DC Dance Collective (Sponsored by the DC Artist Collective)

We are the DC Dance Collective, are a dance organization and studio sponsored by the DC Artist Collective, a (501)(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

What Is a Dance Collective?

A Collective, like a traditional dance school, offers a full range of classes for dancers of all ages and all levels. The difference between a collective and a traditional dance school is that a collective provides support for the artists and their individual talents, rather than stringently setting rules and defining curricula. A collective allows the instructors the freedom to relay their expertise to students in whatever way they see fit. Furthermore, a collective strives to include as many different dance styles from as many different cultures as possible. Students benefit by being able to choose from a wide range of classes taught by experienced instructors with differing styles and philosophies, which allows them to compare and contrast those styles and philosophies, and thereby form their own opinions, and grow as artists and individuals.

The Mission of DC Dance Collective is to make dance available to everyone, regardless of social or economic status, age, gender, or artistic or cultural background, and to establish a studio atmosphere in which students and instructors have artistic choices, share in the artistic process, and learn the value of artistic expression.

DC Dance Collective strives to provide opportunities for everyone to experience dance through a variety of different programs. These include, but are not limited to:

• Our Work Exchange Program, which provides dance classes in exchange for time worked as a front desk assistant
• Our Resident Companies, which perform at both studio sponsored events, benefits and elsewhere, many times pro bono
• Outreach Programs and performances, such as the Thomson Elementary School Project and the Children's Hospital sponsored Get Tough Program
• Workshops with sister studios abroad, such as Ecole de Danse Desha/Simone Moulin
• Performances that raise money for our scholarship fund, such as the Collaborative Arts Festival