In 2010, Dance/USA launched the first national professional dance mentorship program, proposed by the Dance/USA Emerging Leaders Task Force. Supported with generous funding by American Express and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Dance/USA Institute for Leadership Training (DILT) was developed to leverage connections between Dance/USA members and to bolster personal and professional development through one-on-one mentoring relationships.
Dance/USA invites its members to apply to participate in DILT each year. Based on the applicant pool, a limited number of pairs are matched based on experience, area of interest, personality, geography, and/or professional affiliations by a Dance/USA constituency committee. The following individuals are participating in Dance/USA's 2013 DILT program:
These members of the Dance/USA community will engage in a 6 month one-on-one mentorship designed to bolster personal and professional development in the dance field. DILT emphasizes regular communication between these established leaders (mentors) and emerging leaders (mentees) to foster self-direction, self-reflection, and embracing challenge. The relationships between mentors and mentees can extend beyond geographic boundaries, explore various areas of interest, and provide exposure to opportunities available in the field. Consistent one-on-one communication between mentors and mentees and Dance/USA facilitated professional development activities comprise the program.
The deadline to apply for the 2013 DILT program has passed. Information about the 2014 DILT program will be provided in winter.
Dance/USA is grateful to the American Express Foundation for their generous support of the 2013 Institute for Leadership Training, and additional funding provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
