Ngoma Center for Dance Annual Report 2020

Ngoma Center for Dance

COVID-19 A Nation Torn The Arts In The Dark

Image: William Feldon, Jazmine C. Rutherford, Daniel Artis, (c) Shawn Short

2020 Annual Report

More From Ngoma Letter to Our Community Pg 1 Dissonance Dance Theatre Pg 2 Education Pg 4 Covid - 19 Developments Pg 6 Ngoma Film Works Pg 8

Ngoma Center for Dance info@ngcfddt.org 202-540-8338 (o) 202-399-0174 (f) www.ngcfddt.org

Image: Emma Button (c) Shawn Short

Finances Pg 10

Rising Through Uncertain Times

2020 saw the death of George Floyd and demonstrations supporting Black Lives Matter. Additionally, 2020 faced a COVID-19 global pandemic closing US gig and creative industries, with civil and political discord amidst Americans. Due to city and state health regulations, Ngoma Center for Dance (Ngoma) closed its physical operations after March 17th, 2020 – losing significant earned revenue. Ngoma held on to hope, through artistic innovation.

Ngoma produced Dissonance Dance Theatre’s 13th theatrical season, provided a full year of dance education (in-person to virtual) to underserved and local communities, and launched our new program, Ngoma Film Works, in partnership with Dog Bark Media.

Secondly, Ngoma made history again at the International Association of Blacks in Dance’s Jan 17th, 2020 conference – presenting Dissonance Dance Theatre on the Merriam Theater to over 2,000 patrons; the first for a Washington, D.C. contemporary ballet company. Additionally, Ngoma provided more than 40 scholarships (full and partial) and apprenticeships to talented African-American dancers - both opportunities furthered our mission of impacting lives through dance.

Shawn Short

I encourage you to read on and explore what we accomplished together on the pages to follow.

Yours in Dance, Shawn Short, MFA, PGC in Business Founding Director Ngoma Center for Dance is unique and a gem to the Washington, DC area. The COVID-19 pandemic brought new hardships to our Black-led organization. But that didn’t stop us. With our new and seasoned board members, we provided advisement, aided in the creation of new program incentives, rolled up our sleeves, and participated in events. Diversity and inclusion are important to Ngoma, and myself. These ideals have strengthened Ngoma in 2020, leading to an increase in individual contributions and generosity from our funders.

We want to humbly thank DC Commission on Arts and Humanities, Bright Funds Foundation, Facebook patrons, International Association of Blacks in Dance, DC Deputy Mayor’s Office and Amazon’s Smile program.

Together, we can persevere through these dark times to a better future. I’m trully excited about the work we are doing at Ngoma.

Yours in Community,

Dave Domzalski

Dave Domzalski Chairman, Board of Directors Annual Report ‘20 - Ngoma Center for Dance

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Image: Allison Eguchi (C) Shawn Short

Dissonance Dance Theatre

Dissonance Dance Theatre (DDT) celebrates its 13th season (Fall ‘19 - Spring ‘20). DDT presented a full season of five productions, and performed in Philadelphia and in the Washington D.C. area.

Founding Director Shawn Short, graced the cover of MW Magazine, Feb 2020, talking about his life and DDT show Diaspora.

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Ngoma Center for Dance - Annual Report ‘20

DDT continues to provide a home for contemporary exploration of classical ballet and modern dance styles. In addition, we continue to be a space for emerging dance artists locally, nationally and internationally.

DDT presented production performances in Washington DC, Baltimore and College Park, MD. 2020 Spring Season International Assocaition of Blacks in Dance Merriam Theater, Philadelphia, PA January 17th, 2020 Diaspora Sprengar Theatre- Atlas PAC - Washington, D.C. Feb 22nd, 2020 Minus (COVID-19 Canceled) Jack Guidone Theatre, JOMDC

