Community Engagement

ADF strives to provide arts education for all by offering year-round community engagement opportunities. ADF encourages everyone – individuals of all movement experiences – to take part in modern dance. Programs at ADF’s SHS Studios are dedicated to providing a sound scientific and aesthetic base for all levels of training. ADF’s SHS Studios serve as a center for creative activity in which students learn in a welcoming and non-competitive environment from faculty who are experts in their fields.

ADF’S SAMUEL H. SCRIPPS STUDIOS

More than 671 participants of all ages attended youth and adult classes at ADF’s Samuel H. Scripps Studios during 2019-2020 prior to shutting our doors due to COVID-19 in March. In August, the SHS Studios pivoted to presenting several classes online.

YOUTH CLASSES AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Through generous foundation and individual support, ADF was able to offer 70 scholarships to Durham and Triangle youth to attend weekly classes at the studios between September and March.

Scholarships to ADF’s Youth Classes were offered in the names of Anonymous and Susan and Michael Hershfield.

WORKSHOPS AND MASTERCLASSES

In addition to weekly classes for youth and adults, ADF’s SHS Studios offered a mix of masterclasses, workshops, and open discussions with local and national choreographers, companies, and faculty including Glenna Batson, Culture Mill, Amanda K. Miller, Kira Blazek-Ziaii, Leah Wilks, Matt Pardo, and Ronald K. Brown. As part of a weekend of events with Ronald K. Brown, a number of opportunities were free and open to the public, including a screening and facilitated conversation centering around the 20 th anniversary of Brown’s breakout work Grace, and a community dinner at the Scripps Studios. ADF also collaborated with Duke Performances to offer master classes with Alonzo King LINES Ballet and Ballet X.

ADF’S PARKINSON’S PROGRAM

The Parkinson’s Movement Initiative (PMI) program, offered in collaboration with Poe Wellness Solutions and NC Dance for Parkinson’s, completed its third successful year. PMI is supported by a Community Grant from the Parkinson’s Foundation, which enables ADF to offer all PMI classes cost-free for people living with Parkinson’s disease (PD) and their caregivers. In addition to weekly classes, the 2019-2020 PMI offered special volunteer meet-ups to cultivate our growing community of committed PMI volunteers, as well as continuing our Community Connections initiative that works to form a lasting network of meaningful relationships in the community. Due to COVID-19, our PMI classes were forced to cease in-person operations on March 14. Faced with this obstacle, our PMI faculty created a catalogue of new instructional videos on YouTube, with new videos being released each week. The PMI team built a YouTube channel of over 30 videos that the PD community can use as a resource while continuing their movement practice at home. This transition in the face of unprecedented circumstances was met with over 1,800 views, an average of 49 views per video. Live online classes via Zoom were also initiated in September, with 171 visits by 45 unique attendees in the first three weeks of class. Expanding upon our work with the PD community, the They Are All/Dancing with Parkinson’s project bridges artistic and scientific perspectives to seed new ground for research on the beneficial outcomes of improvisational movement, mindfulness, and somatic tools for people living with PD. ADF worked with Culture Mill’s Tommy Noonan

and Murielle Elizéon to teach Dancing with Parkinson’s classes while Dr. Jeff Hoder, Associate Professor of Physical Therapy of Duke University, observed on participant progress. Classes intersected professional dancers, researchers, and individuals living with PD. Participants reported a significant positive change in quality of life from engaging with this project. The project also raised awareness of the collaboration’s innovative cross-sector approach and expanded the potential for further development and collaborations. The 2019-2020 They Are All/Dancing with Parkinson’s project culminated with a livestreamed work-in-progress debut of the project’s documentary titled Here and Dancing by Dr. Elisabeth Barbier that reached 189 viewers, as well as the launch of the project’s site movingthrough.live.

American Dance Festival is proud to offer Parkinson’s Movement Initiative classes in partnership with NC Dance for Parkinson’s and Poe Wellness Solutions and supported by a community grant from the Parkinson’s Foundation. Through this support, all classes offered through the Parkinson’s Movement Initiative are free for people living with PD and their caregivers. Additional support is provided by RTI International and the Lyna J. Rogers Fund of Triangle Community Foundation in memory of Betty Y. Powell. The They Are All/Dancing with Parkinson’s Project is funded in part by ADF with a grant from South Arts in partnership with the National Endowment for the Arts and the North Carolina Arts Council. Culture Mill’s work is made possible in part with a grant from the Kenan Charitable Trust. Additional support is provided by RTI International.

ADF’S STUDIO SUBSIDY PROGRAM

ADF’s Studio Subsidy Program continued for its second year with generous support from the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation. The program provides access to rehearsal space at affordable rates for local dance artists contributing to Durham’s creative landscape. In 2019-2020, ADF awarded a total of 225 hours of subsidized studio time to 10 independent artists in the area, enabling the creation of new work, exploration of ideas, and space for regular studio practice.

ADF’s Studio Subsidy Program was made possible through a generous gift from the Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation.

ADF PROJECT DANCE

Developed in 1998 in collaboration with the Durham Parks and Recreation Department, ADF Project Dance is a special program designed to share dance with the Triangle community. Those involved participate in a wide range of activities, providing many opportunities to learn and experience dance. Over the years, ADF Project Dance has worked with community partners such as Durham Public Schools, senior centers, Duke Hospital, libraries and community centers, and the Durham Parks and Recreation Department. ADF Project Dance provides creative movement classes with professional teaching artists and guest performers. From October 2019 through March 2020, ADF offered over 96 classes to more than 1,932 participants at 4 locations in the Triangle area.

ADF Project Dance was made possible with major support from the SHS Foundation. Additional support was provided by Central Park School for Children and Susan and Michael Hershfield.