FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2023
Contact: Johanna Tschebull
Washington, DC – Dance/USA, the national service organization for dance, invites self-identifying early-career dance leaders to apply for the Dance/USA 2024 Institute for Leadership Training (DILT), a mentee-driven national dance mentorship and leadership development program. Mentor-mentee pairs will be selected and matched for the 2024 program, which launches in March 2024 and concludes six months later in September 2024.
Mentee applications are due by Friday, December 1, 2023 at 11:59pm PST. Review the DILT guidelines, applicant criteria, program overview, and apply.
The overarching goal of DILT is to build the leadership and resiliency skills of early-career dance leaders who represent the vast scope of the national dance community. The program has a specific focus on supporting individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color; as Disabled; and as queer, transgender, agender, gender fluid, genderqueer, gender non-conforming. All are welcome to apply regardless of one’s membership status with Dance/USA.
DILT emphasizes regular communication between established leaders (mentors) and early-career leaders (mentees) to foster self-direction and self-reflection, and to embrace change. Mentors are identified after the mentees have been selected; allowing for thoughtful pairing of mentees with mentors who will truly aid in the mentees’ needs and goals. The relationships between the mentors and mentees extend beyond geographic boundaries, explore various areas of interest, foster community and connections, and provide exposure to opportunities available in the field. A limited number of pairs are matched based on experience, area of interest, geography, and/or professional affiliations by the Dance/USA DILT Selection Panel.
The 2024 program will be virtual and will launch in March 2024 with a kick off call. Following the launch of the program, members of the 2024 DILT cohort (mentees and mentors) will engage in a one-on-one mentorship experience involving monthly meetings, one optional site visit (mentees will visit the mentors), as well as periodic cohort meetings with members of the Dance/USA team.
For more information about the program please contact Dance/USA.
About DILT
DILT was piloted in 2011 at the recommendation of the Dance/USA Emerging Leaders in Dance Task Force to facilitate one-on-one relationships for networking and leadership development for dance professionals. The program was designed to enhance and refine the skills of self-identifying early-career leaders within the dance ecosystem so that they may guide dance organizations through the future’s challenges and shifting landscapes. With the guidance of a mentor, mentees hone their management skills, as well as recognize and learn from personal strengths and weaknesses. Learn about past DILT alumni.
Dance/USA is grateful to the Mellon Foundation and The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation for their generous support of the Institute for Leadership Training. Dance/USA is also grateful to its ongoing funders: Doris Duke Foundation, The Harkness Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, The Shubert Foundation, and The Wallace Foundation.
About Dance/USA
Propelled by our belief that dance can inspire a more just and humane world, Dance/USA will amplify the power of dance to inform and inspire a nation where creativity and the field thrive.
Established in 1982, Dance/USA champions an inclusive and equitable dance field by leading, convening, advocating, and supporting individuals and organizations. Dance/USA’s core programs are focused in the areas of engagement, advocacy, research, and preservation. Learn more about Dance/USA at danceusa.org.