IABD 2020 Conference: Philadelphia, PA

On January 17th, 2020, Dissonance Dance Theatre made history again as a DC dance ambassador, performing as a part of the International Association of Black’s in Dance’s (IABD) annual conference. Selected through a panel of dance professionals, DDT presented Unsettled - a work from former guest choreographer/ Jacob’s Pillow Choreographic Fellow Kameron N. Saunders. DDT was the only professional company to perform within IABD’s curated professional performances. Ngoma School faculty, Anthony Spivey and Shawn Short attended dancer auditions for summer intensive students and DDT company positions – observing approximately 400 dancers, and providing more than 40 scholarships and 15 DDT contracts. Additionally, Founding Director Shawn Short attended a poignant diversity conversation with 30 ballet organizations (including School of American Ballet (SAB), Dance Theatre of Harlem, Charlotte Ballet, and others) to discuss Black bodies in ballet space prior to the Ballet Dancers of Color female audition. Dissonance Dance Theatre was one of two Black-Managed companies to attend the conversation; one of three Black dance entities hiring dancers.

Images: Top clockwise DDT on stage, patrons in the Merriam Theater, Female dancers at ballet audition, Founding Director Shawn Short with Pennsylvania Academy of Ballet Director Melinda Pendleton at the Rock School, DDT Dancer/School Faculty Anthony Spivey attending student auditions, DDT dancers Heather, Christine, Emma, and Tony

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Image: Ngoma students in class (c) Shawn Short

Education

Providing Opportunity & Creating Artistic Citizens Keeping Dance Affordable In 2019, The Ngoma School redeveloped its tuition price points to create new opportunities for families with a need for a more flexible tuition plan.

The Ngoma School now has two school-year programs: The Academy (pre-professional), and Early Steps (community/early entry). The programs feed into one another and give parents more options for dance education.

Image: First year pointe students First year pointe students

80% # of students receiving financial assistance.

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200

Children and young people served through education programs.

Ngoma Center for Dance - Annual Report ‘20

5% of program participants are male.

Outreach & Community In 2014, Ngoma began to offer its education programs with more consistency. At the time, most offerings were just Dissonance Dance Theatre’s Trainee program, master classes, and one-time workshops.

In 2017, Ngoma Center for Dance launched its second phase of education program, The Ngoma School; serving students annually through our fall, winter/spring, summer, and community outreach efforts.

The Ngoma School is emerging as P.G. County’s flagship dance school for students interested in a professional concert dance career. We provide pre-professional dance training that informs and encourages the pursuit of a post-secondary education, healthy living, mentorship, self-care, and life skill mastery.

Ngoma is currently serving students as young as 5 years old and as old as 24 years old, who received a late start to their professional dance training.

Dance classes, workshops, masterclasses, and auditions are facilitated at Univ of Maryland College Park.

Suitland High School of the Visual and Performing Arts students after masterclass with Founding Director Shawn Short

We offer levels I - 3, a summer, men’s, and trainee program.

East of the River (EOR) Program Due to limited space to conduct dance programming at Ngoma’s EOR space in northeast Washington, DC, Ngoma Center for Dance launched a reduced-tuition program for students living in Ward 7 & 8. Currently, five percent of level I students participate in the program.

Male dancers in ballet class

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Transition to Virtual Learning: The Ngoma School According to the Brookings Institute’s report, “Lost Art: Measuring COVID-19’s devasting impact on America’s Creative Economy (Florida/Seman, 2020)”, the COVID-19 crisis has hit hard the arts, culture, and the creative economy. The fine and performing arts industries are estimated to be hit the hardest, suffering estimated losses of almost 1.4 million jobs and $42.5 billion in sales.

On March 17th, 2020 Ngoma Center for Dance was forced to shut down operations of Dissonance Dance Theatre and The Ngoma School. The administration worked diligently to transition The Ngoma School to a virtual alternative solution. Through Canvas, a free program for teachers, Ngoma faculty devised a multiple module program for four levels of dance education - initially retaining 80% percent of our student population successfully through the close of the academic year.

Artists Needing A Helping Hand Dissonance Dance Theatre released dancers from contracts in March. To provide great assistance and care to our artists, Ngoma paid teaching artists wages through May and assisted them and company dancers with applying for financial assistance (unemployment, artist relief grants, housing, etc). We believe in people, and their ability to create art.

