The dance world is facing unique economic, political, and social pressures.
We are contending with the dismantling of federal arts funding, related pressures on state and local budgets, and shifts in private philanthropic commitments. Arts organizations across our field are having to contend with difficult decisions to restructure or reduce staff. We are being asked to survive on less while making the case—again—that dance matters. This is not a new experience, but the environment in which we are navigating these demands is more strained, stretched, and stressed than many of us have experienced in our lifetimes.
“In my fifty-one years in the arts, I have never seen an environment like this.
But do not despair; despair forces us to succumb to a worldview
to which we do not agree.”
— MK Wegmann, spoken at Dance/USA’s annual Dance Forum 2026
How can we as dance leaders and practitioners manifest the future that our field deserves? Answering and delivering on this question must be a collective practice. The way forward will emerge from strategic thinking and action born in community.
Dance/USA National Conference in Chicago, 2025
Join a national network of dance professionals, artists, and advocates.
Right now, being in community with other dance professionals feels more vital than ever. To share and to speak truthfully about where we are as a field. To know you’re not in this alone—that others are thinking about the same things, worried about the same things.
As a Dance/USA member, you’ll find people who care as deeply as you do, and who are ready to advocate for the dance ecosystem together. You don’t have to figure this out alone, and you shouldn’t have to.
Benefits of Membership include:
Connecting with a national network of dance professionals
Dance/USA membership connects you to networks where people like you share resources, strategize together, and build collective power.
These networks are member-driven spaces where you have a voice in shaping priorities, can access resources and support, and connect with peers across the country who are navigating similar questions.
Member networks meet throughout the year, so you’ll have ample opportunities to engage in vital discussions and find camaraderie among your peers who understand your work.
Whether you work as an executive director, artistic director, presenter, producer, development professional, marketing practitioner, or you work in production, education, and other vital parts of our field, we offer a variety of role- and identity-based networks to help you navigate your role and specific challenges.
Advocacy support
When you join Dance/USA, you can become part of a robust network of professionals advocating for the dance ecosystem. Dance/USA provides support by:
- Creating practical resources about dance advocacy in different contexts (from within an organization to regionally or nationally)
- Sharing stories to provide a roadmap for what you can accomplish locally
- Hosting side-by-side convenings at conferences you’re already attending
- Partnering with other service organizations
- Inviting you into a community of care to discuss pressing issues
Professional resources for dancers and arts administrators
Dance/USA develops and distributes resources related to:
- Touring visas
- Equitable contracting
- Archiving & preservation
- Audience Engagement
- Fellowships, mentorships, and funding opportunities
- Dancer health
- And more
Discounts for events and services
Dance/USA Members receive discounted ticket pricing to the biannual Dance/USA Conference, a national gathering that attracts a broad range of creative workers and dance professionals, including independent artists, dance presenters, agents and artist representatives, education and service providers, executive directors, artistic directors, company managers, fundraisers, development and marketing staff, and more.
Members also receive free or discounted access to Jobs & Opportunities Listings, Dance Performance Listings, and Classified Listings on the Dance/USA site. Our Jobs Listing page receives nearly 80,000 visits/year.
“Being in community with other dance professionals in this current moment feels very vital—even more impactful than it has been in the past. It is an opportunity to share and to speak truthfully about where we are as a field, but then also where we are individually, to understand that you’re not in this alone, that there are others who are thinking about the same things, concerned about the same things.
Those that are outside of the dance ecosystem don’t necessarily understand the impact of a lot of the decisions that are happening in our government right now. To be amongst those that do deeply care. It’s very vital in this moment for me to have an opportunity to express, to share, to talk, to cry, to vent—all of the things that, as an arts leader, you don’t always have the space to do while you’re leading others through constant shifts and challenges. So being able to talk with other leaders that are also carrying the weight of that responsibility feels very necessary right now.”
— Vershawn Sanders-Ward, founder and director of Red Clay Dance Company, who also serves on the Board of Trustees for Dance/USA
Membership is designed for a diverse set of dance professionals:
Individual Artists, Arts Administrators, Arts Leaders, and everyone in between.
