To the Washington, DC-Area Dance Community,
You have likely noticed that Dance Metro DC has been operating at a reduced capacity since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. Although we have maintained our weekly newsletter and some of our promotional benefits, we have not met the most pressing needs of the DC dance community as it grapples with existential, ongoing challenges including the Covid-19 pandemic and the realities of systemic racism in our country, and the ever evolving landscape of our field in the way that we, as a Board of Directors, envisioned. We are sorry. For this, we ask for your grace and forgiveness.
Accordingly, the Dance Metro DC Board of Directors (BOD) has reached the difficult but necessary decision to cease operations as of June 30, 2023. Newsletter service will cease in March 2023.
The decision to conclude operations of Dance Metro DC weighs heavily on the Board, all of whom are active members of the DC-area dance community, and we understand that it may be disappointing to you as well. However, due to mounting internal challenges, it is not feasible to continue the organization in its current iteration. Below, we share context for this decision and next steps for the community. We are so grateful that you all have been a part of this community and we have been honored to serve you.
Context for the Decision to Cease Dance Metro DC Operations
Since Fall 2019, Dance Metro DC has been without an Executive Director (ED). Beginning in 2020, the BOD was tasked with conducting in-depth community discussions aimed at better serving their needs through a revised operating structure. These plans were halted by the Covid-19 pandemic; like much of the dance landscape, Dance Metro DC’s operations were subsequently paused in Spring and Summer of 2020.
Unfortunately, the amount of labor required to revise its operating structure and relaunch DMDC is too much for the BOD alone to maintain. Due to the instability of the organization, the BOD feels that it would be irresponsible to continue, or to bring additional volunteer board members into the organization in its current state.
Since coming to this decision, the BOD has been working diligently to close operations in a way that is administratively organized and compliant with nonprofit regulations.
The BOD uplifts the diligent labor of our current and former members of the Board of Directors, whose commitment through this time of transition maintained the organization under extremely challenging circumstances. We also thank the part-time staff members who worked for DMDC during this time: Tiffani Kadani, Max Gorman, Bre Seales, and Julianna Raimondo.
Next Steps
If you have renewed your membership in the past six months, the Dance Metro DC Board of Directors will reach out to you with next steps.
The BOD will serve our board terms until DMDC is officially dissolved. During this time, we will work to close out our financials and securely preserve the intellectual property of the organization.
Although we have limited bandwidth, the BOD wants to create opportunities for community members with questions about this important decision to be in touch. If you would like to share feedback, you can do so by emailing bod@dancemetrodc.org. We will respond to all inquiries but please know it may take some time for us to do so.
Since 2005, Dance Metro DC has strived to be a hub of knowledge, resources, and support for the dance community in the DMV area. We are proud of the work this organization has helped foster, including the Local Dance Commissioning Project, the Space Subsidy Program, and the DC Dance Summit, as well as the many hard-working individuals who have given their time, energy, and love to not only DMDC, but to the amazing artists we have been fortunate to work with. While this current DMDC model has come to a close, we do not see this as the end; rather, we are confident that the creativity and passion we have witnessed in the DMV dance community will foster an opportunity for the development of a more sustainable model which better meets the evolving needs of the community.
We are so grateful to the DMV dance community for their support and passion for DMDC. This community is truly special and we are hopeful to see how it evolves. Respectfully,
The Dance Metro DC Board of Directors:
Adriana Ray
Nanda Srikantaiah
Jordan Gehley
Anthony Hovington
Sarah Lewitus
Shanice Mason
Val Oliphant
Tariq O’Meally
