Five of New York City’s acclaimed dance companies – Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, American Ballet Theatre, Ballet Hispánico, Dance Theatre of Harlem and New York City Ballet – have joined together to create a new online initiative to urge the dance community to do their civic duty and vote: #NYCDANCEUNITES.
The campaign launched on October 2, on each company’s social media platforms and website and will be an ongoing social advocacy initiative, inviting all dance artists and companies in NYC to participate. Led by each of these five companies, the voices of each organization’s artists, staff and communities will be heard.
The first iteration of #NYCDANCEUNITES will focus on voter turnout, encouraging dancers, dance makers, dance companies, dance advocates and dance supporters to make their voices heard both online and in real life, by encouraging others to vote throughout the month of October, and by voting themselves in November.
The companies ask all presenting organizations, dancers and lovers of dance in NYC to elevate and participate in #NYCDANCEUNITES by cross-posting, sharing and engaging in discourse across all platforms. Materials are available on Dance/NYC’s website.
In the future, #NYCDANCEUNITES will activate the NYC dance community around additional campaigns: a variety of social justice issues, access to dance education and opportunities for the dance field in a changing world.
The artistic directors of these companies – Robert Battle, Kevin McKenzie, Eduardo Vilaro, Virginia Johnson, and Jonathan Stafford and Wendy Whelan – have come up with the statement: “#NYCDANCEUNITES for the power of art to make a difference. In the challenge of this moment, we unite. Unable to make our art, be in our spaces or connect with our community in person, we come together online to magnify our voices. VOTE. This election is for all of our futures.”
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