Dance in the Districts is a pilot program designed to provide financial support to Los Angeles dance artists and to amplify Council Districts. The City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and the Los Angeles Dance Workers Coalition (LADWC) recently announced the panel selection of 22 dancers and choreographers who live and work in Council Districts 2, 3, 8 and 10 to create online performance for this pilot program. The DCA was created in 1925 to help promote arts and culture. It is seen as an avenue to produce dialogue and engage LA’s residents and visitors on the importance of arts in the communities, and to provide residences of these communities access to the visual, literary, musical, performing, and educational arts.
Aerick Luckie (Left) – Photo courtesy of DCA
According to a recently DCA press release, as part of the $2,000 award, artists are asked to produce, present and film a virtual, online performance work between 1 and 3 minutes that is “family friendly, free, and publicly accessible for DCA, LADWC, and other partner organization websites, culminating in a screening that will be accessible online later this year.” Artists are required to present this work within and to highlight the Council District that they are associated with and to utilize an area of that district that holds value for them.
Rachel Hernandez – Photo by Farah Sosa
The Los Angeles Dance Worker Coalition (LADWC) is described as “a goal-oriented effort by an alliance of dance professionals invested in collective action and advocacy for dance in Los Angeles,” whose coalition is comprised of volunteers. The coalition aims to “provide equitable support to the diverse tapestry of individual dance workers who contribute to the vibrant culture of Los Angeles.”
Jamie Carabetta – Photo courtesy of DCA
The $2,000 award is divided into two parts, $1,000 each. Half the money Is allocated as artist fees and the remainder to cover in part any production costs such as rehearsing, costuming, videography, collaborators, marketing, administration, and other costs related to the production including public space permits, equipment, or venue rentals. Funding for the program is provided via DCA’s Madrid Theatre Cultural Hub (MaTCH) and the Leimert Park Cultural Hub (LPCH) supporting the geographic selection of artists.
Ashley Gomez – Photo courtesy of DCA
The Dance in the Districts selected artists for LPCH for Council Districts 8 and 10 are: Haniyya Tahira, Rachel Hernandez, Bernard Brown, Gabriel Gutierrez, Micha Moch, Darrell Dunn, Aeric Luckie, Jamie Carabetta, Imani Jackson, Shauna Davis, and Teresa Barcelo.
The Dance in the Districts selected artists for MaTCH for Council Districts 2 and 3 are: Nadia Calmet, Vanessa Cruz, Ashley Gomez, Olivia Mia Orozco, Thalia Ramos, Rashana Upadhyay, Kileigh Williams, Danielle Yashuda, Louise Reichlin, Sushama Mohan, and Larisa Carlson.
Darrel Dunn – Photo courtesy of DCA
“DCA is proud to support Dance in the Districts, an initiative created to serve LA dancers impacted by the devastating effects of COVID-19. Through contemporary choreography and dance, this initiative will help to amplify the physical expression of these 22 artists to communicate with and uplift their audiences,” said Daniel Tarica, Department of Cultural Affairs Interim General Manager.
Bernard Brown – Photo by David Arenas
For more information about the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, please visit their website or follow them on culturela.org or follow us on Facebook at: facebook.com/culturela, Instagram @culture_la, and Twitter @culture_la.
For more information on the Los Angeles Dance Workers Coalition, please visit their website.
Written by Jeff Slayton for LA Dance Chronicle.
Featured image: Danielle Yasuda – Photo courtesy of DCA
