As I navigate my identity as a black, female artist, I’m especially interested in creative efforts that prioritize cultural equity and embody more empowering models of community participation, writes dancer and dancemaker Katrina Reid. Read on for more on opening up possibilities for women choreographers of color.

Lack of clarity on what diversity and inclusion mean in our current climate is a great way of not realizing either of them as a goal. Is diversity the same thing as inclusion? If we manage to create an environment of inclusion, does that mean we have diversity? Is it true that we can have diversity without any inclusion? And, finally, perhaps the most powerful question, why does it matter that we achieve either of these equitable goals? Read more in this essay from  the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures.

The average dancer leaves performing by their mid-30s, often facing the critical question: What’s next?

Until recently, the answer has been all but clear. It would seem obvious that decades of intense discipline, long hours of practice and deep passion and commitment for the craft would produce a valuable human being with a skill-set worthy of a potent and fulfilling second career. Yet, many retired ballet dancers relegate themselves to becoming teachers of dance – a noble endeavor that only some genuinely enjoy – or transition to a similar profession utilizing a portion of their physical intelligence (bodywork, Pilates, physical therapy, etc.) 

What can dancers do beyond dance? Read what dancer and arts executive John Michael Schert has to say on this topic.

Joanna Mendl Shaw has taught dancers for many years. But it was when she began working with horses in large-scale choreographic pieces that she gained new insights into what dance teachers should be doing in the 21st-century studio to train healthy, competent and creative dancers. To learn more, read her piece exclusively in From the Green Room. 

There has been a fundamental shift in the way corporations interact with universities. Though developed in a university environment, the Network of Academic Corporate Relations Officer’s Five Essential Elements should be of strong interest to the arts and culture sector and can provide a valuable guide to improving the ways in which cultural institutions can offer better value to, and enhanced relationships with, corporate partners. Read on to further explore these mutually beneficial partnerships.

A professional life in the dance field is often a fragmented one. Few choreographers have the luxury of working in the studio with a group of full-time dancers. One powerful antidote to this fragmentation comes in the form of artist residencies, which allow for time and space to develop choreographic projects. Read on for Ellen Chenoweth's look at a few models that support artistic exploration through the artistic residency.

Brandon Gryde, Dance/USA's director of government affairs, gives us the scoop on the legislative issues dancers, choreographers, company managers, board members and executive directors should be watching in Congress this fall.

Like great American humorist Mark Twain, who remarked that “reports of my death are greatly exaggerated” upon hearing that a New York journal published his obituary, the same holds true for the long-reported dying art form of dance criticism. Writer Christine Jowers contends that dance criticism in America is far from dead. It is evolving. Read more in her response to a recent article in The Atlantic.

During the Dance/USA 2015 conference held in Miami from June 17-20, race and diversity were hot topics featured in multiple breakout sessions. Designed as freeform discussions between panelists and audience members, the Dance/USA breakout sessions provided an excellent forum for the sometimes personal and emotional experiences surrounding the topic of race in the dance world. Two consecutive sessions, collectively titled “Race and Dance Townhall: REAL TALK,” were held Thursday, June 18.

Missed Dance/USA's Annual Conference in Miami in June 2015 and want a rundown on what happened? Or need a refresher as your new season gets into gear? Read this report, with links to the plenary sessions, on key events and topics from Dance/USA's gathering of world class artists, administrators, managers and collaborators, exclusively in From the Green Room.