Parsons Dance is devoted to advancing Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) with intentionality and focus. Our strategy for doing this features seven pillars which we view as platforms for developing initiatives and setting goals. In order for IDEA considerations to inform every aspect of our work, we enlist the support of all members of the Parsons Dance community to bring these initiatives to fruition.
1. Awareness, Empowerment, Education
Our journey begins with self-education and reflection. We must better understand and combat systems that perpetuate the oppression of marginalized communities and affect us all. We are focused on developing initiatives and practices that will help us address these threats.
2. Institutional Partnerships
Expanding IDEA in the performing arts requires partnering with allies across the spectrum of thought leadership, finance, and cultural innovation. We are committed to fostering more collaborations and institutional relationships to do this with greater intentionality and effectiveness.
3. Audience Diversity
Our mission celebrates the joyous and universal experience of dance. We are devoted to increasing audience access to our performances and to engaging new audiences through deliberate and thoughtful programming that furthers our vision of a more positive, inclusive, and welcoming world shared through our art.
4. Dancer Recruitment and Retention
Our ensemble of dancers contributes their full range of experiences and expression to their work. Each performer brings a unique perspective that helps represent our company’s diverse identity on stages around the world. In doing so, we aim to create a space that invites individuals of marginalized identity to enliven our art form, amplify our mission, and be fully seen. We are committed to strengthening processes and pipelines that will ensure accessible, sustainable participation in our work onstage and off.
5. Collaborator Recruitment
We are a founder-led organization whose identity is inextricably linked to collaborations with artists drawn from the wide-ranging cultures of America and the world. We strive to engage individuals who represent an inclusive group of artists. We are also committed to nurturing and employing a diverse pool of promising dance-makers, who we train through such initiatives as our GenerationNOW choreographic fellowship.
6. Staff Recruitment
A dynamic workplace requires us to examine and restructure operational processes and assumptions. We believe that recruits and employees must be able to expect inclusive business practices and sustainable working conditions. We reject legacy talent pipelines that limit access and homogenize the collaborative experience. Drawing applicants from an ever-broadening range of sources helps us dismantle white supremacy in the workforce.
7. Board Diversity
Widening the range of voices and perspectives in our governing ranks is a critical part of our IDEA work. We believe that advancing these values and attracting marginalized community members to join our board go hand in hand. We are actively seeking new Board leadership from historically underrepresented communities to empower our organization.