Jacob's Pillow NDPF Public Session: “Just” Presenting

About the Event:

Held on Thursday, July 25, 2024: Justice, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are foundational aspects of any and all work in the dance sector and should foreground what we do, how we do it, and where we are going. This session focused on unpacking the characteristics of “just” presenting and the role presenters have in advancing a more equitable and just future in dance. Participants had the opportunity to connect with BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQIA+, and immigrant artists and their partnering presenters about what makes “just” presenting partnerships possible. Guiding questions included: How do we define justice, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in presenting? What does it look and feel like in practice?

This session is the first of two public sessions made available through the 2024 National Dance Presenter’s Forum. The 2024 National Dance Presenters’ Forum (NDPF) brought together a diverse cohort of presenters from across the U.S. with goals to: build the ecology of dance presenting as we emerge from the pandemic; foster dialogue about the changed landscape of dance presenting; and encourage an expansive model of access and participation in the field. The 2024 virtual forum took place monthly between May and October with an eye towards an in-person forum in the summer of 2025.

ASL Interpretation and CART was provided at this event.

Featured Speakers:

Christopher looks at the camera with a gentle smile. He wears silver jewelry and a leather jacket.

Seta, a multiracial Black woman with dark hair, stands smiling slightly, an extra large red blanket scarf wrapped around her head and neck. The mojave desert horizon at dusk in the background.

Femme of of Gitxsan and Cree ancestry wearing a head covering and smiling into the camera.

A white femme with black and red shirt and brown hair looking into the camera with a light smile and black background

Black masculine person with a hat and facial hair looking directly into the camera.

a Black femme outdoors with curly hair, white blouse and blue covering smiling into the camera

A Black femme wearing a colorful shirt and an updo hairstyle looking out of the corner of their eye.

An Asian man with black glasses and a suit, dark hair, smiling into the camera

Mini-Interview #1: Disability Justice & Presenting
- Christopher Núñez, visually impaired artist
- Seta Morton, Program Director & Associate Curator, Danspace Project

Mini-Interview #2: Indigeneity & Decolonization & Presenting:
- Margaret Grenier, Executive and Artistic Director, Dancers of Damelahamid
- Heather Redfern, Executive Director, The Cultch
Mini-Interview #3: Black Artistry & Presenting
- Michael Manson, dancer, choreographer and educator
- Melanie George, Associate Curator, Jacob’s Pillow
Mini-Interview #4: LGBTQIA+ Artistry & Presenting:
- Courtney Washington Balenciaga, Masterz at Work Dance Family
- Duke Dang, Executive Director, Works & Process

Event Recording:

Visit Jacob’s Pillow’s NDPF website for more information.

Jacob's Pillow NDPF Public Session: “Just” Presenting

Jacob's Pillow NDPF Public Session: Presenting & the Dance Ecosystem

Understanding Arts Service Organizations in a Changing Arts Ecosystem: Findings From Phase 1 Background Research