Individual Artists
The work of an individual artist can be isolating.
You’re navigating grant applications, contracts, building a sustainable practice, and advocating for work—often without the institutional support or peer network that comes with being part of a company or organization.
What if you had a community working through these challenges alongside you?
DanceUSA is actively expanding our focus and developing networks specifically designed to support artists working outside traditional institutional structures. We’re making a commitment to ensure individual artists have the resources, community, and advocacy power you deserve.
As a member, you gain access to identity-based Member Networks, including:
- Advocacy Network
- Individual Artists Network
- Deaf & Disability Network
- Latinx Network
- LGBTQ+ Network
These networks are member-driven spaces where you have a voice in shaping priorities, access to resources and support, and connection to peers across the country navigating similar questions.
This is a community on your terms, at an accessible price point designed specifically for individual artists.
The work of an individual artist doesn’t have to be done in isolation. Become a Dance/USA member and be surrounded by colleagues navigating what it means to be an individual artist in this moment.
Arts Administrators
Arts administrators often work alone or with a very small team.
You’re managing budgets, coordinating programs, processing payroll, writing grants, onboarding staff, and keeping the whole operation running—without a peer network to lean on or a mentor to call when something goes sideways.
What if you had a community of people who actually understand what that’s like?
Dance/USA is building networks specifically designed for arts administrators, connecting people across organizations by role and professional path. Whether you’re an operations manager, a development director wearing five hats, or a solo admin trying to do everything at once, you deserve a place to share what’s working, learn from others who’ve been there, and remember why this work matters.
Arts Leaders
As a leader in the dance ecosystem, you’re navigating funding uncertainty, organizational sustainability, staff capacity, and an ecosystem that’s being asked to redefine itself in real time.
What if you were in a room with other leaders doing the same?
Dance/USA membership connects you to a network of executive directors, artistic directors, and other dance leaders who are thinking through these challenges together. We share what’s working, build collective strategy, and advocate for the dance ecosystem together.
This is where dance leadership happens in community. Become a member and join us.
Membership Levels and Pricing
Payment plans are available. Email membership@nulldanceusa.org for more information.
| Membership Level | Description | Annual Member Dues |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | Independent dance professionals, practitioners, recent dance graduates, and others involved in the dance ecosystem | $75 |
| Dance Company | US-based and international dance companies of all genres and sizes | Based on operating budget* |
| Individual Affiliate | Individuals who wish to have access to organizational benefits but their organization does not have a membership | $125 |
| US Business Affiliate | US businesses (not including dance companies), service organizations, festivals, presenters, academic institutions, choreography/residency centers, local and state government agencies, and other organizations engaged in supporting, producing, or connecting to the field of dance | $250 |
| International Affiliate | International businesses (not including dance companies), service organizations, festivals, presenters, academic institutions, choreography/residency centers, local and state government agencies, and other organizations engaged in supporting, producing, or connecting to the field of dance | $750 |
*Dance Company Member Dues by Operating Budget
| Budgets below $250,000 | Budgets between $250,000- $749,000 | Budgets between $750,000-$2.9 million | Budgets between $3,000,000-14.9 million | Budgets above $15 million |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Member Dues: $125 | Annual Member Dues: $250 | Annual Member Dues: $1,000 | Annual Member Dues: $3,875 | Annual Member Dues: $5,000 |
“Our dance ecosystem has been experiencing multiple interlocking crises that have had profound political, economic, and cultural impacts. Collectively, we have an opportunity to fortify the future of dance.
Our people — our artists, our teachers, our administrators, our organizers, and our other cultural workers — are some of our greatest assets in ensuring a future where our field is thriving.
We may not agree on every goal, strategy, tactic, or style, but our ability to build healthy working relationships across our ecosystem — aligning our efforts, embracing conflict as generative, and honoring the field diversity that bolsters our resiliency — will be critical fuel towards a future that we all yearn and strive for.”
— Michele Kumi Baer, Executive Director, Dance/USA
