National Dance Project/The MetLife Community Connections Fund
The MetLife Community Connections Fund of the National Dance Project (NDP) supports the
national tours of NDP projects with
well-developed community outreach components. In addition to performances, NDP-funded tours engage audiences through workshops, master classes, and collaborations with local schools.
Each NDP-supported project tours to an average of six presenter sites, with each site offering multiple performances and community outreach and educational opportunities. Special emphasis is placed on increasing access to the arts among underserved communities.
The 2008 MetLife Community Connections Fund grantees are:
Ragamala Music and Dance Theater
Project Title: Sva (Vital Force)
Presenters:
University of Farmington, Farmington, ME;
Montgomery Community College, Blue Bell, PA;
St. Anselm College, Manchester, NH;
Westchester Community College, Valhalla, NY;
Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ;
Kutztown University, Kutztown, PA;
Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK;
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA;
Poway Center for the Performing Arts, Poway, CA;
Performances to Grow On, Ojai, CA
Philadanco
Project Title: In the Black Tradition
Presenters:
Lincoln Center, Fort Collins, CO;
CU Artist series, Boulder, CO;
World Music, Inc., Boston, MA;
Grand Opera House, Wilmington, DE;
Center for the Arts-George Mason University, Fairfax, VA;
UA Presents, Tucson, AZ;
Pasquerilla Arts Center, Johnstown, PA;
East Carolina University, Greenville, NC
Joe Goode Performance Group
Project Title: Wonderboy
Presenters:
Irvine Barclay Theater, Irvine, CA;
Edison Theater, St. Louis, MO;
Dancers Workshop, Jackson, WY;
Society for the Performing Arts, Houston, TX;
Northeastern University Center for the Arts, Boston, MA;
Fort Wayne Dance Collective, Fort Wayne, IN;
The Joyce Theater, New York, NY;
Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center, College Park, MD
Pat Graney
Project Title: House of Mind
Presenters:
Dance Theater Workshop/Manhattan Cultural Council, New York, NY;
DiverseWorks, Houston, TX;
Miami Light Project, Miami, FL;
Gesel Mason
Project Title: NO BOUNDARIES: Dancing the Visions of Contemporary Black Choreographers
Presenters:
Pro-Arts Collective, Austin, TX;
Painted Bride, Philadelphia, PA;
South Dallas Cultural Center, Dallas, TX;
Contemporary Dance Theater, Cincinnati, OH;
University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA;
Dance Place, Washington, DC;
National Black Arts Festival, Atlanta, GA
Support for the MetLife Community Connections Fund of the National Dance Project program is generously provided by MetLife Foundation.
MetLife Foundation was established in 1976 by MetLife for the purpose of supporting educational, health and civic and cultural organizations. The overall goal is to strengthen communities, promote good health and improve education. The Foundation continues a tradition of corporate contributions and community involvement begun by MetLife at the turn of the century. Recognizing the many ways in which the arts contribute to the health, vitality and development of communities and young people nationwide, MetLife Foundation supports activities that diversify audiences, promote greater understanding among different cultures, and increase opportunities for young people to participate in the arts. For more information about the Foundation, please visit www.metlife.org.
Lead support for the National Dance Project is provided by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation with additional funding for production and touring provided by:
National Endowment for the Arts
Ford Foundation
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
JPMorgan Chase Foundation
The 2007 MetLife Community Connections Fund grantees are:
Ron Brown/Evidence Dance Company (Brooklyn, NY)
Faustin Linyekula (Kinshasa, Congo)
Khmer Arts Academy (Long Beach, CA)
Ilkhom Theater (Uzbekistan)
Keo Woolford (Honolulu, HI)
