future of the art form to offer personal video messages, the NEW YORKERS FOR DANCE campaign strengthens the collective voice for dance, draws attention and resources to dance artists and companies (1,200+), and lifts the field as whole. See more at YouTube.com/DanceNYCorg.

Dance/NYC's core programs include research, leadership training, and technology. Special projects include the NYC Dance Response Fund, established to help artists recover from Hurricane Sandy, and the New York Dance and Performance Awards (the Bessies), produced in partnership with Dance/NYC. Dance/NYC works in alliance with Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance.