Aparna Ramaswamy Awarded a National Dance Project Production Grant for They Rose at Dawn

July 27, 2015

The New England Foundation for the Arts announced their support of the creation of 18 new dance works that will tour the United States, including Aparna Ramaswamy’s newest solo work, They Rose at Dawn.

These awarded works will be created by choreographers and companies with exceptional artistic voices and at different stages in their career, all of whom have a track record of professional production and touring. Eighteen projects were selected out of 124 competitive applications by a panel of national dance leaders who serve rotating three-year terms.

NEFA Executive director Cathy Edwards noted, “The impact of the National Dance Project in the creation and distribution of new dance works in the United States is extraordinary. This sustainable model, supported by visionary funders at the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, has been critical to the choreographic landscape in the United States.”

They Rose at Dawn will premiere October 6-8 at The Joyce Theater in New York. Confirmed presenting venues include NYU Abu Dhabi Arts Center (UAE), The Cowles Center (Minneapolis, MN), The McCarter Theater (Princeton, New Jersey), The Weitz Center at Carleton College (Northfield, MN), and Maui Arts & Culture (Maui, HI).

Since 1996, NDP has been a primary system of support for the contemporary dance field, supporting the creation and touring of new dance works.  In a field that has been historically under-funded, NDP remains the only national program dedicated to supporting individual dance artists and companies in a broad range of genres, whether established or emerging.  To date, including these awards, NDP has supported the creation of 359 new dance works, partnering directly with more than 350 U.S. presenting organizations to bring high caliber dance projects to all 50 states, D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  Each year, 20 to 25 different dance projects are featured in engagements in an average of 250 communities across the country. These touring engagements create new connections between community members and artists, offer unique opportunities for artistic growth, and increase access to the arts and the creative process. NEFA's National Dance Project Production and Presentation grants are generously supported with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.