Dances For A Variable Population

Dances For A Variable Population is a dance company and educational organization with a mission to promote strong and creative movement among older adults of all abilities, enabling them to build creativity, improve their mental and physical health, strengthen social connections and enhance quality of life. Our artistic vision is to bring participatory dance experiences and performances to older adults throughout NYC, and to train teaching artists to expand our impact across NY and beyond. DVP’s free workshops and public performances promote a democratic, interactive, and inclusive vision of dance that highlights the power and beauty of older bodies.

DVP brings vital dance programming to thousands of diverse New Yorkers each year through:

• Free site-related professional dance performances in city parks and transportation hubs. Highlights include the annual multi-borough “Revival” series begun in 2017; "Phoenix Project" in New York Botanic Garden in 2016; "Roundup" in Times Square in 2012; "Autumn Crossing," the first commissioned dance on the High Line in 2010; “LES Citizens Parade,” staged at Seward Park for the 2018 River to River Festival; and other recent performances in Washington Square Park, on Governors Island, and in the Whitehall Ferry Terminal. Partners have included the LMCC, the NYC Parks Dept, and the Times Square Alliance. Most recently,

Revival 8: Then and Now (2024) embodied 20th Century dance forms, showcasing works of modern, Hip Hop, Flamenco, and Afro-Caribbean dance created by legendary dance artists in their 60s, 70s and 80s who performed with major 20th century dance companies.

• Free, community-based dance programs - Movement Speaks® and Dances for Seniors - for low-income, minority, and culturally underserved older adults, held at over 40 senior centers serving over 5,000 seniors. We launched Movement Speaks® in 2010 with 10-week sequential dance programs at two NYC older adult centers. That program expanded to serve over 20 sites by 2019 and currently offers 37 remote and in-person programs serving over 800 participants annually. We have built long-term partnerships with older adult centers citywide.
• Opportunities for older professional dancers to engage as choreographers, performers, and teachers, inspiring communities of dancers and extending dancers’ careers.

DVP’s operating budget for 2025 is just over $700,000, 96% of which comes from contributions and grants and the remaining 4% from program service revenue. DVP has a 9-member board of directors and an administrative staff of 3 full-time and 2 part-time employees, and a roster of 20+ teaching artists.