Dance/NYC is proud to introduce the Dance Workforce Resilience (DWR) Fund, a new regranting program for freelance dancers in the NYC metropolitan area. Made possible through support from the Ford Foundation, The New York Community Trust, and other generous funders, the DWR Fund is designed to promote fair labor practices and address wage inequities across the dance field.
About the DWR Fund The DWR Fund provides one-time $1,000 grants to freelance dancers for eligible, contracted dance work completed between January 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026.
The Fund intends to:
help close the gap between what freelance dancers earn and what it costs to live in the NYC area
encourage fair working practices by supporting the use of written contracts
support those most impacted by systemic inequities, including African, Latina/o/x, Asian, Arab, and Native American (ALAANA), disabled, immigrant, older adults, women-identifying, gender nonconforming/nonbinary/genderqueer, and transgender dancers
Application Period Applications are open now throughMarch 3, 2026.
Grantees will be selected monthly through a weighted lottery and announced from August 2025 through April 2026.
Live in the NYC metro area (includes the five boroughs, Long Island counties, Westchester, Rockland, Bergen and Hudson counties)
Worked under a contract as a dancer on project-based work between January 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026
Can provide proof of contract
Contracts must include terms such as pay rate, contract period, working hours, dancer role, and independent contractor status. Full details on eligibility requirements can be found online.
Need Support? Dance/NYC is committed to supporting applicants throughout the process. We will host avirtual information sessionon June 25, 2025, and offer one-on-one technical assistance sessions throughout the application period. Spanish and Chinese translation, ASL interpretation, and live captioning will be available upon request to ensure accessibility.
