Artist Relief Fund

Supporting ARTISTS

Vail Dance Festival’s Artist Relief Fund Provided �� Artist Grants

By Kimberly Nicoletti

When the pandemic hit, Julian MacKay, a dancer with the San Francisco Ballet, lost hope. He had always believed in chasing his dreams to see where they led, but COVID-19 cancellations and the death of his father left him full of despair.

“I felt like there wasn’t a way to change the situation I was in — no way to help my family, no way out,” MacKay said.

Javier Cendejas felt “an incredibly stressful economic burden” by losing work as a rehearsal pianist. Chris Bloom, a dancer with Ballet Hispánico, started delivering food in New York City on his bike to supplement the little money he had coming in. Shutdowns hit Daniel Mayo, a dancer with BalletX, hard, as he and his wife struggled to support their two sons.

The Vail Dance Festival leadership felt it was crucial to establish an Artist Relief Fund in order to support the Festival’s valued community of dancers, musicians, choreographers, and performing arts production professionals whose livelihoods were dramatically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. From June 1 to Sept. 30, 2020, ten percent of all donations to the Vail Dance Festival were allocated to the Artist Relief Fund. The Vail Dance Festival Committee kicked off the campaign with a gift, and a generous donor tripled the amount raised.

Any artist or production professional who participated in the 2018 or 2019 Festivals, or who was scheduled to participate last summer, was eligible to apply for a grant.

“Artists are such an important part of our community here,” said Sarah Johnson, Senior VP of Philanthropy and Vail Dance Festival.

In the end, $195,000 was raised and distributed among 66 artists. The money not only helped pay rent and other bills, but it also provided hope and encouragement.

“I am deeply grateful to have received this support, as I am only now finding my footing again in a new city at a new job, and this will greatly help me pay off debts that I owe due to COVID. But most of all, it really brought me a sense of hope again — hope that the future is bright and that there is a path to it,” MacKay wrote in an email in late 2020.

William Shaub, 2018 Festival violinist, expressed a similar sense of gratitude, “Besides the financial problems, the hardest thing has been feeling so dispensable and non-essential,” he said. “To feel valued and cared for just by opening up an email in that moment and seeing this generosity meant the world.” The funds also helped sustain the artists’ dedication to their craft.

“Dance is essential, and I am committed to continue using my background in videography and media management to keep it alive,” said Mason Chapello, a Festival video intern. “Working at the Festival (in 2019) was life changing and affirmed my passion for what I do.”

Savannah Harris, a percussionist, summed up the appreciation felt by many artists, “From the depths of my heart, thank you so much. This grant has allowed me to push forward with creative projects and maintain my personal security. I have felt supported and upheld in my few years at Vail, but the way you all campaigned and fundraised on our behalf really takes the cake. My heart is so full.”