Dance/NYC Hosts Immigrants. Dance. Arts. Conference

Dance/NYC, New York City's leading organization dedicated to promoting the knowledge, appreciation, practice, and performance of dance in the metropolitan area, will host an Immigrants. Dance. Arts. Conference on Thursday, November 8, 2018, presented in partnership with the New York City Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and The Kupferberg Center for the Arts at Queens College with performances curated by Queens Theatre. This free, day-long series of convening will gather leaders in dance and immigrant communities to consider the role of dance artistry in fostering the inclusion, integration, and human rights of local immigrants. Hundreds will attend panel discussions, interactive workshops, individual legal consultations, a networking lunch, and more. Visit Dance.NYC/IDAC for the complete program.

In a political climate that threatens the well-being of the more than three million immigrants in the New York City area, the conference aims to deliver resources; instigate dialogue; foster peer learning and collective action; and encourage engagement, investment, program development to advance immigrant artists, and artistic activism. This event is a part of a new multi-year initiative and builds on Dance/NYC research published in February 2018, New York City's Foreign-Born Dance Workforce Demographics. Visit Dance.NYC/ForeignBornWorkforce2018 for full report.

"At this moment in the United States, Dance/NYC reaffirms its belief that the dance ecology must itself be just, equitable, and inclusive to meaningfully contribute to social progress," says Alejandra Duque Cifuentes, Co-Executive Director, Programming and Justice Initiatives, Dance/NYC. "Dance/NYC is committed to dismantling xenophobia in dance and extending the role of dance artistry in fostering the inclusion, integration, and human rights of immigrant New Yorkers."

Dance/NYC has announced content, including discussions on the role of presenters in strengthening the landscape of dance making for immigrant artists with Gibney Director of Community Action Yasemin Ozumerzifon; on engaging dance audiences as advocates for immigrant artists and immigrant rights with Hemispheric Institute of Performance and Politics Associate Director, Arts & Media Marlène Ramírez-Cancio; on the role of funders in advancing immigrant artists and immigrant rights with National Association for Latino Arts & Culture Chief Operating Officer Adriana Gallego; and on education for immigrant students with Montclair State University Assistant Professor María Cioè-Peña.

Keynote conversations will address the role of dance makers and their artistry in the movement for immigrant rights, moderated by Derrick León Washington with Pascal Rioult and Potri Ranka Manis Queano Nur; and the future of immigrant rights through stories of resiliency, artistry, and immigration from New York City-based dance artists Kayvon Pourazar, Marco Castillo, and Pelenakeke (Keke) Brown.

Additional speakers include:
• Abdel R. Salaam, Artistic Director, DanceAfrica; Executive Artistic Director and Choreographer, Forces of Nature Dance Theatre
• Abou Farman, Assistant Professor, New School; New Sanctuary Movement, Artspace Sanctuary
• Ana Nery Fragoso, NYCDOE Director of Dance, Office of Arts and Special Projects
• Ben Espinosa, NYCDOE Arts Partnership Manager, Office of Arts and Special Projects
• Dian Dong, Associate Director, Chen Dance Center
• Eduardo Vilaro, Artistic Director & CEO, Ballet Hispánico
• Karesia Batan, Executive Director, Queensboro Dance Festival
• Mersiha Mesihovic, Artist; Artistic Director, CIRCUITDEBRIS
• Naomi Sturm, Director of Public Programs, Center for Traditional Music & Dance
• Sara Reisman, Executive Director and Artistic Director, Shelley & Donald Rubin Foundation
• Tom Finkelpearl, Commissioner, New York City Department of Cultural Affairs
• Ya Yun Teng, Community Outreach - Chinese Project Director, Flushing Town Hall

For full detail on session and speaker information, visit Dance.NYC/IDAC.

Dance/NYC's mission is to promote the knowledge, appreciation, practice, and performance of dance in the metropolitan New York City area. It embeds values of justice, equity, and inclusion into all aspects of the organization. It works in alliance with Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance. Dance.NYC

Dance/NYC's Immigrants. Dance. Arts. Initiative is made possible with founding and leadership support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and the Mertz Gilmore Foundation. The initiative is also supported, in part, by the National Endowment for the Arts; the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; and the City of New York, Bill de Blasio, Mayor, and the New York City Council, Corey Johnson, Speaker, through the Department of Cultural Affairs, Tom Finkelpearl, Commissioner. Dance/NYC thanks the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs and the initiative task force for their partnership.