Pro/Motion – week of January 27

Dear BDA Community,

With the Lunar New Year this week and the beginning of the year of the snake, I’m drawn to reflecting on the wisdom, elegance and renewal that the snake symbolizes in some Asian cultures.

At BDA we’re all about sharing long developed wisdom with the community and continuously learning as our dance ecosystem evolves. We’re committed to finding innovative ways to support dancers & dance lovers throughout all stages of their life, letting go of practices that no longer work and adapting to new ones.

I’m excited to enter this new cycle with you. I’m looking forward to all the new ways to see the greater Boston area dance!

Warmly,


Carmen S. Rizzo, Membership & Operations Associate

 

Dancers in a dance studio

Congratulations to Recipients of the Festivals & Projects Grants!

In a time when connection and community feel more essential than ever, festivals and cultural projects serve as powerful reminders of what brings us together. Mass Cultural Council awarded 740 grants totaling $1.85 million through Festivals & Projects in FY25.

We are also thrilled that FY25 Festivals & Projects grant recipients underscored Mass Cultural Council’s equity and inclusion goals:

Notably:

  • 98% of eligible BIPOC-Centered applicants received funding
  • 94% of eligible first-time or returning applicants received funding

The efforts to expand support to organizations that have been underrepresented in the past is seen and vastly appreciated.

 

Dancers on stage. Two centered reach up; one holding the other's wrist

Congratulations to New England Dance Fund Awardees!

Join us in congratulating all the individuals and organizations that were awarded the New England Dance Fund! We would like to extend a special congratulations to those who are current BDA members:

  • Accumulation Dance (fiscally sponsored by BDA)
  • Continuum Dance Project (fiscally sponsored by BDA)
  • Dana Alsamsam, Novum Dance Collective (fiscally sponsored by BDA)
  • detritus dance
  • Ellice Patterson
  • Madison Florence (fiscally sponsored by BDA)
  • Rachel Linsky (fiscally sponsored by BDA)
  • Rebecca McGowan (fiscally sponsored by BDA)
  • Sapna Govindan
  • Shakia “The Key” Barron (fiscally sponsored by BDA)
  • The Davis Sisters (fiscally sponsored by BDA)

We are proud to have you in our community and excited to see all that will come from this award and beyond!

 

Photo of ballet pas de deux

Congratulations to Dancing Arts Center!

Congratulations to Dancing Arts Center and Gregg Saulnier on their recent establishment as a non-profit! BDA is proud to have supported you throughout many years of growth to get to this new stage.

 

Madison Florence headshot

Welcome to the BDA Community!
Madison Florence is BDA’s newest fiscally sponsored artist and we are enthusiastic about her new project coming up: Finding Space. The concept started as a multipart series focusing on Women in STEM and was in development when the pandemic began in March 2020. Over time, the focus on space grew and representing more identities became important in telling this story since many people shared and share similar plights.Finding Space is now in progress with the goal of telling the history and current stories of people who identify as women, people of color or BIPOC, queer, trans, nonbinary, parents, and all who have contributed but have not received the recognition for their work or had to fight harder for it. This piece is currently in process with plans to arrive at an evening-length performance in Winter of 2026.

BDA Member Events This Week
Walking the Talk poster with event information displayed over photo of people seated in a circle discussing.
Walking the Talk is a new day-and-a-half format event for dialogue discussion created in response to feedback from our communities. This event will bring dancers, choreographers, presenters, audience members, and funders together to engage in open dialogue and reflection. Friday, January 31, 6-9 PM and February 1, 1-6 PM, at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Tickets: pay-what-you-can (suggested: $30)
Photo of music artistFREE! – Croma Space will open its artistic programming for 2025 with a romantic salsa dance party and a concert. Enjoy salsa dance by DJ Cano Cangrejo and the professional dancers of MetaMovements, called “La salsa me enamora” (Salsa makes me fall in love). Saturday, February 1, 8 PM at the CROMA, Public Alley 438, Boston.
Be a Pro at Saying No. In this experiential workshop participants will explore embodied consent as boundary practice. Participants will learn the basics of connection and consent, build body awareness, and practice boundary-setting through dance and movement. No prior dance experience is required, just a willingness to move. Monday, February 3, 6:00-7:15 PM, at The Dance Complex, 536 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge. Registration: $10-$20.
Other events in the community this week:

FREE! – Omayra Amaya Flamenco Dance Company is hosting an educational event with a performance showcase. Bring your dancing shoes to Bring Flamenco to Our CommunityWednesday, January 29, 6-7 PM at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge.

FREE! – Celebrate the legacy and cultural influence of hip hop across generations at the Intergenerational Hip Hop Dance Symposium, an event that promises to be fun, impactful, and historic. All ages welcome! Watch a dance battle, the Film Fest, an Intergenerational Hip Hop Dance Showcase featuring The Floor Lords and participate in workshops. Thursday, January 30, 1:30-8:00 PM, Friday, January 31, 12:15-9:00 PM, and Saturday, February 1, 7:30-9:00 PM at Salem State University, 352 Lafayette Street, Salem.

Omayra Amaya Flamenco Dance Company performs “Antes Del Fin” Friday, January 31 & Saturday, February 1, 8 PM, and Sunday, February 2, 4 PM, at Arrow Street Arts, 2 Arrow St., Cambridge. Tickets: $35-$80.

Join the Multicultural Arts Center in their Globall Gala.  Enjoy a night of celebration, empowerment and connection, all under one roof. With delicious foods and desserts, and the upbeat brass and percussion from Eguie Castrillo & his Salsa Orchestra, Saturday, February 1, 6-10 PM, at 41 Second St., Cambridge. Tickets: $150-$1,200.

 

Audition poster with information and photo of four young ballerinas.

Join Jose Mateo Ballet Theatre for their Summer Intensive. Register for your audition at least 72h prior to audition time. Sundays, February 2 & March 30, 2:00-3:30 PM (ages 13-16), 3:30-5:00 PM (ages 17-22) at José Mateo Ballet Theatre, 400 Harvard Street, Cambridge. Video auditions accepted until April 30.

 

Unkempt is a dance theatre project focused on the topic of body hair and the practices and attitudes surrounding it. The choreographer currently seeks 3 dancers who feel connected to the subject matter for a performance in mid-May, Rehearsals will be held in Newton and dancers will receive a $300 stipend. The audition will be held on Tuesday, February 4, 8 PM in Studio 6 of The Dance Complex (536 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge). Register to audition by Sunday, February 2.

 

Photo of dancer in the fall foliage

Apply for the 2025-2026 Artist Residency at Mount Auburn Cemetery. Since 2014, Mount Auburn Cemetery’s Artist-in-Residence program has shared the work of nearly 30 artists ranging from musicians, dancers, playwrights, painters, sculptors, photographers, and more. Each year, 3-6 artists are offered grants (ranging from $500-$4,000 depending on need) and charged with creating an original, site-specific work inspired by an in-depth experience at the Cemetery. The grant must result in a deliverable product, program, or event that is unique to Mount Auburn Cemetery. Deadline: Saturday, February 1.