We Believe
Empowerment Helps Communities Thrive
The Dance Resource Center (DRC) is a 501(c)3 non-profit service organization that believes in the power of art and the empowerment of dance. We serve the many districts and communities of Southern California and Greater Los Angeles, the second largest urban region in the U.S., representing one of the largest economies in the world.
Our Vision & Mission
We are driven by our Vision to enhance the profile of Dance – the most underrepresented of the performing arts – throughout Southern California and Greater LA; and our Mission, which is to help our community thrive in the art of business as well as the art of Dance.
We are Dedicated to Helping LA Dance Thrive
The Voice for LA Dance
The DRC promotes the visibility and viability of SoCal and Greater Los Angeles dance to arts funders and other important stakeholders on local, state and national levels. This not only gives dance a voice, but a seat at the table for discussions on the future of arts and culture in Los Angeles.
The Hub for LA Dance
The DRC has been a one-stop resource for all things dance in the SoCal and the Greater Los Angeles area for more than 30 years. Numbering nearly 10,000, our supporters include dance professionals, dance companies, choreographers, presenters, educators, businesses and patrons – all unified in their dedication to dance.
COVID-19 & the New Abnormal
Just as LA dance had to pivot to the new abnormal, so too, did the DRC. We reimagined how we can support our community in response to a world without active studios and live performances. Some of our responses included:
- Receiving more than 200 applications for financial hardship and raising thousands of dollars to support Members of our community
- Doubling our Member Gatherings to address lack of information and financial concerns in the dance field
- Hosting our first virtual Member Gathering, including closed captioning to ensure our hearing impaired/deaf participants had full access to our programming
- Adding new benefits such as our Member Directory and DSD Marketplace, introduced in 2021
When the LA Dance Community Succeeds, We Succeed
Our Values
Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
The Dance Resource Center is open to all dance companies, dancemakers and dance stakeholders and welcomes all genres, organizational formats, voices and perspectives. Our strength comes from the diversity of our Members and the community we serve. Our organization was founded on the principles of equity and inclusion, and is committed to continuing our legacy of helping all forms of dance and dance artists in SoCal and Greater LA flourish.
We Believe
- It is necessary to remove barriers to the recruitment, retention and advancement of dance groups, dancers, choreographers and administrative / management staff from historically excluded populations who are currently underrepresented in the dance field.
- Everyone in Southern California and Greater Los Angeles should have equitable access to arts and culture, and we are dedicated to improving inclusion in the wider arts ecology for all residents throughout our community.
We Are Committed to
- Recruiting and retaining leadership who reflect the diversity of the communities in which we serve;
- Providing educational and professional development programs, research, publications and policy positions that are relevant and culturally competent;
- Acting as a leading voice in the dance and greater arts community for the recognition of the challenges to diversity, equity and inclusion; and providing a platform for the honest and open exploration of paths towards a truly inclusive dance community in the metropolitan area; and
- Supporting Dance/USA’s development of national standards, in conjunction with Dance/USA’s overall mission that promotes and encourages the dance community to be knowledgeable and sensitive to issues of diversity, equity and inclusion.
What began as a group of volunteers grew into a non-profit serving the largest & most diverse dance community in SoCal & Greater LA
Our History
In 1987 a group of dancers, choreographers, dancemakers, producers and patrons came together to craft a shared mission. That mission was to shine a light on dance, the most underrepresented of all performing arts, build a more inclusive and diverse dance community and advocate for dance in the Greater Los Angeles area.