May 30, 2020

We are deeply disturbed and horrified by the continued violence and the killing of innocent black people. We stand with the black community in this very difficult time.

We recognize that our silence has made us complicit and so we’re breaking it now. As a majority white institution we’ve benefited and continue to benefit from the structures created by white supremacy. We commit to creating space for meaningful conversations with our staff and our community members, and embed our core value of access into everything that we do. We must do the important work of educating ourselves, being accountable, and keeping an open dialogue about the systemic racism in the dance community and beyond.

As an organization we are dedicated to equity, diversity and inclusion and strive to remove obstacles that prevent historically excluded populations from working, learning or dancing with us. We create equitable and inclusive music and dance experiences for all. At this moment of reckoning, we hold ourselves accountable and recommit to this core value. We will work with our community and partners in the dance world to dismantle structural barriers and fight for racial equity.

We acknowledge the pain, frustration, fear, and sadness of black and brown people, and the relentless racism that our black and brown community members, staff, and artists experience daily. We see you, we hear you, we stand with you.