Danceast Collective

DancEast Collective Youth. We were highly successful in achieving the goals for our youth programming in FY25. DancEast Collective served 63 youth between the ages of 8 and 18 in the DancEast Studio. We served an additional 28 youth in that age range in Metro Nashville Public Schools. The DancEast Collective Youth program was offered to 22 youth between the ages of 8 and 18 at no cost. An additional 12 students in that age range received dance instruction at a significantly reduced cost, and one 7-year-old did, as well. 20 youth in Metro Nashville Public Schools received dance instruction at no cost to them, and an additional 8 students in MNPS received instruction at a significantly reduced cost. 29.6% of the total 91 students served are BIPoC. While we contracted with 8, rather than the projected 14, teaching artists, we did surpass the goal of half of them identifying as BIPoC or LGBTQIA+ (75%). We paid them on average $60/hour, surpassing the goal of $50/hour. We met our goal of offering 2 youth dance performances for the community, surpassing our goal of 20 youth and 40 adults for the free show in December and also surpassing our goal of 20 free tickets given out for the April show. Revenue is from payments for youth dance lessons, ticket sales, and contracts with Metro Nashville Public Schools to provide after school dance programs. The grant was $1,600 from the Capezio Foundation.

DancEast Company. Being able to pay competitive wages to dancers is an incredibly important part of our mission. The fact that 3 of the 6 dancers in the company are Latine (1 born in Cuba and another in Mexico) is something of which we are quite proud. We hear from audiences that they are moved by the diversity of the company and the ingenuity of the movement they represent. A member of the audience at the free performance in the gallery at the downtown Nashville Public Library stated "I see collaboration. I see reaction. I see consciousness." He just happened into the performance but was moved to sit down and stay for the entirety of it. That single interaction was so perfectly representative of what we are trying to do by offering dance in unexpected places for anyone and everyone to experience and enjoy. This project was made possible in part by an Arts Project grant in the amount of $8,800 from the TN Arts Commission. Revenue is from ticket sales and payment for adults to take dance lessons.