Images: (Left page) Top to bottom (Shutterstock), background (Ngoma Canvas screenshot), (Right Page) above, DDT dancers in the dressing room, right side, book cover designed by Dog Bark Media LLC

DDT Is Now Published To watch a dancer move, is seeing magic unfold in front of your eyes. As the only Black-managed contemporary ballet of its kind between NYC and ATL, DDT is unique in voice and style. Timeless Dance. Remixed. is an exceptional collection of images showcasing the range, beauty, and artistry of Dissonance Dance Theatre. Now available on Bookbaby, Amazon, eBay, Barnes & Noble, iBook, and WHSmith (U.K.).

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Shawn Short with Alexix Smith, Tony Sewer

Ngoma Film Works

Ngoma Film Works first project was shot in 2020.

The docudrama His Eyes Saw Dance (2020), gave light to Ngoma’s Founding Director/DDT Principal Choreographer Shawn Short’s passion and drive to provide a platform of diversity and inclusion.

Since its completion, His Eyes Saw Dance has been selected and viewed in film festivals across the United States - including American Dance Festival’s Movies by Movers film festival.

DDT Resident Choreographer Kareem B. Goodwin with Phillip Fobbs

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Ngoma Center for Dance - Annual Report ‘20

Ngoma Film Works Launched in the Summer of 2020 in partnership with Dog Bark Media LLC (a DC-based media company), Ngoma Film Works (NFW) is a program that highlights urban and classic society, human relationships, cultural history, and “visual-choreo” art through documentaries and narrative film.

Created to further Ngoma’s ability to enlighten artists through creative innovation, expand its audience viewership and build new video and visual artist relationships for future collaboration, NFW’s strengthens further its mission of community integration, inspirational performance, and artistic development.

Goals of the Program: 1. Create original stories that further the field of dance.

2. Push creative innovation that celebrates the African-American experience.

3. Pose questions through narrative film, to engage and inspire.

Images: Jessica Potts on set (c) Valerie Philips and courtesy of Fierceness Served!

The Coffee House (2021) The Fierceness Served! The ENIKAlley Coffeehouse documentary will focus on the local history of a Black LGBT performance venue, rehearsal space, and meeting place for artists and political organizations in Washington, DC from the 1980s to the mid-90s. It was the epicenter of a cultural renaissance that paralleled The Harlem Renaissance.

The film will feature the work of Coffeehouse artists as well as interviews with surviving members and supporters.

In literature, film, music, photography, visual arts, and performance, the creative force of these local artists has today informed newer generations of LGBTQ+ artists and activists internationally. In celebration of DDT’s Black to Silver: A Black LGBT experience production, Former DDT Soloist (Now board member) Jessica Potts is a featured dancer in the film.

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Image: Above: Moyston Henry Jr (c) Shawn Short

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Ngoma Center for Dance - Annual Report ‘20

Finances 2020 Expenses

Artistic Staffing Facilities Production General Operations: Total Expenses

Income

Individual Contributions: Service Organization Foundations Funding - DC Gov Ticket Sales Tuition - The Ngoma School Special Events/Workshops Board Contributions Total Income

$76,532.00 $8,231.00 $91,117.00 $56,264.00 $232,144.00 $104,901.00 $2,500.00 $1,110.00 $146,629.00 $4,488.00 $15,350.00 $1,021.00 $16,667.00 $292,666.00

We increased artistic and educational staff to better streamline DDT rehearsals, productions, and the Ngoma School’s day-flow. Furthermore, dance artists increased income opportunities by partaking in Ngoma’s teacher trainings for gaining teaching artist positions - enriching Ngoma’s educational offerings to students in the school and community/outreach programs.

Ngoma Center for Dance, again, humbly received more than $400k in gift-in-kind services.

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Founding Director/CEO Shawn Short, MFA, PGC in Business Technical Director Chris Holland Interns Allison Eguchi Phillip Fobbs Moyston Henry Jr Christine Motta Jessica Potts Anthony Spivey Jeremiah Welch

Board of Trustees Chairman Dave Domzalski, BS Vice Chairman Tyler Lewis, BA President Shawn Short, MFA, PGC in Business Treasurer Anthony Spivey, BS Secretary Jessica Potts, MA Member Dr. Benjamin A. Dukes, Ph.D, RDT, RYT Member Anthony Hyman, M.ed Member Tony Thomas, BS Member Quoc Tran, MBA

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Ngoma Center for Dance - Annual Report ‘20Center for Dance (c) 2021 Ngoma