Dance Place is pleased to announce that the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) approved it for a Grants for Arts Projects award of $70,000. This generous funding will allow Dance Place to continue uplifting BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ artists and furthering meaningful dialogue in the dance community. This grant will specifically support BlackLight Summit (BLS) in partnership with Dance Place to better engage and empower our communities as leaders and participants.
Founded by Dance Place’s visionary Artistic Director, Tariq Darrell O’Meally, BLS seeks to ignite daring innovation and uncover creativity within the dance ecosystem. The theme for BLS ‘25 is State of Our Light. It will explore the inheritance left to BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Millennial, and Gen Z communities, addressing the grand challenges they face. The program will include a 10-month series of activities, such as a Community Council, Mentor Program, Artist Residencies, District Choreographers Dance Festival performances, and an Artist Class Series.
“BlackLight Summit at its core is an in-service village offering skeleton keys to access the experience of connection and belonging,” said O’Meally. “Our goal is to create programming that is agile enough to facilitate deep transformation, in the DMV community, that thoughtfully responds to the grand challenges of our time. Partnering with DP provides the regional dance community with high-touch opportunities to dream radically to build creative bridges that support deep fellowship.”
As part of its fiscal year 2025 grants announcement, the NEA is awarding 1,127 Grants for Arts Projects nationwide, totaling more than $31.8 million. This funding underscores the NEA’s ongoing commitment to supporting organizations and artists that shape vibrant arts communities across the nation.
The vision and goals of BLS align with the longstanding mission and goals of Dance Place, making this a partnership that not only supports the work of both organizations, but provides the opportunity to better engage and empower our communities as leaders and participants. By investing deeply in artists and centering those who have been systemically excluded from such opportunities, Dance Place strengthens the dance field and fosters growth for the next generation of creators.
Through this specific support, Dance Place will continue its mission to serve as a cornerstone for movement, education, creativity, and community while providing Black artists with the resources and visibility they deserve.
“The NEA is proud to continue our nearly 60 years of supporting the efforts of organizations and artists that help to shape our country’s vibrant arts sector and communities of all types across our nation,” said NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD. “It is inspiring to see the wide range of creative projects taking place, including Dance Place.”
“I am thrilled that we have received this grant, which is a testament to the impact of Dance Place in its 45 years of supporting artists, performances, residencies, community events, and educational engagements,” said Executive Director André Mazelin. “It reflects the important work that we continue to do at our campus to foster creativity, equity, and community through dance. We are thankful for the support and the existence of the NEA, and the necessary funding that they provide to arts organizations nationwide”
The timing of this grant announcement is particularly ideal, as it comes just before February’s Black Futures and History Month. At Dance Place, we honor the extraordinary contributions of Black artists to the world of arts and culture by amplifying Black voices, promoting inclusivity, and embracing the transformative power of Black creatives — not just in February, but all year long.
Dance Place’s current performance season features a remarkable lineup of Black artists, including Brinae Ali featuring The Baltimore Jazz Collective & Wendel Patrick, KanKouran West African Dance Theater, Jasmine Hearn, MK Abadoo/MKArts, Jessica Featherson, Liana Conyers, Ronya-Lee and the Light Factory, King Molasses, Marcus Isaiah, Shanice Mason, The Dance Place Youth Performing Company, and Coyaba Dance Theater.
For more information on other projects included in the NEA’s grant announcement, visit arts.gov/news.